Tom Cruise shines in this Blade Runneresque film that challenges our ideas about technology, civil liberties and the value of life. Set in 2054, Tom Cruise is a police chief of an elite pre-crime unit that utilizes the clairvoyance of 3 people who are able to see the future. Their mission is to decipher the visions and arrest potential pre-criminal before they commit murder.

The development of Cruise’s character is very interesting as he comes to terms with the life he has built for himself as the leader of the Pre-Crime department. His 6-year-old son had been kidnapped and presumable murdered 6 years prior to 2054 and this event has, understandably, defined his personality, career and life. An estranged wife, intensity of how he pursues potential murders, and a whiffer drug problem demonstrate that although he is our hero, Cruise is not really dealing with his problems very well.

But Cruise has a brilliant eye for detail, is a formidable leader and really believes that the test program is a valuable way to eliminate crime. When this experiment, set in Washington DC, is marketed successful, a national referendum comes up to make it a permanent part of the judicial system. The Attorney General initiates an investigation to see just how perfect the program is.

What ensues is a twisty plot with Cruise embroiled in a cover up and set up where he is now the pre-criminal and in trying to prove his innocence he discovers just how far one man is willing to go to protect his power. I would reveal more about this part but it would really ruin the film for you. I will say that as this man is finally confronted and has painted himself into a corner, you understand that when you are a zealot for your cause that all too often you are sucked into the idealisticness of your mission instead of realizing that this might be a bad idea – to put it mildly. That is one of the themes of the film. We sell ourselves out to power and forget that in the gain for power you destroy others.

Another question you should consider when watching the film is if arresting people for murders before they commit them is ethical. Are we willing to sell out our civil rights this way? Much of the technology presented in the film is not so out there anymore – retinal scans used not only for security but retail habits (I loved the Gap store scene). Are we really freer as Cruise and the media portray at the start of the film or do we give away out privacy and personal liberties in the name of technology? Certainly the social caste is even more deeply defined – the poor live like animals in 2054. But the poor can become anonymous by tearing their eyes out.

The bottom line is this: Minority Report is a thriller, action movie with intellect. You attention is maintained through out the film and when you think you have figured out what the ending is, the film dives off into another direction. But this is by no means a strictly serious film. The director and screenwriters weave in witty vignettes that do not insult us by being contrived or cheesy. This film respects the intelligence of the audience and actually expects us to think and experience the plot rather than just passively watch explosions and car chases. Refreshingly intelligent, Minority Report will achieve something few films do with me – a second viewing.



Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older