Rent Minority Report (2002)

Masterpiece of modern science fiction - Minority Report review by CP Customer

An absolutely brilliant science fiction thriller, with a plot in the here and now. It's the old story of ambitious cop sets up some one in authority, perhaps as a way in to his job, or as a way to save his own. It may be a classic story line, but this has a very modern twist. In the future, people are arrested before they actually commit the murder that they will carry out, as it is foreseen by some psychics (Pre-crime). The use of Technology is fantastic, as are the special effects. Tom Cruise plays the part of the cop who is set up admirably and Colin Farrell does 'nasty' really well. Our teenage children found it as enthralling as we did.

The Future Isn’t What It Used to Be - Minority Report review by griggs

Watching Minority Report in 2025 is a disorienting experience. It tries so hard to be futuristic, yet now looks visibly dated. Not in a quaint, Jetsons way—but like someone proudly demoing tech that’s already obsolete. It's a film brimming with big ideas, but the ideas are far more interesting than the film that carries them.

Spielberg once made Duel and Jaws—lean, raw thrillers built on instinct. Post-E.T., he took a sentimental turn, and while Minority Report wants to be gritty and philosophical, it’s still filtered through his family-film lens. It’s Blade Runner with a cuddle.

There’s plenty to admire: the core premise is classic Philip K. Dick, and the world-building is clever in places. The action mostly works, and the supporting cast adds depth. But Tom Cruise, mid–Ethan Hunt transformation, brings too much brand and not enough vulnerability. He’s all forward motion, even when the story calls for doubt.

The real problem? It pulls its punches. The noir atmosphere keeps getting interrupted by Spielbergian sentiment or a slick chase scene. What should be murky becomes clear-cut. It wants to ask difficult questions but can’t help trying to answer them, too neatly.

And then there’s the tech. Gesture-controlled interfaces, retina scans, targeted ads—once shiny, now cringe. It feels less like a dystopia and more like Steve Jobs unveiling the iPad. That’s the trap: design a future too close to the present, and it becomes painfully obvious when it’s passed.

In the end, Minority Report is a film with serious questions, delivered with popcorn in one hand and a product placement deal in the other. If you want big ideas wrapped in slick surfaces, it delivers. If you want something with teeth—go back to the shark.

Very Entertaining Sci-Fi - Minority Report review by GI

Whilst there are several plot holes this is one of Steven Spielberg's best science fiction films. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story and set in 2054 it gives an interesting vision of the near future where genetic experimentation has resulted in the birth of three gifted humans who can see murders before they happen. A police unit led by Tom Cruise is able to arrest the murderer before they commit the crime. But when he is predicted to be the next killer of a man he doesn't know he has to go on the run and try and unravel the mystery behind this future event. Spielberg presents the film with a bleached look which adds to the bleak vision of the future where commercialism dominates daily life with retina scanning and people still live in over-populated projects controlled by a very powerful police force. There's plenty of action including some great chase sequences and for the most part Spielberg avoids his tendency towards over sentimentality. Colin Farrell excels as a cop who is out to discredit the system and the great Max Von Sydow is the man who invented it. There's some fantastic details to be enjoyed and this is a great story however implausible it all sounds. Well worth checking out if you've never seen it.