Minority Report

Minority Report (2002)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Based on the short story Minority Report by Philip K. Dick

Screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton

Chief John Anderton (Cruise) leads the controversial PreCrime police unit in Washington, D.C.. Using three mutated humans with precognitive skills, the team is able to predict crimes and stop them before they’re committed. When his own name becomes part of their most recent prediction, Anderton goes on the run. Now he’s looking for the man he’s supposed to kill with his own team hot on his trail.

Philip K. Dick wrote the stories behind a number of the great science fiction films. His work went on to become Blade Runner, The Adjustment Bureau, and many other films. This 2002 movie is another of those adaptations. The story was adapted by Scott Frank (A Walk Among the Tombstones) and Jon Cohen. Steven Spielberg (Lincoln) directed this one. The stars of the film include Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Colin Farrell (Total Recall), Max von Sydow (Three Days of the Condor), and Samantha Morton (In America).

The story for this film is an excellent one. Philip K. Dick had a great talent for thinking way outside the box. The result is a premise that really goes new places and adds to the science fiction world. The idea of precognitive skills being used to predict crime is nicely executed from a writing standpoint. The story builds around this unique premise and adds a level of suspense that’s much-needed. The dialogue is direct and powerful, allowing the action to fill in for great moments.

The acting in this movie is pretty good. Tom Cruise does a nice job with a role that keeps him in his comfort zone. His performance is a mix of action sequences and intense moments driven by the suspense in the film. Colin Farrell also does a good job in this one. His role plays nicely as the antagonist in the film. Max von Sydow is wonderful in this one. Like most of his work, I really love his delivery. This time he plays a complicated role that helps to push the story along nicely. Finally, Samantha Morton does a great job playing one of the “precogs” in the film. Her role asked for a unique styling of her character and she delivered a great performance. This movie received one Oscar nomination, for Best Sound Editing. This film does a lot of great technical things in general. The action scenes and stunt work are incredibly done. The world of the film is a mix of great set design, wonderful costuming, and digital effects that bring it all to life. The premise of the film really allowed for a lot of wonderful style choices as well. Overall this one features great visuals and sound that add to the overall experience nicely.

If you’re a fan of science fiction thrillers, this is one to see. The action and story blend together in a nicely balanced film. I would also suggest this to fans of other Philip K. Dick stories-turned-film. (Total Recall, Blade Runner, The Adjustment Bureau, Paycheck) This is also a good one for fans of Cruise, Farrell, or any of the other actors in it. This does run over two hours, but don’t let the length fool you. This movie has an excellent pace that keeps things moving wonderfully. I give this one 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 145 Minutes