Minority Report

Minority Report was one of those films that I always caught glimpses of on TV many years ago but never found time to actually sit down and watch it. These moments would usually be from the first half of the film and, as a result, I imagined this to be a sci-fi action thriller somewhere along the lines of Michael Bay's The Island. But this is Steven Spielberg so I was guaranteed not to have a headache by the end!

Now having had chance to watch this, what I liked so much about this film is its exciting premise; a world where murder can be predicted by a select few and Tom Cruise's team work to ensure the bodycount stays at zero. The film opens with a great sequence where the team prevent a murder from happening which was tense and surprisingly dark. We are then introduced to Colin Farrell's character who is sent in to investigate for flaws and its not long before Tom Cruise is on the run as he becomes targeted for a murder that has yet to happen.

Without a doubt, the first act of this film is great fun to watch and Spielberg's depiction of a pristine future that's saturated in colour is fascinating. The sci-fi technology is also inventive and it's fun to see how a 2002 action film depicts touch screen computers that are becoming closer to what we use today.

As the film continues in to the second act it is still entertaining to watch but I must admit that after a scene towards the end, following a big reveal, it does start to drag a little. Maybe this was partly due to my own expectations of the film following what I had seen before but there is a noticeable change in tone that I found distracting.

With that that said, Spielberg is still able to deliver a good film but one that I might not rush to revisiting again. The performances are all solid if underused, the visuals are great and the CGI still holds up well in what is ultimately a character-driven film. And it is this that I admire Spielberg for when this could have so easily been just another effects-driven film.

Is this a case of the premise being greater than the actual film? Yes but ultimately I would recommend Minority Report with the understanding that this is not your typical Cruise action flick nor Spielberg's best work.