Minority Report (Full Screen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Classic Sci-Fi From Spielberg
Review: Roger Ebert called this the best film of 2002 and I am hard-pressed to disagree. Steven Spielberg after the apparent failure of "A.I."(not in my book) delved right back into the sci-fi genre. Freed from having to make a film that had to live up to the expectations of the late Stanley Kubrick, Spielberg made a film that contained his own personal vision but in some ways is informed by the lessons he learned from Kubrick. There is a certain cynicism about the future that Spielberg imagines but ultimately there is room for optimism. The film concerns a future where crime is virtually eliminated through the use of "pre-cogs", drug-induced seers of the future who foretell crime before it is actually committed. Tom Cruise plays Anderton, head of the pre-cog unit who is also grappling with the loss of his young son and a separation from his wife. Things are going swimmingly for Anderton until he is implicated in a future crime and it's his time to run. The themes in this film resonate such as the morality of using technology to violate one's civil rights for crimes you may or may not commit. The film is also a slam-bang action film that will entertain even if you don't feel like dealing with heavy themes. The cinematography, art direction, and special effects are all top-notch. Cruise is excellent and is equalled by Samantha Morton, who plays one of the pre-cogs, Agatha. There is a great supporting cast here with Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, and Kathryn Morris. The story has twists and turns that make sense and result in a satisfying conclusion. "Minority Report" definitely ranks as one of Spielberg's crowning achievements.

Rating:
Summary: Best Film of 2002!
Review: I have to agree with Ebert. This is the best film of 2002. Steven Spielberg took us farther into film noir than ever before, and we are left with one of his best works ever. Tom Cruise stars in this film as John Anderton, the chief of the police force unit, "Precrime", who use the psychic premonitions of three teenagers, "precogs" to stop murders before they happen. This film is wonderfully shot through Spielberg's imagination of what the D.C. area would look like in 2054, and surpasses Jaws for the most frightening Spielberg moment ever with the scene involving Anderton and the "precog" Agatha, played superbly by Samantha Morton. The film's strongest point may not even be how well it dabbles with the elements of a psychological thriller, but how much this film doesn't seem like it's possibilities are too far off. Great flick!

Rating:
Summary: One of Spielberg's Best
Review: I was stunned when I first saw this film in the theater, and enjoy it immensely every time I pop in the DVD. Visually captivating with its grainy footage, washed out colors, and delightful visual motifs, "Minority Report" makes up for any plot holes with sheer visual brilliance. Next to "Schlindler's List," perhaps Spielberg's greatest achievement.