[Review: Film] Minority Report

Gilly · Post by **Gilly** » Wed May 01, 2002 7:56 am

Well I haven't seen the film...

punky_munky · Post by **punky_munky** » Wed May 01, 2002 7:56 am

what? you predicted the whole thing without seeing it? damn thats impressive.

Gilly · Post by **Gilly** » Wed May 01, 2002 7:56 am

I haven't seen the film that Hano mentioned you donkey

Hanohtep · Post by **Hanohtep** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 5:48 pm

Minority Report (2002) Directed by Steven Spielberg

Okay, I was intruiged about seeing this one. Steven Speilberg (a sometimes great director), directing Tom Cruise (a sometimes great actor), in a film based on a book by Philip K. Dick (a sometimes great storyteller - see Bladerunner).

So, what's it all about then? Set half way through the twenty-first century in Washington DC. Murders in DC have been all but eliminated due to the development of the Department of Precrime - an agency that due to technological advances and the discovery of precogs (humans with precognative powers) can detect when a murder is going to take place and stop it before it happens and the would-be perpetrators are locked up. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) less than perfect citizen with a bit of a drug problem and he is also a precrime officer. He is seen by the precogs commiting a murder in two days and subsequently goes on the run determined to prove that he isn't going to kill anyone.

The film is well directed and well acted with a pretty good story but somehow doesn't seem to add up to make it as good as it should be. At times the directing is superb which is a trait of Speilberg, he can go from mediocre to superb fairly quickly. Cruise as normal is on fairly good form. The production design of the film is also superb. Maybe a little unbelieveable that the world will be like that in fifty years but it doesn't go too far into the realms of the unbelievable. Little touches are what make it really good. Every citizen is detected by an "Eyedentity" system which scans their eyes and registers their presence. One nice little touch is the interactive billboard that talk to you: "John Anderton, you look like you could use a Guinness!" it's these little touches that make it seem so real.

I think where the film is ultimately let down however, is in the story. Although it cannot be faulted in suspense, plot, etc. you can't help but feel a little bit of deja vu. If you've ever watched any old 1950's Film Noir then the plot might feel a little regurgitated - but it is still an entertaining film.

Ice · Post by **Ice** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 6:03 pm

I'll look forward to seeing it when it comes out on DVD then

Nice review mate!

Hanohtep · Post by **Hanohtep** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 6:09 pm

Cheers

punky_munky · Post by **punky_munky** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 6:36 pm

Ugh, i've had the trailer for that film forced into my brain for several months now. No way am i gonna see it, i dont like cruise, i dont like spielberg. sounds like hell to me.

Hanohtep · Post by **Hanohtep** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 6:48 pm

I don't know. I wouldn't not watch something because of who was in it or who made it. I've been pleasantly surprised in the past and as a result I make no preconceptions.

Tom Cruise has starred in some pretty awful movies (such as Cocktail) in my opinion but then he has also starred in some fantastic ones (such as Magnolia).

Steven Speilberg has made some awful movies (Jurassic Park anyone) and he has also made some classics ( such as Schindler's List).

Ice · Post by **Ice** » Sat Jul 06, 2002 8:43 pm

I agree there... I used to find Tom Cruise really annoying, but films like Rainman and Magnolia changed that... I must say I was put off by teh Spielberg tie as well... I really do think the film looks good though

punky_munky · Post by **punky_munky** » Mon Jul 15, 2002 8:16 pm

Well well well, i decided to go and see it. I mean i can't really say i don't like something if i havent tried it and i have to say it was actually pretty good. I mean, i thought it was really predictable. I guessed what was going to happen but then it went topsy turvey which was cool. Unfortunately Tom Cruise was still Tom Cruise.

Gilly · Post by **Gilly** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 2:11 pm

Yeah, i avoided all forms of things telling you about the film and took our lass to see it. I predicted the lot.

Maybe I should be a precog?

Hanohtep · Post by **Hanohtep** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 3:20 pm

Like I said.

Hanohtep wrote:I think where the film is ultimately let down however, is in the story. Although it cannot be faulted in suspense, plot, etc. you can't help but feel a little bit of deja vu. If you've ever watched any old 1950's Film Noir then the plot might feel a little regurgitated - but it is still an entertaining film.

Hanohtep · Post by **Hanohtep** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 1:45 pm

Gilly wrote:I haven't seen the film that Hano mentioned you donkey

Gotcha, it wasn't an idividual film that I was meaning though. Film Noir is a genre - normally focussed around police departments or private detectives in the 1950s or 60s.

Really predictable. Like LA Confidential which was a great film but you could kind of see it coming.

Gilly · Post by **Gilly** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 3:13 pm

Never heard of it. Not an old movie fan TBH so thats not a surprise.

I wasn't too keen on LA Confidential though

Blam · Post by **Blam** » Sun Jul 21, 2002 12:08 pm

I thought MR was good my self, i know the mrs liked it, but like you say it was a bit easy to predict!

I saw two films on "special release" in a dodgy pub in Magaluf; Men in Black 2 and Bad Company. Both were poor quality sound but enjoyable all the same, i'm to lazy to write a proper report on them but i will say, if you like MIB then you will like MIB2, (they are almost exactly the same) and if you like a little bit of a chuckle, bad company is good, chris rock and anthony hopkins in a bit of the good old fashion CIA agent stuff!

NOICE! it was really funny, but then, thats just my opinion. If you want to forge your own i think they are both out at cinemas now/v soon!

Coconut Shy · Post by **Coconut Shy** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 12:12 pm

I went to see Minority Report last night and I thought it was quite good. I'm not too keen on Tom Cruise, so I thought I might not like it. Some of these futuristic type films can take themselves a bit too seriously, but I had a good laugh at some of the bits.