Minority Report

Yes! If you forget Dick's original story, which is a long way off, Spielberg has made a completely riveting sci-fi with a rather possibly visionary view of the future, when our ideas will be under control and we are punished for crimes we will not be able to commit. The story is not based on action scenes (but the few sequences are worth it), but rather on a well-constructed story with a surprising point. Unfortunately, the point is over extended in a Spielbergian way, and the film loses steam at the end and kind of loses its head. At least it keeps part of its core. In the end, the film and Cruise (almost) are excellent! (25/01/2004)

Steven's first 100 minutes are driven by a lethal deadline, orchestrating an unrelenting manhunt in an elaborate futuristic package; it's simply a blast, with the whole scheme sketched out unfolding beautifully at lightning speed in the thrilling opening sequence. Each of the characters has its necessary significance for orienting and introducing the viewer to the complex fictional world, each scene and chase deliberately moves the plot somewhere (except perhaps for the overly humorous interlude with the jetpacks), and even though the visuals at times just can't pull it off, Spielberg stages everything with amazing internal dynamism and ingenuity. The final part, where family values come to the fore, slows the film down, a key crime is solved, the culprit is revealed, which shouldn’t be surprising to a slightly more experienced viewer, but unfortunately it slightly spoils the otherwise excellent impression. On the one hand, Spielberg's narrative genius and superb handling of hidden plot information are on display, unfolding across the dual finales into a fully-formed puzzle; on the other hand, the overly high ambitions are perhaps evident, preventing an absolute eye-candy experience at the end and stripping the otherwise cohesive script of its formal euphony. But what undoubtedly belongs to the absolute top is, besides the cinematography, the bombastic sound effects, which bring to the ears an orgasm surpassing perhaps even the more recent War of the Worlds... 85% (31/08/2022)

Spielberg, instead of taking a moment to think about the lazy script cobbled together from the most unique ingredients and solutions, hired representatives from technology schools, companies, and organizations to give him an expert opinion on likely technological developments by 2050. The result is a very outlandish vision of the future, with giant talking advertisements, singing cornflakes, and funny spiders that crawl up under people's duvets whenever the cop of the great evil state waves his hand. It makes any 1960s sci-fi forecast look considerably more realistic next to it, whereas this is really just a relic of Cruise’s profile period. But it's a fact that I have to admire Kaminski for taking his penchant for analogue color desaturation to such an extreme in a high-budget sci-fi film that it ends up looking like a movie rip from 2010. (17/01/2022)

A dark and visually stunning gem that deserves to be among the best films of 2002. The master shows himself in full form, confirming his reputation as one of the greatest directors of all time. Minority Report is a smart film, relying mainly on an excellent screenplay, which, along with the incredibly detailed production design and great performance by Tom Cruise, makes you forget about occasional slightly sentimental moments that are a regular occurrence for Spielberg. The visual effects are breathtaking, as is Samantha Morton in the role of the precog. The scenes with her are amazing and the veteran Max von Sydow certainly doesn't need to be ashamed of his performance either. Add to that a unique visual style, beautifully tinted camera filters, and thrilling action. Spielberg is still at the top. (25/10/2003)

It's a very good film, but it won't become a cult classic like Blade Runner. I don't know what Philip K. Dick would say about the sweet happy ending, but you have to expect something like that from the eternal child of Spielberg. Ideal popcorn entertainment to fight off boredom, nothing more than that. (13/04/2003)