As of this year there will have been thousands of people who were born that are now adults, when Minority Report was released in cinemas. Time flies huh? Apparently not, if you’re Tom Cruise that is. Cruise turns sixty in just a month, and yet he’s still churning out action movies as though he’s the only movie star that can do them. He’s not slowing down, and the scope of the movies only seem to get larger each time. Two decades ago though he combined action with concept in a futuristic thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, known as Minority Report.
Two decades ago though he combined action with concept in a futuristic thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, known as Minority Report
Since the start of the 2000s Cruise has headlined five Mission Impossible films with two more on the way, so even most people born after should know who he is. Minority Report is different from the action genre Cruise has become accustomed to showing fans, mainly being that it requires much more thought; meaning a great deal of people still haven’t seen it. Minority Report is set in the future, in where a police force in the District of Columbia operates under the designation of ‘pre-crime’. The pre-crime force is able to prevent murders from happening due to three clairvoyant beings that see the killings in visions before they actually take place. Cruise plays the chief of the unit, and because of the loss of his son he believes strongly in the program. The chase begins however when HE is found to be the next murderer in the premonitions.
Enough can’t be said about how ‘underrated’ this film is, even for someone like Spielberg who tends to evade that definition pretty easy. The CGI and FX still hold up today, making the world he created in the frame to be believable and interesting. The idea behind the film is the defining factor of which makes it a worthy viewing. At the time it was so different from anything that had been released prior and even some time after. Then there’s Tom Cruise of course who flexes his acting muscles in an unusually rare occurrence. He’s never been a bad actor, but his taste for action movies has made him somewhat repetitive, which is why this performance is an engaging one. Cruise began his career playing heart throbs and character roles, and Minority Report is a necessary reminder that the thespian still lurks within him when he wants to show it.
There’s a lot to be appreciated about Minority Report. There is action, emotion, drama, excitement, and there’s even love. It’s not so complex to gain the title of ‘pretentious’ yet it’s also not so simple that anyone can sit and watch it without having to pay attention. Spielberg insured that the film would fit right into the middle of what’s considered smart, and what should merely just be enjoyed. It’s a ride that stimulates, and occasionally broaches fascinating questions about morality – were this a system that would even be possible. Minority Report is currently available for rent or purchase online.
