By Jason Aquino

Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg, features an interesting sci-fi crime and justice plot. The cast features a plethora of skilled actors including Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, and Max von Sydow. It is filled with action packed sequences, some tearful moments, and a number of intense twists that will keep you guessing who the villain or hero is. The story features a futuristic world with technological advances, one of which can predict crimes before they could happen.

The story takes place in the year 2054 and murder has stopped due to three mutated psychics known as the “Precog” who predict crimes. The program known as PreCrime arrests suspects before the crimes ever happen. Thanks to the help of the PreCrime police, murder is eradicated in the District of Columbia and the program is planning on expanding nationally. The main character, John Anderton (played by Tom Cruise), is the chief of the PreCrime Police who tracks criminals down with advanced computers that analyze the visions of the “Precogs.” John is determined to end murder with PreCrime due to the death of his own son. His life as the top cop ends when John is seen in one of the visions and is labeled a future murderer. John is then forced to run and figure out the nature of the vision in order to see if he was set up or not.

Minority Report had many great aspects that made the film enjoyable. The acting from Tom Cruise was superb and shows he is a great action hero. The stunts and fight scenes Cruise performed were well done and were thrilling to see. The action sequences were also well balanced with the amount of drama in the story. The loss of John’s son and his use of videos to watch old family memories was sad to see and made his cause for justice more understandable. The use of eye identification, holograms, futuristic vehicles and weapons, and other technological aspects also makes it fun for those who are a fan of science fiction. The film also touches on important ethical topics like new techniques on crime stopping as well as other topics like artificial mutation and organ replacement. Other aspects that made the film enjoyable was the soundtrack which was made by John Williams who created the music for other films such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and E.T.

While the movie is very thrilling it also has its problems, which limited it from being greater. The acting of John’s wife, Lara, (played by Kathryn Morris) felt forced and was unconvincing. Other aspects that felt forced were the comedy which at some points did not match the tone of the scene. The overuse of twists also kept the movie from being greater, since some felt unnecessary and made the movie seem like it was dragging on. The special effects also felt outdated but, this is understandable since the movie was created almost twenty years ago.

Overall, Minority Report had more positives than negatives and is a very exciting movie. The movie perfectly merges aspects of the noir genre by including themes of crime and morality, while merging science fiction with the use of advanced technology. While the movie has some problems, Minority Report is worth the watch for those who want a thrilling experience.