I liked 'A.I'. Maybe I'm one of the few, but I really liked it. So when the pre-release hype around 'Minority Report' hapred on how it was trying hard to NOT be like 'A.I.', I got worried. My fears were, to say the least, unfounded.

'Minority Report' is like 'A.I.', but only in the best ways. It starts where and when it should, ends where and when it should, and doesn't get distracted by every little shiny object along the way.

The story picks up in the year 2054, when some gifted individuals have been born with the ability to dream the future- specifically, future murders. The Department of Precrime in Washington, D.C. uses these 'precogs' (short for 'precognitives') to predict and prevent murders before they happen. The federal government is very interested and impressed with Precrime's perfect track record over the last 6 years and are considering making the Precrime project a nationwide program.

John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the Department of Precrime chief, and believes in the project unwaveringly. His faith is soon shaken to its foundation, however, when he learns that he, himself, has been tagged as a future murderer- and of a person he has never met.

'Minority Report' is a film with a story so deep and convoluted that even someone like me, who delights in finding plot holes and inconsistencies, must ask himself if he has found a flaw in the story- or if it's the other way around. Matching wits with 'Minority Report' is a taxing endeavor. Any fan of mystery or film noir should find enough in this worthy whodunit to keep them entertained.

Sci-Fi lovers who have also seen 'Attack of the Clones' might be surprised to see how careful and clever use of CGI can create a more realistic- and exciting- vision of future technology. The shocking but plausible vision of the future here rivals that of 'Blade Runner', 'The Fifth Element', or even, yes, 'A.I.'.

The only ones who might be left a bit out in the cold are the die-hard action fans. The first hour contains quite a combo punch: a jetpack scuffle/chase, fistfight in a automobile factory, last-second prevention of a murder, and an escape sequence involving a wild futuristic highway. After that, though, the action becomes much lower-key, as the contest changes from boxing to chess.

The second half of 'Minority Report' does drag its feet in a couple of places, but it took hindsight for me to notice it, because while I was in the theater, I was spellbound.
Only the day after am I really able to analyze the pacing and tone of the film, because the group I saw it with couldn't stop talking about the story all night.

'Minority Report' is very, very good, but it's not flawless. There are some awkward moments of tension that suddenly and inexplicably flirt with slapstick. Also, although the story and concept are profoundly original, the script can't seem to help being bitten by the occasional cliche' bug. Some might think the ending was a bit too easy- it does seem to tie things up in a neat little ribbon. If you continue to think about the implications of the final chain of events, though, and consider how they relate to our current times, you should see how 'Minority Report' will probably be talked about for quite some time.

Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12