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Minority Report - Single Disc Edition [2002]


RRP: £17.99
Our Price: £1.99 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Full of morally flawed characters, and shot in grainy desaturated colours, Steven Spielberg's Minority Report is futuristic film noir with a far-fetched B-movie plot that's so feverishly presented the audience never gets a chance to ponder its many improbabilities. Based on a short story by Philip K Dick, the film is set in the Orwellian near-future of 2054, where a trio of genetically modified "pre-cogs" warn of murders before they happen. In an SF twist on the classic Hitchcockian wrong-man scenario, Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the zealous precrime cop who is himself revealed as a future killer. Plot twists and red herrings drive the action forward, and complications abound, not least Anderton's crippling emotional state, his drug habit, his avuncular-yet-sinister boss (Max Von Sydow) and the ambitious FBI agent Witwer (Colin Farrell) snapping at his heels.

Though the film toys with the notion of free will in a deterministic universe, this is not so much a movie of grand ideas as forward-looking ones. Its depiction of a near-future filled with personalised advertising and intrusive security devices that relentlessly violate the right of anonymity is disturbingly believable. Ultimately, though, it's a chase movie and the innovative set-piece sequences reveal Spielberg's flair for staging action. As with A.I. before it, there's a nagging feeling that the all-too-neat resolution is a Spielbergian touch too far: the movie could satisfactorily have ended several minutes earlier. Although this is superior SF from one of Hollywood's greatest craftsmen, it would have been more in the spirit of Philip K Dick to leave a few tantalisingly untidy plot threads dangling. --Mark Walker


CRUISE & SPEILBERG - DARK, BROODING AND MAGNIFICENT
Review date: 2008-08-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

Based on the novel by Sci-fi god Philip K Dick, Minority Report was Stephen Speilberg's stab at creating a dark and thoughtful futuristic who-dunnit in the mold of Blade Runner. Whilst it's not quite in the same league, Minority Report is still one of the most intelligent and best looking films Speilberg has had a hand in. His choice of pretty boy Cruise as his embattled lead is also inspired - pasty, hair shorn, close to emotional and physical breakdown - old Tom does a fine job playing against type.
The story involves 'Pre-Cogs' - people who can 'see' future crimes before they happen - the ultimate agenda being to totally eradicate murder and serious crime. When Cruise gets accused of a 'future' murder he goes on the run and is hunted by his former colleagues and friends.
What follows is a mix of old fashion thriller, action movie and a twisting detective story that keeps you guessing and enthralled until the satisfying conclusion. The fact that it's all played out against a futuristic and often visually stunning sci-fi backdrop is almost irrelevant.
Max Von Sydnow and Colin Farrell (in a very early supporting role) also give impressive performances and the whole film is smart and, for Speilberg, very dark and occasionally violent.
Despite, generally very favourable reviews, Minority Report didn't perform as well as expected on it's initial cinema release. It's far superior to the Speilberg/Cruise adaptation of War Of The Worlds which followed a few years later and also posessed a similarly dark and brooding look & feel.
One of Stephen Speilberg's lesser films, in the public's eyes at least, Minority Report is a sizzling Sci-fi thriller that just happens to look amazing. Definately worth re-investigation - and the scene with the fridge will turn your stomach.

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Reviews


Dog eggs!
Review date: 2008-08-13 Rating: 2 out of 10

Yet another convoluted story full of peril where mr Cruise doesn't have the decency to give us an early screen and story exit via death. Is his big face on the cover? You bet your bum it is. Does he pretend badly all the way through as in every film? Oh yes. The story is nonsense, the directing and editing is amateur, the camera angles are silly. Mr Cruise is exceptionally bad in this film, why can't he give up 'acting' and just do something useful like organ donation. Maybe he could get himself abducted by aliens or something.

A modern classic.
Review date: 2008-06-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

Sci-fi crime thriller set in the year 2054 about a policeman - played by Tom Cruise - who works in the Department of Precime in Washington D.C. which uses people with the gift of precognition to prevent murders before they happen. But one day the precognitives predict that Tom Cruise himself will commit a murder; a prediction that leads to Tom Cruise going on the run to clear his name and in the process uncovering a murder that happened in the past; one that somehow the Department of Precrime didn't know about. I found this to be a quite excellent film, with an intelligent plot, first-rate protagonist played by Tom Cruise and a wonderfully realised future world (the special effects really are something else). Spielberg is as usual in his element when making science fiction and this film is even better than the outstanding 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' which he made the year before. A flawless combination of exceptional story telling and science fiction vision that is quite simply film-making at its very best. A modern classic.

great sci fi romp
Review date: 2008-06-07 Rating: 8 out of 10

great sci fi flick and a return to form for speilberg after the boring a.i
the action is well staged theres plenty of edge of the seat moments and its very exciting

Nothing Original
Review date: 2008-01-06 Rating: 6 out of 10

If you watched L.A. Confidential you wouldnt want to watch this one. They're almost same. Change the place,actors and add some science fiction you get minority report. I really think that's the end of the creative filmaking in Hollywood. Puzzling events trying to ponder the viewer who the real killer is. I bought this movie for the names T.C. and S.S but very disappointed at the end. Try Borat, it's best, very smart and real!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Max von Sydow
Neal McDonough
Steve Harris
Patrick Kilpatrick
Tom Cruise

Creators:
Tom Cruise (Primary Contributor)
Max von Sydow (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EAN: 5039036014960
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-10-13
Number of discs: 1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 142 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2002-06-21
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Swedish (Original Language)

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