From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 20 13:58:54 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!howland.erols.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: JoBlo Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 18:54:02 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32093 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 729997 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 573 X-RT-AuthorID: 1021 X-RT-RatingText: 8/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32093 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 115 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3907 rec.arts.sf.reviews:295 MINORITY REPORT RATING: 8/10 http://www.joblo.com/minorityreport.htm For more reviews and movie wallpapers, visit http://www.joblo.com/ PLOT: The year is 2054 and cops now have the infallible ability to pinpoint and arrest people who are going to commit murders in the not-so-distant future. But when the pre-cognitive minds identify one of the lead detectives as a murderer-to-be, the man has no choice but to run until he can prove his innocence (or figure out what's going on). Running, slick sci-fi gadgets and a lot more running...ensues. CRITIQUE: Wow...is this the same director who was known to be a little "smaltzy" in most of his flicks, or is this a revitalized man mixing his friendship with the late, great Stanley Kubrick with his own universe of the popcorn movie? Either way, Steven Spielberg proves once again (I thought A.I. was impressive last year as well) that he's the cream of the crop with a futuristic film noir thriller that will have you clawing into your seat handles during some scenes, reaching for the tissue during others and consistently picking certain strands of your brain throughout. Much like A.I., a film to which this is a solid bookend, this puppy is for the thinking minds in all of us, with plenty of whodunit goodness within, a convoluted plotline which may "lose you" if you're not paying close enough attention and terms like "pre-cogs" and "liquid suspension chambers" tossed around like the lingo of the day. Of course, that's not to say that the film is all about the cerebral, because there's much more. This is Steven Spielberg after all, and he's pulling out the big guns here with a handful of memorable, energetic and technologically-sophisticated sequences to jar any audience (most of the all-out action takes place during the first half though). The jetpack chase scene alone is worth the price of admission...whatta rush! Run, baby, run! There's also a very cool creepy-crawly sequence featuring these robotic spiders that is just plain fun and suspenseful (combined with slick overhead shots), as well as one of the most authentic overall futuristic environments around. There are plenty of groovy pieces to this sci-fi puzzle from animated breakfast cereal boxes to ear-piece phones to 3D video albums to vomit-inducing "sick sticks"...you really get a sense of being in 2054 and loving it! It's also to note that the performances from everyone give it all the more compelling tone, with a man who goes by the name of Tom Cruise, leading the way. While it's certainly not a dramatically rich part for him, he does what he does best with it and truly convinces as a righteous man caught up in something seemingly nefarious. Colin Farrell, looking great in his suit and suspenders, also delivers as the creep with a stick up his ass, as well as many of the supporting characters like Max Von Sydow as the stoic mentor of the pre-crime movement, Peter Stormare, in a small but eerily unforgettable role (the "eye operation" scene is yet another squeamish winner) and Samantha Morton, impressive as one of the "psychic" chicks. But what I really loved most about this film was its "look". Famed Spielberg right-hand man and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski is back on detail here and his photography is as distinguishable as ever. Look back at SCHINDLER'S LIST, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN...even JERRY MAGUIRE or his own directorial debut, LOST SOULS, and you too will recognize his visual signature. Faded and somewhat grainy, plenty of overhead lighting, lots of cold, dark and seemingly "foggy" shots...it all makes for yet another hue of character in a film which spreads itself a little thin but still manages to entertain throughout. Like A.I., the film does run a little too long near the end though and I would have preferred that it end about twenty minutes earlier, when a certain somebody was tossed out a window, but then again, I caught this film at a morning screening, so perhaps I was just cranky as per my usual morning style. I will say that the plot definitely keeps on spinning until the end, and even though there aren't an infinite amount of suspects to choose from, I was generally surprised by most of the twists in the film and liked that it kept going deeper and deeper and deeper (and how about that scene of the dude getting shot and the blood slowly reddening his shirt...nice!). The film also packed an emotional angle which touched me late into the game, as well as some lighter moments, with Cruise delivering a couple of "money" lines here and there (and those slippery eye-balls...oops!), and director Cameron Crowe showing up in a small subway cameo (Spielberg also had a cameo in Crowe's VANILLA SKY, starring Tom Cruise). It's the kind of movie that I actually look forward to seeing again because a) it looks great b) there's so much happening on-screen at the same time and c) it's got a lot of depth so you can always pick new stuff up the second time around. What's doubly cool about this flick and its tag-team of Cruise/Spielberg is that you would think that with the power they wield, the twosome could easily come out with an overly commercial, happy-go-lucky product if they wanted to, but here they are, once again (VANILLA SKY and A.I. last year), putting out a film which may be a little esoteric to some, dark to many and certainly not a mindless popcorn flick for the masses. You gotta respect that on various levels, and as much as the film grabbed me by the nuts during several sequences, it's an amazing science-fiction movie overall with plenty to google at and much to think about later. Oh yeah, I also loved the very obvious nod to Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Nice touch! Where's JoBlo coming from? A.I. (8/10) - Blade Runner (8/10) - A Clockwork Orange (10/10) - Dark City (9/10) - eXistenz (8/10) - Final Fantasy (5/10) - Impostor (5/10) - Johnny Mnemonic (2/10) - The Matrix (8/10) - Mission Impossible 2 (7/10) - The Sixth Day (6/10) - Total Recall (8/10) - Vanilla Sky (9/10) Review Date: June 18, 2002 Director: Steven Spielberg Writers: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen Producers: Bonnie Curtis, Jan DeBont Actors: Tom Cruise as John Anderton Colin Farrell as Ed Witner Max Von Sydow as Director Burgess Genre: Science-Fiction Year of Release: 2002 ------------------------------------ JoBlo's Movie Emporium http://www.joblo.com/ ------------------------------------ (c) 2002 Berge Garabedian ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32093 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 729997 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 573 X-RT-AuthorID: 1021 X-RT-RatingText: 8/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 20 13:58:54 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Edward Johnson-Ott Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 19:19:05 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32095 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 729826 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 591 X-RT-AuthorID: 1099 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32095 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 157 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3914 rec.arts.sf.reviews:297 Minority Report (2002) Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Tim Blake Nelson, Steve Harris, Kathryn Morris, Mike Binder, Daniel London, Spencer Treat Clark, Neal McDonough, Jessica Capshaw, Patrick Kilpatrick, Jessica Harper, Ashley Crow, Arye Gross, Jason Antoon. Music by John Williams. Screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, based on the short story "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 137 minutes. Rated PG-13 Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly http://www.nuvo.net E-mail: ejohnsonott@prodigy.net Archive reviews at http://reviews.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott To receive e-mail reviews, write ejohnsonott-subscribe@yahoogroups.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. "Minority Report" is the kind of movie that sticks with you. The futuristic noir thriller pulses with fascinating ideas, memorable images and thrilling action sequences. Director Steven Spielberg has managed to give a series of fantastic concepts an impressive sense of verisimilitude. He delivers what this summer has screamed for – an A-list movie that both entertains and resonates. While designing his vision of life in 2054, Spielberg gathered experts in technology, environment, crime fighting, medicine, health, social services, transportation, computers and other fields, asking them for a reasonable projection of what society will be like a half century from now. The results are dazzling. Automated cars whisk travelers to their destinations vertically as well as horizontally, using a magnetic-levitation traffic system. The computers in retail stores scan the retinas of customers and make audio-visual shopping suggestions based on their purchase histories. People verbally interact with their home appliances and view home movies on holographic 3D projectors. But this is no "Jetsons" future. Personal privacy has virtually disappeared as new government programs protect citizens, while dissolving the last vestiges of civil liberties along the way. Chief among these is the Pre-Crime program that has kept Washington D.C. murder-free for the past six years. Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the leader of the Pre-Crime division of the Justice Department, which uses visions culled from a trio of Pre-Cogs – psychics kept in a fluid-filled, womb-like chamber – to arrest murderers before they are able to commit the physical act. Although the program is controversial, its success has resulted in a pending national referendum that will determine if the system will be employed across the country. In anticipation of increased scrutiny, the Justice Department sends in expert Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) to audit the agency. The aggressive former seminarian pokes into everything, making Anderton more than a little nervous, especially when his boss, Lamar Burgess (Max von Sydow), informs him that the higher-ups are poised to take over the program. And then it happens. Anderton receives images from the Pre-Cogs showing him murdering a stranger 36 hours from that moment. Convinced that he is being framed, the lawman lights out to prove his innocence, while his own Pre-Crime officers, led by Witwer, try to apprehend him. But avoiding detection in 2054, where citizens are tracked almost everywhere by tiny, retina-scanning cameras embedded in walls and appliances, and by small tracking devices that look like shiny steel spiders, is nigh impossible. In desperation, Anderton heads for the slightly less monitored slums, using drastic (and gross) measures to remain free. Eventually, he ends up meeting with Iris Hineman, one of the creators of the system, who informs him of a possible way to vindicate himself. But her revelations include facts that would shake the very foundation of the Pre-Crime program. The Philip K. Dick ("Blade Runner," "Total Recall") story, first published in a 1956 issue of "Fantastic Universe," seems especially relevant in the post-Sept. 11 world, as the American government repeatedly comes up with reasons to "modify" civil liberties in order to combat terrorism. We fret about the erosion of basic freedoms while grudgingly agreeing that the steps are necessary safety measures, something we must put up with, at least for a little while. But how much should be given up, and when, if ever, should it end? The Pre-Cogs remind me of all the innocents sacrificed "for the greater good." The three seers, a woman and a set of twin brothers, are treated not like human beings, but as cogs in a machine. They are bathed in a fluid intended as both a biological nutrient and a medium that helps to channel future visions into their heads, filtered so they see only murder. One of the most powerful images in the film comes late in the story, as a Pre-Cog named Agatha (Samantha Morton), separated from her peers, shivers in the arms of an outsider and asks, "Is this now?" In the person of John Anderton, we see what can happen when a man puts his faith totally in a system. One horrible day years earlier, Anderton lost his young son, and his subsequent grief consumed him, finally driving away his wife Lara (Kathryn Morris). He found refuge in his work, secure in knowing that he was sparing others from similar pain, but the frame-up indicates that something is wrong with Pre-Crime. If you're concerned that I've revealed too much about "Minority Report," relax. This is a film with a rock solid story and a wealth of peripheral ideas, too many, I suspect, to take in with a single screening (A viewing tip: When it appears obvious that the film is about to end, settle back into your seat, because the ride is not over). Steven Spielberg conducts "Minority Report" with as much style and skill as Anderton shows when directing the transparent panels of the Pre-Crime computer. Above all, Spielberg's focus is on telling a good noir story. He treats the futuristic gadgetry in a matter of fact fashion, following the characters and not the toys. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, who has worked with the director on every production since "Schindler's List," helps establish and maintain the dark, gritty motif with bluish lighting that puts the emphasis on shadows, using a bleach bypass process in developing the film to desaturate the colors. The result is a future with a great lived-in look. Composer John Williams, teaming with Spielberg for the 19th time, contributes a subdued score appropriate for the suspense genre. In the press notes, Spielberg states, "I think all of John's previous work has been in 'color,' but this score is more experimental. You feel it more than you hear it." I'll buy that, as the only thing I remember about the music is that it never overwhelmed the proceedings. The film also boasts some terrific acting, with Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell leading the way. Cruise gives a powerhouse performance, neatly capturing the varying aspects of John Anderton's personality without ever falling into bathos. Meanwhile, Colin Farrell gets the opportunity to show the world why the nine of us that saw "Tigerland" raved about him. Farrell commands the screen as easily as Cruise, but is skilled (and smart) enough to share the space. All this guy needs is the right starring role and he will shoot straight past the moon. Samantha Morton, who managed to win hearts in "Sweet and Lowdown" without ever saying a word, is equally impressive in the nearly silent role of Agatha, breathing life into the trapped soul right before our eyes. Max von Sydow is effective as "the father of Pre-Crime," although his character is the most obvious one in the film, and Lois Smith takes her brief appearance as system co-creator Iris Hineman and leaves an indelible impression with a intelligent and tart performance. The rest of the cast, starting with Steve Harris (briefly free from the godawful TV series, "The Practice") as Jad, Anderton's Pre-Crime partner, turn in colorful supporting performances. In fact, one of the only problems with the film is a short period where Anderton's travels from one colorful supporting player to another becomes overly repetitive. Despite that brief saggy stretch and a late-in-the-game monologue from Agatha that left me scratching my head, "Minority Report" is a dark treasure. In 2001, both Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise released edgy films ("A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and "Vanilla Sky," respectively) that left some fans groaning. I suspect that the men will hear very few complaints this year. © 2002 Ed Johnson-Ott ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32095 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 729826 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 591 X-RT-AuthorID: 1099 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 20 13:58:54 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!newsfeed1.swip.net!swipnet!howland.erols.net!isdnet!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Bob Bloom Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 19:23:55 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32098 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730008 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32098 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 99 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3911 rec.arts.sf.reviews:296 MINORITY REPORT (2002) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max Von Sydow, Lois Smith, Peter Sormare, Tim Blake Nelson, Steve Harris and Kathryn Morris. Screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen. Based on a short story by Phillip K. Dick. Music by John Williams. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Rated PG-13. Running time: approx 2 hours, 20 minutes. The year is 2054, and Washington D.C. has not experienced a murder in six years because of a pilot program called Pre-Crime in which, through the use of “Pre-Cogs,” killings are stopped before they occur and the guilty are punished before they can take a life. Now, a national referendum is scheduled to determine whether to expand the program to the entire country. And while those who run the project, including Chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise), believe Pre-Crime is infallible, others are sniffing around seeking flaws. This is the starting point for Minority Report, director Steven Spielberg’s second consecutive foray into the realm of science fiction. Based on a story by science-fiction writer Phillip K. Dick, Minority Report is a lively combination of s-f, whodunit, chase movie and film noir. The main thrust of the story is Anderton being transformed from hunter to hunted. The “pre-cogs,” — a trio of individuals with enhanced psychic powers whose visions of killings have never been in error — determine that Anderton is going to commit murder. To keep from being arrested and put away from a crime he knows he will not commit, Anderton goes on the run. He wants to find out who set him up and why, plus discover how an infallible system has become fallible. In the process, Anderton’s faith in the system in which he so strongly believes is severely shaken. Minority Report is a slam-bang, seat-of-your-pants outing offering a future that is not too alien, yet also feels a bit retro. It also previews a world that could be a civil libertarian’s worst nightmare. Retinal scanners are everywhere — on subways and at the mall — so the police can be aware of most everyone’s every move. Director Steven Spielberg, along with screenwriters Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, offer such visual delights as vertical highways attached to high-rise buildings, as well as such noirish staples as a nightmarish slum district in which eyeless drug dealers push the latest feel-good narcotic. Which brings us back to Anderton, a man carrying the guilt of a tragic loss. As portrayed by Cruise, he is a man obsessed and haunted; wanting to stop crime, yet unable to solve the one involving those closest to his heart. It is one of Cruise’s strongest performances as he creates an anguished individual on the run — literally — from what he helped create — and figuratively — from his past. Cruise is backed by a strong supporting cast including Colin Farrell as Danny Witwer, the Justice Department official seeking flaws in the Pre-Crime system so he can take it over when — and if — it goes national; Samantha Morton as Agatha, the main “Pre-Cog” who helps Anderton; Max Von Sydow as Lamar Burgess, Anderton’s mentor and the father of Pre-Crime; and Lois Smith as Iris, whose research paved the way for the system and who sets Anderton’s feet on the path of discovery. Also contributing a quirky performance is Tim Blake Nelson as the organ-playing Gideon, the overseer of the Department of Containment where would-be murders are incarcerated. Spielberg has created a nice sense of paranoia with Minority Report, as Iris warns Anderton, “Don’t trust anyone,” as we are led down the twisted path of who did what to whom and why. The movie also offers a sly wink at our consumer future as when customers enter a Gap, a holographic clerk — after a retinal scan — asks how they enjoyed their previous purchase, and naming that item. Be warned, though, a gross-out section dealing with eye transplants may make you a bit queasy. Frequent Spielberg collaborator John Williams contributes a pulsing score that matches the film's accelerated pace. At about two hours and 20 minutes, Minority Report seems to rush by with very little letup. It combines action and intelligence and at times will have you on the edge of your seats. Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloomjc@yahoo.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32098 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730008 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 21 10:50:49 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!uab.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Steve Rhodes Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 19:11:16 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32108 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730786 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 4/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32108 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 101 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3923 rec.arts.sf.reviews:298 MINORITY REPORT A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2002 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): **** In Steven Spielberg's science fiction thriller, MINORITY REPORT, one of his very best films, Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is on the run. Based on a Philip K. Dick (BLADE RUNNER) short story, the movie concerns the precrime unit of the D.C. police department in the year 2054. John is being setup, but by whom and why? John, whose job is to arrest and permanently incarcerate would-be murderers, doesn't plan on killing anyone, but the image of a future crime of his comes up on his video screen. Although he can't arrest himself, his fellow cops can, or at least can try hard to. Using just enough never seen before special effects to dazzle you, but never so many as to get in the way of the storytelling, Spielberg masterfully serves up a cinematic treat that will have you mesmerized from start to finish. Working as both a thriller and a mystery, the movie has all eyes glued to the screen and all brains in overdrive. There are two Oscar worthy performances in the picture. In addition to Cruise's headline work, Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton (SWEET AND LOWDOWN) plays Agatha, the creepiest of the three "precogs" who float around and prophesy. Living in a pool of water, three near-zombie people transmit nightmarish visions of the future to wall size video screens. The precrime police, using special gloves, navigate their way through a flashing maze of data. When the three precogs agree that a murder is about to be committed, they cause a losing lottery ball to pop out over in the cops' office. This puts the police in gear to arrest the criminal before he kills anyone. The country is about to vote on whether to take this police state system nationwide. Since there hasn't been a murder in six years in D.C., one can guess the outcome without the help of any precogs. "Ever get any false positives?" Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) wants to know. He's a non-believer who has been sent from the Attorney General's office to investigate whether this precrime system really works without errors, as Director Burgess (Max von Sydow) and company claim. Danny clearly wants to shut the whole operation down and is trying hard to get something he can use against John, its star detective. Filled with religious metaphors, the story has the room holding the precogs named the temple. A holiest of holies, the room is a sanctuary into which the precrime cops dare not venture. What goes for a jail is watched over by Gideon (Tim Blake Nelson), a pipe organ playing jailer. "Careful chief," Gideon admonishes John when he comes looking for clues about what is going on. "If you dig up the past, all you get is dirty." The futuristic parts of the picture are only secondary, but they are quite fascinating. Newspapers change in real-time. Holographic ads know the identities of each passerby and interact on a personal level that spammers and telemarketers could only dream of. Privacy advocates will find the movie one long cautionary tale, as the government knows just about every move you make. And speaking of moves, Spielberg will have you jumping in your seats at least a half dozen times. Agatha, in particular, is the scariest character this side of a horror movie. Minority Report is a nearly flawless film, but it does avoid the most obvious question. It leads us down a path in which we are convinced that the precrime unit is one of humanity's worst ideas ever because of its potential for mistakes. It doesn't seem to believe that we'll ever think about a simple question of statistics. If you were absolutely certain that you could save the lives of thousands of murder victims, would you be willing to let a few innocents be imprisoned forever by mistake? This carefully avoided question isn't so simple. Nevertheless, the film itself is quite simply great. MINORITY REPORT runs 2:25. It is rated PG-13 for "violence, brief language, some sexuality and drug content" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and up. My son Jeffrey, age 13, gave it a full ****. His long list of things he loved about it included the acting, the plot idea, the pacing and the little bits of humor. He mentioned that he liked the way that the special effects were so impressive yet never overdone. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, June 21, 2002. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email? Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32108 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730786 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 4/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 21 10:52:18 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!newsswitch.lcs.mit.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Christopher Null Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 19:16:53 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32111 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730798 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 1062 X-RT-RatingText: 4.5/5 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32111 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 107 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3924 rec.arts.sf.reviews:299 MINORITY REPORT A film review by Christopher Null Copyright 2002 filmcritic.com Per Minority Report, in only 52 years we'll have a new privacy nightmare on our hands: A police unit in Washington D.C. will genetically engineer three people, float them in a Jacuzzi, and hook wires up to their heads so the cops can see murders occurring in the future. And thus, they can arrest the perpetrators before they commit the crime. (I would say this is a nightmare of an idea… but then again, we are talking about Washington D.C….) The premise is a mind-bending puzzle on the scale of Memento, courtesy of sci-fi legend Steven Spielberg and his first collaboration with a stellar Tom Cruise. It's also Spielberg's best work since 1993's Schindler's List and flirts with threatening Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange as the best paradoxical utopic/dystopic view of the future. Minority Report's similarities with its predecessors end pretty quickly; though all three films follow cops and/or robbers, Cruise's John Anderton gets to play both, when his "Precrime" department fingers him for an upcoming murder. In 36 hours, the "pre-cogs" tell him, he'll murder a man he's never even heard of. Convinced he's been set up by a nosey Justice Department staffer (Colin Farrell), Anderton goes on the run through vertical freeways, futuristic auto plants, and a Blade Runner-ish "sprawl"/ghetto in the hopes of evading his own crack police department. But events inexorably lead him closer and closer to his would-be victim. At nearly 2 1/2 hours in length, the plot gets considerably more complicated -- including an unexpected final act that takes place after those 36 hours expire. All the while though, the film maintains a feverish intensity -- one which I feared Spielberg had lost altogether with his dippy A.I. -- studded with a great sense of humor and dazzling special effects. But it's Minority Report's almost-too-real version of the future that steals the show. To get the details right, Spielberg locked a few dozen futurists in a Santa Monica hotel for three days and forced them to come up with plausible view of 2054, from the de rigueur future-cars to The Gap. The results are hauntingly true to life. Cruise's dead-on lead performance is also overshadowed by the impressive action sequences. When Anderton leaps from one car to another on one of those vertical freeways, all thoughts of greenscreens and CGI go out the window. When advertisements greet him by name, you almost expect to hear the same thing when you visit the concession stand, the simulacrum of the future is that seamless. Only a few points detract from an otherwise perfect moviegoing experience. Farrell's performance is whiny and ineffective, and Samantha Morton, as one of the gibbering pre-cogs, borders on annoying. (And I don't care what changes in the next 50 years: There will never be a Lexus factory in Washington D.C.) Mr. Spielberg, you have restored my faith in sci-fi -- and more importantly, you have restored my faith in you. RATING: ****1/2 [* = lowest rating / ***** = highest rating] MPAA Rating: PG-13 Director: Steven Spielberg Producer: Jan de Bont, Bonnie Curtis, Gerald R. Molen, Walter F. Parkes Writer: Scott Frank, Jon Cohen Starring: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Tim Blake Nelson, Steve Harris, Samantha Morton http://www.minorityreport.com/ --- filmcritic.com / http://filmcritic.com/ ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32111 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730798 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 1062 X-RT-RatingText: 4.5/5 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Jun 24 20:19:13 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!skynet.be!skynet.be!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Susan Granger Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 18:19:50 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32112 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730908 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 10/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32112 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 36 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3927 rec.arts.sf.reviews:300 Susan Granger's review of "The Minority Report" (20th Century-Fox/DreamWorks) Just as Picasso went through his Blue Period, both Steven Spielberg ("A.I.") and Tom Cruise ("Vanilla Sky") are obviously into their dark, morally ambiguous sci-fi period, this time posing the challenging question: What if it was possible to stop a murder before it happened? In this fast-paced action thriller, it's 2054 and Cruise is a haunted, angst-ridden Washington D.C. detective who works for an experimental Precrime Unit that uses a trio of psychics, or Pre-Cogs, to track down and convict perpetrators before they can commit a fatal crime. Suddenly, he becomes a suspect in the premonition of the murder of a total stranger and is hunted by the same Orwellian technology he's used on others. Could Pre-Cog Samantha Morton, who is tortured by a series of grotesque homicidal visions, be wrong? Is there a flaw in the system? Or is there some eerie, elusive secret that Cruise must discover? Perhaps he's only running away from himself. After all, "everybody runs." As a rival federal agent, Colin Farrell is on his trail, while Max Von Sydow, Lois Smith and Kathryn Morris lend stalwart support. The acting is uniformly excellent! Like "Blade Runner," this Philip K. Dick short story is boldly adapted for the screen by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen. Steven Spielberg has never made a murder mystery/film noir before and, working with production designer Alex McDowell, photographer Janusz Kaminski and composer John Williams, he creates a stunning, complex vision with the sleek, stylish suspense of a quirky whodunit - plus an amazing car chase along a vertical highway. Spielberg is a great cinematic storyteller! On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Minority Report" is a provocative, compelling 10, prompting discussions on morality and ethics, along with crime and punishment. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32112 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730908 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 10/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Jun 24 20:21:18 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Karina Montgomery Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 18:26:16 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32115 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730929 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 755 X-RT-AuthorID: 3661 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32115 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 87 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3942 rec.arts.sf.reviews:303 Minority Report Full Price Feature What a great way to step back into the film criticism biz than with a great flick like Minority Report. Marketed like a latter day Blade Runner (which, in a sense it is) and banking its opening weekend numbers on the one-two punch value of Tom "Legend" Cruise and Stephen "1941" Spielberg, you might think perhaps you shouldn't get your expectations up, because, really, how could can it be? And hasn't Fox done enough lately to disappoint us? Oh my Constant Readers, how pleased I am to say that this movie meets expectations very nicely. My immediate reaction was "Looks like A.I., feels like a Kubrick," which is not meant to alienate detractors of the former. Visually, Janusz Kaminski and Spielberg have taken a lot of lessons learned from creating the visuals of A.I., and improved upon them. There is the element of the impossible cities of Fifth Element, the impersonal mechanization of Total Recall, and the dreamy technological fantasy of A.I. I even forgive Tom for making Vanilla Sky. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, a famous meth-fueled author, the story deals with themes on what is reality and a sort of behavior model of the certainty principle. Even if compaing the action to this film to the whole notion of predicting movement is a quantum leap (ha ha) from the actual scientific principle, it neatly summarizes with just its dictionary definition the two main issues in this film. And, much to the wonderful screenwriters' credit, it does it in an incredibly accessible way. Many drug users struggle with the question of what is reality and how can I be sure what seems obvious is going to happen will happen with 100% certainty, but few struggle with such aplomb as Dick. To be fair, his stories play better when filtered through the typewriters of the sane; in this case, the laudable Scott Frank and Jon Cohen. Then of course, there's the Spielberg Principle. In many ways, this is not a typical Spielberg film; no music swelling over reaction shots, dangling the audience and prepping them for the real show, but the film still benefits from his extraordinary gift for storytelling and retaining the human component in an enormous story. However, it also benefits from his hours poring through Stanley Kubrick's personal effects because the darkness is not alleviated by humor; the human errors are not forgiven. He has definitely gotten himself a bigger boat. The design is wonderful. Set in 2054, it's close enough to our reality (as close as 1950 is in the other direction) but far enough afield to make it still wonderful and high tech and frightening. One lesson Steve has learned that other directors (cough Lucas) have not is the best scenes are still the analog ones. A very expensive scene in a car factory, a tight, personal scene with only two men in it, a scene in a mall - it's better because it is real. In these ways it is a Spielberg film, true, but it's very mature and very very exciting. I could go on and on about the superb supporting cast, but I'll just name my favorites: Tim Blake Nelson, Lois Smith, and Peter Stormare. I admit, I had trouble with Colin Farrell - he's the federal guy coming in and causing trouble, and he was alternately too milquetoast and too smarmy for me to get a bead on him; by the end I dug the casting completely. It's cool, but it's also good, in the way Oscar winning movies are good. Go see it. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These reviews (c) 2002 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but just credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks. reviews@cinerina.com Check out previous reviews at: http://www.cinerina.com http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com - the Online Film Critics Society http://www.hsbr.net/reviews/karina/ - Hollywood Stock Exchange Brokerage Resource http://www.mediamotions.com and http://www.capitol-city.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32115 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 730929 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 755 X-RT-AuthorID: 3661 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Mon Jun 24 20:22:42 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news-peer-europe.sprintlink.net!news.stupi.se!netnews.com!xfer02.netnews.com!newsfeed1.cidera.com!Cidera!DirecTVinternet!DirecTV-DSL!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Robin Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 18:42:32 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32128 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731007 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: A Summary: r.a.m.r. #32128 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 112 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3939 rec.arts.sf.reviews:301 "Minority Report" It's the year 2054 and Washington DC has not had a single murder take place in 9 years. Why has the country's homicide capital become a safe haven for its citizens? The Pre-Crime Department was established under its mentor, Director Lamar Burgess (Max Von Sydow), and, with his chief detective, John Anderton (Tom Cruise), assisting, has harnessed the precognitive powers of three genetic mutants (the "Pre-Cogs") to stop murder before it happens in the long-anticipated Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise science fiction thriller, "Minority Report." The trailers for "Minority Report" lead you to think that this sci-fi actioner, based on the short story by Philip K. Dick (who provided the inspiration for such films as "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall"), is about a crime fighting system that goes awry for its chief cop, Anderton, and he must fight to exonerate himself. Sure, there is that, but there is also a murder mystery that is the real underlying story (developed by script scribes Scott Frank and Jon Cohen) and this is what makes "Minority Report" a complex, satisfying sci-fi yarn. "Minority Report" is a special F/X juggernaut that mixes the live action with copious quantities of computer effects that are seamlessly integrated with a first rate science fiction tale. Visually, the film is stunning with lots of action, mystery and some pretty cool looking imagery as Detective Anderton uses his manipulative skills to search through the recorded "memories" of the future by the Pre-Cogs secretly kept by the Precrime cops. There is so much going on during the course of the film that it begs for repeat viewing to take it all in. Spielberg and company create an imaginative view of a future a half a century hence. Their Mag-Lev (Magnetic Levitation) transportation system takes the futuristic vehicles and propels them on both horizontal and vertical planes but in a realistic rather than a "Star Wars" manner. Another nifty effect developed by the Industrial Light and Magic crew is the "spider," a mechanical creature resembling an arachnid that can go anywhere to scan the retina of anyone to get a positive ID. The special F/X extend to the production design of the Hall of Containment where all the perps of pre-murder are kept in cold storage. Speaking of production design, the range and variety of sets is amazing. Designer Alex McDowell participated in the Think Tank of experts brought in by Spielberg to brainstorm how Washington would look in half a century. The traditional look of the city is maintained with the White House and the Capital intact. But, the upper class world, the down trodden blue collar community rep'd by the seedy hotel John hides out in, Pre-Crime headquarter, the Hall of Containment and the rest are created with a fine attention to details of a future world. The huge cast is led by its star and there is nary a false note throughout. Cruise holds the center stage as John Anderton and is on the money as actor and stunt man - he did virtually all his own stunt work in the film. The venerable Max Von Sydow plays the benevolent head of Pre-Crime but he is a man with his own deep, dark secret. Samantha Morton has the tough job of being the premier Pre-Cog kidnapped (or, perhaps, rescued?) by Anderton to help clear his good name. The actress portrays the mentally mutant precognitive who is more than a human being and less. Colin Farrell, as Justice Department mole Danny Witwer sent to put the kibosh on Pre-Crime as a national entity, is an enigma that unfolds as the film progresses, changing from apparent bad guy to, in reality, a good guy. Tim Blake Nelson is amusing as the invalided caretaker of the Hall of Containment. Cruise is the star of Minority report, being on screen for the bulk of the film, but the megastar is often overshadowed by some splendid supporting performances. Lois Smith, as the "inventor" of the precogs, Dr. Iris Hineman, is electrifying opposite Cruise. Dr. Hineman knows of the pre-crime system's fallibility and guides the renegade cop to the answers he seeks. (She also puts such a lip lock on Cruise that the surprised look on his face may be genuine.) Jason Antoon, as a shifty cyber parlor owner named Rufus Riley, is an interesting character as a con artist enlisted by Anderton to help solve the underlying mystery. Peter Stormare, who rarely gives an understated performance, is once again outrageous as black market surgeon, Dr. Eddie Solomon, who is hired to replace the hero's eyeballs (I can still hear the collective "yuck!" voiced by the audience). Techs are, as you would expect in a Spielberg extravaganza, superior. Frequent collaborator Janusz Kaminski provides rich and varied cinematography, from the cool, almost cold, interiors of Pre-Crime headquarters to the grainy, dark look of the future world exteriors as Anderton battles to clear his good name. Costumes, designed by Deborah L. Scott, are suitably futuristic without being bizarre. John Williams' score does not intrude on the action and actually compliments the film. I think that Steven Spielberg had some unresolved issues about the late Stanley Kubrick after finishing up that maestro's "A.I." These issues are dealt with in "Minority Report" with a number of references, as homage, to Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining" and other Kubrickian classics. It's interesting to see an auteur like Spielberg looking up to another filmmaker and paying him his due. I found myself mulling over "Minority Report" for some time after seeing it, something that does not happen very often after catching a flick. The craftsman quality of the work, fine cast, good writing and superior F/X may make this a member of the best, ever, sci-fi flicks. I know that I want to see it again and take a closer look. I give it an A. For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com robin@reelingreviews.com laura@reelingreviews.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32128 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731007 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: A From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 27 18:10:17 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!howland.erols.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Homer Yen Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 18:14:22 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32131 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732147 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: A Summary: r.a.m.r. #32131 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 101 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3946 rec.arts.sf.reviews:304 "Minority Report" is a Major Accomplishment When Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game, he creates wondrous stories that spark the imagination and inspire us with child-like awe. When Tom Cruise is at the top of his game, he brings wit and determination and soul to his character. They are both at the top of their games, and they bring to us a futuristic thriller that can do no wrong. In the year 2054, a boon to crime fighting has arisen thanks to three prescient beings (known as "Pre-Cogs") that can foresee future murders before they happen. A complex computer apparatus that incorporates biotechnological mechanisms projects and records their images of murders to come. The police from the Department of Pre-Crime instantly mobilize to prevent it from ever happening. "There hasn't been a murder in six years. The system is perfect," exclaims John Anderten (Tom Cruise), Chief of the Department of Pre-Crime. However, his unbridled belief in the system is making him dangerous to some for reasons that are not immediately clear. An apparent conspiracy arises as the "Pre-Cogs" label him as a future murderer. The victim is someone that Anderten doesn't even know, but his destiny has been sealed and he can't change the future. Or can he? Anderten goes on the run in an effort to clear his name and to get to the bottom of this engrossing mystery. He elicits the help of many, including his indomitable Director (Max Von Sydow) and even Agatha (Samantha Morton) who is the lead Pre-Cog. Meanwhile, the department, now headed by a hungry bureaucrat (Collin Farrell), deploys officers and futuristic machinery to hunt him down. While the mystery holds you to the very end, we are treated to lots of other superb filmmaking touches that enhance the movie watching experience. Characters are well developed. Anderten is much more than a high-flying cop and Agatha is more than a gifted soul. They are each scarred in some way. Their partnership looks and seems unlikely but each holds the key to the other's salvation. The visualizations are stunning. The cinematography, sometimes grainy and sometimes bleached, adds to the aura of a future marred with uncertainty and distrust. The metropolis of the future is incredibly realized. It features a highway system that runs horizontally AND vertically. There's a definite sense of Big Brother watching you, as privacy seems to no longer exist. Once you walk into a clothing store, for example, an image greets you by name. The only way to remain incognito, it seems, is to rip one's own eyes out! Savvy direction really elevates this film. We see it in many incredible sequences. Of note are the robotic spiders that infiltrate a building in an effort to find Anderten. Another is a memorable pursuit through a busy mall where Agatha uses her cognitive abilities to help Anderten allude capture. The timing and choreography of all this must be incredibly difficult, but the end result looks seamless. The 'wow' effect is high. There is such gratification that arises from watching a film like "Minority Report" that you would be hard pressed to find a more complete movie this year. It is an orgy of plot, action, and ideas. It has the sustained feel of a clever whodunit; it showcases stellar action sequences that are tense and sublime; and it offers a peek into a possible future that stretches the imagination without feeling improbable. Grade: A S: 0 out of 3 L: 2 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3 ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32131 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732147 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: A From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 27 18:10:18 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!xmission!news-out.spamkiller.net!propagator2-maxim!propagator-maxim!news-in.spamkiller.net!DirecTVinternet!DirecTV-DSL!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Laura Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 18:24:27 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32137 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731462 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: A- Summary: r.a.m.r. #32137 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 114 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3952 rec.arts.sf.reviews:305 MINORITY REPORT --------------- "Murder" intones the female member of the Precog Trinity who inform Washington D.C.'s Pre-Crime unit of murder victims and perpetrators when they see the crime before it happens. Floating in a Temple held pool, Agatha (Samantha Morton, "Sweet and Lowdown") recalls the Star child of Stanley Kubrick's "2001" while her utterance is a backwards echo of Danny Torrance's "Redrum" in his "The Shining." Where "A.I." played like a mismatched wedding between the cooly intellectual Kubrick and the sentimental populist Spielberg, "Minority Report" is the assured work of a mature auteur paying homage to those who influenced him. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) is the lead investigator of his mentor, Lamar Burgess' (Max Von Sydow) Pre-Crime Dept. Tortured by the kidnapping of his young son while under his care at a public swimming pool, John's marriage has disintegrated and he spends his days collaring 'pre-criminals,' his nights sniffing Clarity while watching holograms of happier days. Soon after Detective Ed Witwer (Colin Farrell, "Hart's War") arrives to inspect the unit for national roll out recommendation, Anderton is astonished to see himself displayed and named by the precogs as the murderer of a stranger. In the world of 2054 (as imagined by an impressive Think Tank assembled by Spielberg) where retinal scans are commonplace, Anderton faces an enormous challenge in staying undercover until he can prove what he believes - that he's been set up. A visit to the remote home of the precogs discoverer, Dr. Iris Hineman (Lois Smith, "Twister"), yields important information. Hineman's intent was the developmental care of crack babies. Their use as Pre-Crime demigods was a dark twist of Burgess's. Hineman also tells Anderton about the minority report, cases where the female precog sees differently than her male counterparts, which is only stored within the precog itself. Spielberg and his screenwriters Scott Frank and Jon Cohen have taken sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick's short story and added dense layering to what is essentially a noir whodunit with a titular macguffin. The film's tag line 'Everybody runs,' refers first and foremost to Anderton's flight from Pre-Crime, but is also physically grounded in his sprinting ability, a talent he encourages in his son during those technologically recreated family evenings. Pool themes are reflected from the Precogs' nutritive environment to the murder of Agatha's mother in a pond and the loss of Anderton's son while he attempts to hold his breath underwater (a talent that will come in handy when he tries to escape robotic spiders via an ice-filled bath). Seeing and its duplicitousness is constantly referred to, from the foreshadowing of a drug dealer's "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," to the names emblazoned on the shiny orbs dispensed after a precog vision, to the human eyeballs rolling away from their former owner now fitted with new ones to fool scanners. Religion is alluded to by the deification of the Precogs and the film's investigation into fate vs. choice. The Spielberg of "E.T." and "A.I." can be found in the twinned motivations of perpetrator and victim in stolen children. "Minority Report's" weakest element, though, is in its climatic denouement which is flattened with family sentiment, pedestrian revelations and the overkill of narration over perfectly explanatory visuals. The film would have been better served by a more swiftly edited conclusion. Tom Cruise once again lets his movie star face be meddled with, but not before Spielberg allows some of his older supporting ladies to have a grab at the man. Cruise embodies the efficient capability of the Pre-Crime cop and crushing despair over the loss of his son. But it is not the big names, including von Sydow and up and comer Farrell, that get the best opportunity to play. Samantha Morton gives an eerie performance full of alien physicality as the child turned into a precognitive police computer. Lois Smith makes her one scene delightfully eccentric, naturally interacting with her effects-laden botanicals. Both go on the long list as potential Best Supporting Actress nominees. Peter Stormare ("Fargo") and Caroline Lagerfelt seem like escapees from "Dr. Strangelove" as a gleefully wacked eye transplant surgeon and his assistant Greta (who bears a passing resemblance to Kubrick's German wife Christiane). Tim Blake Nelson ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") is another oddball as the wheelchair bound attendant of Pre-Crimes convicted, his inability to run mirrored in their suspended animation. Arye Gross ("Big Eden") stands out as tortured cuckold Howard Marks, whose prevented crime of passion opens the film. ILM's effects work here is far more imaginative than anything in the most recent Star Wars. The Mag-Lev transportation system, where vehicles resembling bumper cars travel along magnetic steel ribbons, is both retro and futuristic. Hundreds of details, such as the animated characters on Anderton's cereal box, are almost impossible to completely catch on one viewing. Janusz Kaminski's ("Schindler's List") desaturated cinematography perfectly suits the retro noir feel Spielberg cloaks his story in, while another of the director's regulars, John Williams, delivers an edgy score with none of his usual bombastic sugariness. The entire production design is fabulous. Sound design is painstaking, with engineers recording a particular spider species in order to obtain metallic clickings for the film's robotic spiders. "Minority Report" is the best sci-fi film since "Blade Runner." This Spielberg stunner demands repeated viewings. A- For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com laura@reelingreviews.com robin@reelingreviews.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32137 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731462 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: A- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 27 18:10:18 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!newsfeed1.uni2.dk!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Dennis Schwartz Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 18:31:43 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32141 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731496 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 873 X-RT-AuthorID: 1315 X-RT-RatingText: A+ Summary: r.a.m.r. #32141 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 166 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3954 rec.arts.sf.reviews:306 MINORITY REPORT (director: Steven Spielberg; screenwriters: Philip K. Dick (short story)/Scott Frank/Jon Cohen; cinematographer: Janusz Kaminski; editor: Michael Kahn; music: John Williams; cast: Tom Cruise (Detective Chief John Anderton), Samantha Morton (Agatha), Max von Sydow (Director Lamar Burgess), Steve Harris (Jad), Neal McDonough (Officer Gordon Fletcher), Patrick Kilpatrick (Knott), Jessica Capshaw (Evanna), Colin Farrell (Danny Witwer), Daniel London (Wally the Caretaker), Michael Dickman (Arthur), Matthew Dickman (Dashiell), Tim Blake Nelson (Gideon), Jason Antoon (Rufus Riley, Cyber Parlor Operator), Jessica Harper (Anne Lively), Peter Stormare (Dr. Eddie Solomon), Mike Binder (Leo Crow), Kathryn Morris (Lara Anderton), Lois Smith (Dr. Iris Hineman); Runtime: 135; 20th Century Fox/DreamWorks; 2002) "Mainstream films don't get any better than this one." Steven Spielberg follows his brilliant A.I. with another brilliantly dark and brooding inventive futuristic sci-fi thriller that plays like film noir and is derivative of films such as "Blade Runner." It is adapted from a short story by one of the great sci-fi writers, Philip K. Dick (he wrote Blade Runner). Spielberg made Dick's short work into his lengthy 135 minute film by getting screenwriters Scott Frank and Jon Cohen to brighten up some of Dick's more paranoic visions in their effort to make the film more universally appealing and easier for the public to comprehend. It asks the question, could one trust the system to ever bring crime under complete control without one's freedoms being usurped! By showing that it is impossible to always be sure an innocent person is not convicted of a crime, Spielberg's thought-provoking film challenges us to rethink how we as a country are handling our crime problem. He shows how an innocent person can be victimized by even a flawless mechanical system, as he emphatically states that we shouldn't trust our eyes alone to tell us what we see. It also shows how even if you knew a crime was to happen, there might be other factors that make even this visionary knowledge not enough to be conclusive--as there are always human factors to consider. The director is starting to get heavier in his films and is starting to take on the mantle of Stanley Kubrick, as he is looking more like this country's next resident film genius instead of the purveyor of pop culture some might have thought he would never let go of. He still does what he does best, tell a visually pleasing story, though his scripts have become more poetical and less concerned with feeding the public their usual diet of pap. This film is less lyrical than A.I. and more given to ready-made explanations, but Spielberg's story is so strong and his visualizations are so refreshing that he can't really be faulted for some lingering flaws leftover from his past filmmaking. The film's weakest point was the so-so ending, which couldn't match the effectiveness of the films startling beginning when it presented its riveting premise by hunting down a potential killer and the action filled middle part where the cop is on-the-run. The story is set in 2054 in Washington, D.C., where a crime wave in homicides is stopped by a novel program called Pre-Crime. A Pre-Crime agency has been successfully established in the District of Columbia for the past six years and has stopped all murders since its inception. The director and founder is the elderly Lamar Burgess (Sydow), and the unit's chief of police is Burgess' hand-picked protege, John Anderton (Cruise). John's 9- year old son Sean was abducted from a crowded swimming pool with his father present and he was never located, which gave John the incentive to help others who might have their lives destroyed by crime. John was so much in love with his son and so affected by the crime that he quit the police force and was further saddened that his wife (Kathryn Morris) divorced him because she couldn't face looking at him and being reminded of her son. The very capable policeman was recruited to work for Lamar at the program's inception and is the credible spokesman for the program as it attempts to get funding to go national. He wholeheartedly buys into the agency's slogan "That which keeps us safe also keeps us free." The program works through the recorded visualizations of three individuals, called Pre-Cogs--the female Agatha (Morton) and the twin males Arthur and Dashiell---who are kept in a nutrient-enriched pool of water and are cared for only by their caretaker Wally while they lie in an unconscious dream state. Whenever they see a murder about to happen a red or brown ball drops into the hands of a supervisor technician Jad (Harris) and the department's special police force goes into action. The system is supposed to be flawless because all three Pre-Cogs see the same vision, but the female is the key to the program since her visions are the strongest. The film opens as a "Red Ball Alert" flashes (this signals a crime of passion is about to take place and the crime could happen at any moment. The other crimes get brown balls and they signal a premeditated crime to take place in about 4 days). John and a team of officers led by Gordon Fletcher descend on the suburban house of a husband who discovers his wife has taken a lover and he aims to murder his wife with a scissors attack to her eyes (seeing is the metaphor of choice throughout the film). John gets all the information he needs about the crime that will soon happen by standing in front of a blank video screen with his specially lined flashing gloves and in a series of dance movements before it, images appear on the screen. The gloves are lined with special hologram-projectors that are sensitive to the light. John and his team are upset that the attorney general is looking for flaws in the program and seems intent on wanting to cut federal funding for it, probably because he's competitive with this department and jealously wants the glory of fighting crime to go his way. The AG has given his special Department of Justice investigator, Danny Witwer (Farrell), carte blank powers to probe into the program before the upcoming national referendum. Soon John is uncovered by the bureaucratic Witwer as a doper (he doesn't realize that John takes the drugs to dream of the past and maybe get clues about the kidnapping of his son). John also becomes accused of planning a Pre-Crime against someone he doesn't even know, Leo Crow. He has no way of clearing himself, as he goes on the run, believing that he's being setup by Witwer. In order to verify if the Pre-Cogs are always right and that he could become a murderer even if he knows he can't be one, he breaks into the uniquely secure greenhouse of the eccentric Dr. Iris Hineman (Lois Smith), the one who accidently discovered that the specially selected Pre-Cogs were capable of seeing a future murder. The inventor was only trying to cure the mentally afflicted from their grief and nightmares by conducting experiments on them and surprisingly found that they were sensitized to see crimes in the future. But she no longer believes in the program as being an ethical or foolproof one, and tells John that his best chance of proving his innocence is getting to Agatha and downloading her visions. She also tells him something he didn't realize, that there's a 'minority report' given if all three don't collectively agree on what they see and that report would indicate a flaw in the program. The program is only perfect when all three agree, therefore Cruise is now searching to see if there's a minority report on him. There's therefore the possibility that Cruise, not knowing about this glitch in the system, might have arrested an innocent person with no chance of him clearing his name. There are great chase scenes with Mr. Cruise sprinting away from the police and trying to do anything to survive, even if he has to leap from great heights. In one scene computer-generated spiders try and track him down in a house search by performing a retinal scan on identities and they are so frighteningly robotic and real looking that the scene becomes an unforgettable one. Cars motor along at high speeds on magnetic cushions. Popular advertisements on walls or in stores address the individual consumer with personal info they have gathered about them, as the director uses this as a satire on popular culture. There are many colorful characters on Cruises's 'road to prove his innocence' including Tim Blake Nelson as Gideon, the organ-playing prison keeper of the ones the Pre-Crime unit arrests; Peter Stormare as the maniacal doctor who gives Cruise a pair of replacement eyes so he can't be identified while on the run; and, Jason Antoon as Rufus Riley, a self-promoting mall operator of a pornographic Cyber Parlor, who is forced to help Cruise record videos. The photography by Janusz Kaminski is stylishly beautiful and sets a vivid mood of passion when red is the predominant screen color and is strikenly sharp when a chrome-like color dominates and the film sets a reflective mood. The metallic tone of the film always leaves a frenetic and tense look, and with the many plot twists and different subjects to think about this film becomes both emotionally and intellectually filling. Mr. Cruise emerges as a big-name star who can act, as he gives his best performance since "Eyes Wide Shut," in an action film that he's actually more suited for. The other special performance, a Supporting Actress Oscar nominating one, comes from Samantha Morton's strange role as a Pre-Cog, where she's almost mute but is so expressive that her silence feels as if she's actually communicating her feelings by voice. This sci-fi film might not be exactly for the masses as it relies more on ideas and complex emotional feelings rather than trying to please the audience with a sense of cheer, but it is a brilliant example of how a creative filmmaker can be both entertaining and artistic to create a film that can possibly appeal to an audience that wants more from a thriller than the usual thrills it has been getting from so many commercially made action films. Mainstream films don't get any better than this one. Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz REVIEWED ON 6/27/2002 GRADE: A + Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ http://www.sover.net/~ozus ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32141 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 731496 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 873 X-RT-AuthorID: 1315 X-RT-RatingText: A+ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Jun 27 18:10:18 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Brendan Cullin Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 17:56:12 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32152 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732543 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 1050 X-RT-AuthorID: 5880 X-RT-RatingText: 9/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32152 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 101 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3968 rec.arts.sf.reviews:307 MINORITY REPORT RATING 9/10 http://www.empiremovies.com/movies/2002/minorityreport.shtml For movie reviews, trailers and posters, visit: http://www.empiremovies.com/ Based on the 1956 short story written by the late visionary Philip K. Dick (whose works include Blade Runner and Total Recall), Minority Report is another movie that takes us into the less-than-perfect future, this time with the help of Tom Cruise's acting and Steven Spielberg's directing. In this latest vision of the future, we find Cruise in the year 2054 playing Detective John Anderton. Anderton is the head of an elite "pre-crime" unit in Washington D.C. who, with the use of psychic beings known as "pre-cogs", envision murders before they occur and arrest the murderers before they commit the crime. The system is considered flawless and is under review to go nationwide when Anderton himself is envisioned committing a murder in less than 36 hours. Anderton then realizes that there are, in fact, cracks in the supposedly flawless pre-crime program, and sets out to prove his innocence. Let me begin by saying this. Minority Report is an outstanding movie. For the second straight Tom Cruise movie, we find our modern day hero playing a not-so-perfect character - this time an officer of the law whose role is usually reserved for the likes of Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know, the cop who has faced personal tragedy, who is addicted to some sort of anti-depressent (this time it is a futuristic crack pipe), whose dedication to his job has cost him his marriage and pretty much his life in general. He eats out of the cereal box, lives in a nice but very messy apartment and sits at home watching old videos of what his life used to be and what it could have been. This is not your typical Tom Cruise role. There are no beautiful women, no pretty boy smiles, no "You had me at hello". This role is the real deal and there is nobody who could have pulled this off more perfectly than Tom Cruise. He is great. He had me at hello. But before I get too carried away, let me say that Minority Report was a joint effort movie. Colin Farrell heads a gifted supporting cast that was wonderful to watch - probably a bit underused - but definitely an important cog. Max von Sydow, who played the priest in the original Exorcist movie, and looked like he was going to drop dead in that movie more that 20 years ago, is somehow still alive and kicking in another fine performance in Minority Report. And more importantly, there is Steven Spielberg. His direction, his vision of the future and what this movie was and what it should be, was fascinating. It was close to perfect. And when I say close to perfect, I have to point out the one flaw of Minority Report. Much like last summer's disappointment, A.I., Minority Report was probably 20 minutes too long. (A.I. was actually about 40 minutes too long, but who's counting.) And in that 20 minutes, Spielberg slapped on an ending to the movie that really left me shaking my head. It was too Hollywood. Almost too "happily ever after". And that really sort of bugged me. Some of my favorite movies of all-time - Se7en, Braveheart, The Untouchables - the thing that made these movies stand above all others is the almost shock value of the ending. The feeling that when the movie ended, you did not want to get out of your seat because that is not how the movie should end. And although it shouldn't have ended like that, it did, and there was nothing you could do about it. Well, Minority Report had an ending that, if I would have known that it ended that way, I would have ran out of the theatre twenty minutes earlier and been happy knowing that the ending was not so happy. You're probably saying "That is how the story ended so that is how the movie ended." I never read the story. I don't read anything but the front page of the newspaper and Penthouse forum, so I can't really say how the short story ended, but I do know that books are always changed in the movies. This movie was so well done, it deserved a better ending - a less satisfying ending - a more controversial ending. Instead, we were slapped in the face with more Hollywood and that was disappointing. Don't get me wrong. I loved Minority Report. If there is one movie that is a must see this summer, more so than Attack of the Clones, Spider-Man, Austin Powers and even Scooby-Doo, it is Minority Report. This movie will grab you by the gonads, or whatever else you got hanging down there, and take you for a two hour ride that is almost unforgettable. It is a movie that will make you think so much that you will get a headache. You will be riveted to the screen for the entire time you are in the theater and if you even look away for a split second, you may regret it for the rest of your life. It's just too bad about that damn ending. Damn Hollywood. Damn Spielberg. It was so good. Almost perfect. Very close. But not quite. But you know what? I still loved it and plan on seeing it again. And again. Review Date: June 19, 2002 Author: Brendan Cullin Official Site: http://www.minorityreportmovie.com/ Director: Steven Spielberg Distributed by: 20th Century Fox Theatrical Release Date: June 21, 2002 Cast: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow Empire Movies http://www.empiremovies.com/ Copyright © 2000-2002 Liam Cullin ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32152 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732543 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 1050 X-RT-AuthorID: 5880 X-RT-RatingText: 9/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 28 09:44:41 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.stealth.net!news.stealth.net!feed.textport.net!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Shannon Patrick Sullivan Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 18:03:36 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32166 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732631 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32166 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 57 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3990 rec.arts.sf.reviews:310 MINORITY REPORT (2002) / *** 1/2 Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen, based on the short story by Philip K Dick. Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow. Running time: 145 minutes. Rated AA for violent scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on June 26th, 2002. By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN Synopsis: John Anderton (Cruise) runs Pre-Crime, a police division in Washington DC devised by Anderton's boss, Lamar Burgess (von Sydow), which uses the talents of three "Precognitives" to foresee murders before they occur. Pre-Crime is being considered for national implementation, which attracts the attention of national security investigator Witwer (Farrell). Soon thereafter, Anderton finds himself accused of an imminent homicide. He goes on the run to discover whether there is something wrong with Pre-Crime -- or whether he will indeed commit the crime that has been foretold. Review: "Minority Report" feels like a movie from fifty years ago, made fifty years from now. The story is classic film noir, with a flawed protagonist struggling for redemption while events inexorably pushing him toward a grim fate. Indeed, Spielberg lenses the film as though it were monochrome, using colour only for maximum effect. Many scenes are painted in grainy, dispassionate hues -- which makes the vibrant sequences depicting the chaotic society of the mid-twenty-first century all the more dazzling and disorientating. Surprisingly, this clash of old style and future setting works brilliantly, no doubt aided by the fact that Spielberg extrapolates naturally from today's technology rather than departing on wild flights of fancy. Cruise slips effortlessly into this environment, presenting a character who is heroic without ever losing his desperate edge. There are depths to John Anderton, and even by the movie's end, we are left with the impression that we have only plumbed the shallows. The script by Frank and Cohen works well as both a summer action picture and a more philosophical reflection on the nature of crime. Too much time is spent on scenes of Anderton simply running away from his pursuers, but even here there is invention and excitement. "Minority Report" is Spielberg's most mature science-fiction effort to date. Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/ ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32166 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732631 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jun 28 09:44:46 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!uab.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Jerry Saravia Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 18:04:34 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32167 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732632 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32167 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 93 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3980 rec.arts.sf.reviews:309 MINORITY REPORT (2002) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia June 26th, 2002 RATING: Three stars Something has happened to Steven Spielberg - he has been haunted by the ghost of Stanley Kubrick. The warm, sensitive, sentimental Spielberg is trying to tap into the darker recesses of fables and science-fiction stories. After last year's fabulous "A.I.," itself based on ideas by Kubrick, Spielberg is aiming for something more ominous and foreboding, and he basically succeeds with his new science-fiction dazzler, "Minority Report." Cropped-haired Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton, the chief of Pre-Crime, an organization in Washington, D.C. that prevents actual crimes from happening. They manage this feat with the use of Pre-Cogs, precognitive humans who lie in a water tank and are tapped into some video computer that shows their premonitions of upcoming crimes, mostly homicides. When the main Pre-Cog, Agatha (Samantha Morton), the strongest of the three Pre-Cogs, sees a vision, a red ball is unleashed through some tubes with the name of the murderer. John's job is to use a high-tech system using motion control to find where the murderer will commit the crime. Along with his compatriots, they travel to the destination on a ship and prevent the murder within seconds. Pre-crime is a solid, workable system that has prevented crimes from taking place in almost six years (only, of course, in D.C.). The bureau director of this organization, Burgess (Max Von Sydow), is facing a crucial election year where Pre-Crime has been under total scrutiny. Enter the cynical bureacrat from the Justice Department, Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell), who questions the validity of Pre-Crime, and is sure that flaws must exist in this system. Before you know it, John Anderton is in hot water when he discovers that he will commit murder himself. Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, "Minority Report" has a lot of story to work with, and it helps that Cruise is cast as the hot-blooded, doped-up John, facing his own crisis over the loss of his son. Cruise makes John the hero to root for in a world that is grayish and washed-out, thanks to the dazzling cinematography by Spielberg regular Janusz Kaminski. This world is no picnic and technology has taken precendence over personal privacy. The year is 2054 and we see souped-up Lexus cars that can travel on ramps alongside the surfaces of buildings, plants that move and can poison intruders in private homes, eye scanners at every single street corner, advertisements that salute you particularly at Gap stores, newspapers that have rapidly changing images, spider-like robots that search for murder suspects, and so on. It is a world as eerily prescient as the world shown in "Blade Runner," and now that the FBI can scan library records of just about anyone, our universe is becoming just as Orwellian as ever. The aspects of Pre-Crime are fascinating, particularly the nature of it and if any flaws exist in a supposedly foolproof system. That is the function of the Danny Witwer character, questioning if any crime would have ever existed and if the Pre-Cogs could ever have been wrong in their assertions and visions. What if a homicide that took place was justifiable in some way? What about self-defense? What about a crime that leads to some positive consequences? The morality at stake of preventing crimes that may happen in the future is frightening if you consider the consequences. And it comes out of John's character who may commit a murder, but to whom and why? Spielberg, however, is not as willing to plunge deeply with such questions. Despite working with Kubrick's ideas in "A.I." and fusing a questionable future for a child robot, Spielberg brings us close to the immorality of Pre-Crime but refuses to stick with the ideas. It is like watching a magician who speaks of magic tricks yet never actually performs them. This is no surprise coming from the eternal optimist who believes that hope will always prevail. Kubrick or, for that matter, Ridley Scott might have stuck with the phase that is set in motion because they see that darkness sometimes prevails, and the consequences of real-life crimes sometimes prevents others from seeing the wrongdoing ahead of time. The future is never that bright in movies, so the last thing I expect is a happy ending. "Minority Report" is a stunning achievement in special-effects and production design, and Cruise fires his acting missiles with acute timing and perfect pitch. I like some of the dark humor in the film and the Kubrickian homages, and the film does have a spellbinding look to it - it is like a darkly humorous, sci-fi noir comedy. But it also goes on too long just when it appears it might have ended (a common Spielberg fallacy) and the last section in the film is overwrought and overdone. Still, it is quite a marvel of a film and the ironic look into the future of invasion of privacy is haunting. Post any questions, complaints or general comments at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/forum.shtml or email me at Faust668@aol.com or at faustus_08520@yahoo.com For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32167 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 732632 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jul 2 18:06:20 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!tethys.csu.net!nntp!sn-xit-05!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Louis Proyect Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 19:07:06 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32207 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 733765 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1390 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32207 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 107 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4020 rec.arts.sf.reviews:311 Although Stephen Spielberg emerged side-by-side with George Lucas as a purveyor of juvenile film fantasies during the Reagan era, he has evolved into one of the more important social commentators in Hollywood. Whether dealing with racial oppression ("The Color Purple", "Amistad") or the holocaust ("Shindler's Gift), he is aspiring to the sort of reputation enjoyed by liberals like Otto Preminger or Norman Jewison in years past. More recently he has begun to put forward a somewhat dystopian vision of the future, first with "AI", a film whose context is set by an ecological catastrophe that has left many of the planet's cities underwater. Now with the much-hyped "Minority Report," Spielberg turns to Philip K. Dick for inspiration. In this tale set in 2054, "pre-cogs" can detect murders that have not taken place yet. When pre-crime unit cop John Anderton (Tom Cruise) discovers that the pre-cogs have identified him as a future murderer, he takes it on the lam. "Minority Report" is the third major film based on Philip K. Dick's fiction. Along with "Bladerunner" and "Total Recall," it incorporates his favorite themes. The future teems with technological advances, but within a capitalist context. In "Bladerunner" and "Minority Report," advertising for the same Fortune 100 corporations that exist today are plastered across buildings and in subway stations. We also find out that the masses rely on vicarious experience mediated through "virtual reality" type devices. In "Total Recall," Arnold Schwarzenegger takes a virtual vacation trip to Mars. In "Minority Report," Tom Cruise consoles himself with the holographic images of his dead son. Although Dick has a well-deserved reputation for being pessimistic about the future, his message seems softened in Spielberg's treatment. Instead of the grimy and congested urban tableaux of "Bladerunner" (a Los Angeles of the future imagined by Hieronymus Bosch), instead we see a rather smooth-running and spiffy world, only marred by a judicial system that imprisons people even though they might be innocent. This of course has suggested to many of the reviewers of "Minority Report" that Spielberg is implicitly on the side of the angels in light of John Ashcroft's recent police state measures. Alas, this is not quite so. Before filming, Spielberg convened a bunch of futurists. In an interview given to the Boston Herald on June 16th, Spielberg states that based on discussions with them the future does not look too shabby: "I was just fascinated about how positive some of those views were, notwithstanding the nuclear age we've been in for 50 years and the terrorism we currently have on the homefront." From Internetnews.com, we learn that advertising plays a key role in their vision of the future. Referring to a scene in which Anderton has assumed the identity of a Mr. Yakamoto, whose eyes he has received in a macabre surgical procedure, the article points to a scene in "Minority Report" that is directed without a hint of irony: --- A smiling Gap employee appears on a giant flat-screen monitor just inside the store, greeting customers as they walk in. "Good afternoon, Mr. Yakamoto," she says, loudly and cheerily. "How did you like that three-pack of tank tops you bought last time you were in?" With the help of contemporary advertisers like Lexus, Reebok, Nokia, Guinness, Bulgari, and Pepsi-Cola's Aquafina, Spielberg and his team paint a fascinating picture of what advertising might look like in the future -- complete with interactivity and personalization. The vision grew out of a "think tank" of MIT futurists that Spielberg asked to imagine what the world would be like in 2054. From that team's work, and from the mind of production designer Alex McDowell, grew a panoply of ads that appear throughout the film. --- http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/1369861 Oddly enough, the proliferation of ads in "Minority Report" doesn't seem that different from what you see in any Hollywood movie--the result of a cozy relationship between the studios and big corporations looking for the last inch to peddle their wares. It even approaches the chutzpah of novelist Fay Weldon, who wrote the novel "The Bulgari Connection" on consignment from the jewelers. One wonders if they paid off Spielberg as well. Considering the fact that among the futurists assembled by Spielberg were members of the editorial board of the techno-libertarian Wired Magazine, it is no surprise that the future looks a lot like the present. Spielberg has been cagey about the film's relationship to the current crackdown. On one hand, he is quoted as saying that Ashcroft would like the film's setup but not the way it concludes. On the other hand, he told the NY Times: "Right now, people are willing to give away a lot of their freedoms in order to feel safe. They're willing to give the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. far-reaching powers to, as George W. Bush often says, root out those individuals who are a danger to our way of living. I am on the president's side in this instance. I am willing to give up some of my personal freedoms in order to stop 9/11 from ever happening again. But the question is, Where do you draw the line? How much freedom are you willing to give up? That is what this movie is about." In other words, Spielberg has staked out a liberal position: for civil liberties in the abstract, against them when they are most needed. Louis Proyect Marxism mailing list: http://www.marxmail.org ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32207 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 733765 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1390 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 5 14:12:35 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-05!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Mark R. Leeper Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 03 Jul 2002 18:48:23 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32240 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 734227 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1309 X-RT-RatingText: 9/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32240 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 112 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4052 rec.arts.sf.reviews:319 MINORITY REPORT (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: Steven Spielberg adapts a story by Philip K. Dick to create a marvelously faceted and incredibly dark vision of the future. Murder has been eliminated by use of mutants' psychic powers. MINORITY REPORT is fast-paced, yet still full of ideas. This is probably a better science fiction film in a more complex society than was BLADERUNNER (also based on a story by Philip K. Dick). Rating: 9 (0 to 10), +3 (-4 to +4) When most science fiction films are set in the future the approach is simple. You have funny suits for the men, revealing fashions for the women, throw in a funny-looking car here and there, and show as little of the world as possible. That last part is desperately important. Think how much explanation phrases like "dot-com failure" would require to make it understandable to a 1950 audience. Seeing an accurate view of the world fifty-two years from now would be confusing and demanding. Steven Spielberg shows us a world just that far in the future and is not afraid to make the view confusing and demanding. Spielberg has been accused of making manipulative and heavy-handed films that are just a bit simplistic and spell things out for the viewer. Certainly nobody can accuse MINORITY REPORT of being simple. In it Spielberg has told a story more than half a century in the future that is every bit as complicated and demanding as being dropped into the future would be. This film is a genuine piece of future extrapolation. Even written science fiction set in the future does not require this degree of thought about the future. Written science fiction does not allow the reader to put his head into a scene and look around at the world the way a wide- screen movie does. While some of Spielberg's future seems altogether impossible (e.g. psychic elimination of crime), and some seem more than fifty-two years away (cars adapted to highways that that are vertical for long stretches), Spielberg had taken head-on questions of where computing is going. What will advertising be like in fifty-two years? What will language be like? The year is 2054. It has been six years since a murder has been successfully committed in the Washington DC area. Why? Because three mutant psychics, "pre-cogs" they are called, are kept in a state of constant sleep as their minds are probed see all potential murders before they happen. The police get this information in time to avert the killings. But apart from the constitutional issue of prior restraint, there is always the question of how one knows for sure the averted crime really would have happened. Tom Cruise plays John Alderton in the police Department of Precrime and a firm believer in the system he enforces. He will soon have reason to doubt the system. Philip K. Dick raised these issues in his novelette "Minority Report." The point of Dick's story was that knowledge of the future changes the future so that multiple pre-cogs might see multiple alternate futures. Apparently even Spielberg thought that would be a tough notion to transfer to the screen so he simplified the concept and the importance of the "minority report" from which the film takes its name. MINORITY REPORT is not just a summer fluff film. It is hard work to follow everything that is going on and to pick up all the interesting details in a world where the cartoon characters on a cereal box actually dance and sing and store ads recognize customers and know their purchase record on sight. MINORITY REPORT is the most detailed creation of a future society since BLADERUNNER, which incidentally was also based on the writings of Dick. Here Spielberg uses the ideas of Dick, the pacing of an Alfred Bester story, and the cynicism of Frederic Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth. The intelligence flags only near the end with Dick's ideas being replaced by a more cliched plotline. The payoff is not the end of the film but a shank that is so dense with ideas. Spielberg greatly controls the images on the screen. Scenes are intentionally too complex to be understood on one viewing. To create a distancing effect he turns way down the color values so the visuals are halfway between color and monochrome. It is a mood device and works to reasonable effect. This is a long film that that is hard work for the viewer. It makes few concessions to explanations. At one point a character says "I'm tired of the future." The casual viewer may feel the same way. Or he may just ignore the details and see this as an action film. But action films are many and extrapolations like this one few. I rate MINORITY REPORT a 9 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +3 on the -4 to +4 scale. Minor spoiler....Minor spoiler.... Dick assumes that psychic powers are not perfectly precise and as a result three psychics are used and what at least two see is assumed to be true. By saying that there is a lead psychic and by assuming she is right even when the other two disagree Spielberg is saying it is really unimportant to have the other two. It is a betrayal of the original concept. Another problem, with all the effort put into detail in this film, one very simple check was not done. There is a reference to a poll on Tuesday, April 22, 2054. That will be a Wednesday. Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2002 Mark R. Leeper ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32240 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 734227 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1309 X-RT-RatingText: 9/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 12 11:58:52 2002 From: John Sylva Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Tue, 09 Jul 2002 05:13:51 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32244 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 734724 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1361 X-RT-RatingText: B Summary: r.a.m.r. #32244 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 88 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!tethys.csu.net!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!newshub.sdsu.edu!west.cox.net!cox.net!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-01!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4057 rec.arts.sf.reviews:321 MINORITY REPORT (2002) Reviewed by John Sylva "RUN!" The vigorous screams of pre-cog Agatha (Samantha Morton) echo both through the theater's speakers and in the mind of the viewer in a way that far exceeds the intensity of any special effect. It's a desperate warning to John Anderton (Tom Cruise) in his attempts to escape the highly equipped Precrime officers whom once served as his co-workers but now seek him for arrest, and, at the same time, calls the viewer to realize the seemingly otherworldly horrors that face the characters of Steven Spielberg's Minority Report. But otherworldly they are not-in fact, if Spielberg's vision presented in Minority Report holds true, they'll be an everyday facet in just 52 years. In an unsettling concept, three clairvoyant young entities known as pre-cogs lie in a pool, projecting future murders so that the Precrime task force can prevent them from happening. Unsettling not only because it explores unknowns in our modern world but because it really doesn't seem too far-fetched, Minority Report sees Spielberg in a mode he hinted at with last year's A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, and, although the film's genre has been labeled "popcorn fun," a more appropriate label would be "film noir," despite it working as both. All the elements of 1950's noir are in place-right down to up-and-coming Colin Farrell's pinstripe suits as government-appointed detective Ed Witwer-with Cruise's Anderton caught in the middle. So far, Precrime, founded by Dr. Iris Hineman (who, as portrayed by a dead-on Lois Smith, nearly manages to steal the show) has been flawless, which may be great news for the Washington, D.C. population, but not so for Cruise's Anderton. Searching a visually projected crime scene for tokens of familiarity as to the location of a murder is an everyday task for him that makes televison's C.S.I. look like child's play: In a tricky process, Anderton must decipher any trace of location, keeping in mind the slightest miscalculation could lead to a successful murder, and in turn, the government's eradication of the program. So you might imagine Anderton's dilemma when he discovers himself in a precognitive vision-and not as the victim, but as the killer. Watching the mystery unravel against Spielberg's future is never less than fascinating. In contrast to A.I., Minority Report creates a world comparable to the present, with technology seeming merely an extension of our own. Never preoccupied with bluntly dazzling the audience, the visual effects interweave the familiar with the extraordinary, allowing the viewer to readily identify with what's happening. Billboards that speak directly to you, vertical highways, and animated cereal boxes are just some of the nifty concepts Spielberg has employed here as a frame for the whole picture-a picture that, alone, doesn't require the slightest leap of faith to deem believable. As Anderton, Cruise adequately portrays a father's longing for his dead son and his drive to prevent other children from being taken as his was. His emotional connection to the Precrime program is understandable, as is his concern for Agatha, whom he steals for personal knowledge of the vigorous search for his arrest. Agatha herself serves as one of the film's many ironies, as, although she has helped prevent numerous murders, she's never been given a chance to live her own life. Morton effortlessly slides through the mostly non-speaking, often scary role, much as she did with her mute character in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown. The void in these two characters' lives convey a sense of humanity amongst the dark and stunning visual landscape of the picture. Driven by common noir themes of greed, distrust, and paranoia, Minority Report makes an excellent case for itself in its first two hours, a rock-solid spectacle of imagination and visceral force. But Anderton's mystery is juiciest when left unsolved. As the pieces of the puzzle slowly come together in the film's third act, the viewer realizes these are the pieces that Spielberg just couldn't get to fit right to complete the whole. Falling into a web of cliches, Spielberg loses grasp on what held the first two acts together: a sense of intrigue. Considering the bulk of the film's strength, one can easily forgive the director for stepping wrong, especially bearing in mind he gets more right in this time than three of the other summer blockbusters do combined-however, declaring Minority Report a "great film" doesn't come easily. So here's holding out for his Tom Hanks/Leonardo Dicaprio starrer Catch Me If You Can, due Christmas, to deliver a three-thirds triumph. GRADE: B Film reviewed July 3rd, 2002. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32244 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 734724 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1361 X-RT-RatingText: B From rec.arts.sf.reviews Fri Jul 12 11:59:10 2002 From: Bob Bloom Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Reign of Fire (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 03:45:35 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32284 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 737184 X-RT-TitleID: 1114678 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 1.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32284 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 85 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!newshub.sdsu.edu!west.cox.net!cox.net!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-06!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:4097 rec.arts.sf.reviews:325 REIGN OF FIRE (2002) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco, Gerard Butler, Scott James Moutter and David Kennedy. Screenplay by Gregg Chabot & Kevin Peterka and Matt Greenberg. Story by Chabot and Peterka. Directed by Rob Bowman. Rated PG-13. Know what killed the dinosaurs? Sure, you do. A giant meteor supposedly struck the planet about 65 million years ago, and the debris blocked out the sun ... Whoa! Not so fast. Don’t believe everything you read in textbooks. Here’s what really happened. Flying, fire-breathing dragons. They scourged the planet, laying waste to everything that lived then went into hibernation until the planet replenished itself. Or so we are told in Reign of Fire, a cartoonish, futuristic, apocalyptic tale that’s part-Dragonslayer, part-Road Warrior. Definitely in the guilty pleasure B-movie category, Reign of Fire is so incredibly inane that it is laughingly enjoyable. It is cinema-lite, stupid, sloppy and simple. The year is 2020. Twenty years earlier an excavation under London unearthed and awoke the big, bull hibernating fire-snorter, and before you can say, Puff the Magic Dragon, the world is overrun by these flying beasties. A montage comprised of old newsreel footage and mock-up news magazines articles describe the next 20 years in which most the planet is laid to waste trying to fight the flying marauders, who burn and eat anything in their path. Mankind is reduced to a handful of isolated communities, we are told, who barely subside. One such lair in rural England is led by Quinn (Christian Bale), the original survivor of the first dragon attack. It was his mom who uncovered the creature and was one its first victims. But enter the cavalry, in the form of a U.S. Army Reserve contingent led by the super gung-ho Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey) who calls himself the “Dragonslayer” because he knows how to down the giants. Quinn and Van Zan forge a reluctant alliance to rid the planet of the flying serpents and reclaim the Earth for mankind. Of course the script, by Gregg Chabot, Kevin Peterka and Matt Greenberg, based on a story by Chabot and Peterka, gives them a hand by conveniently setting up a situation in which only one male dragon rules over a horde of lesser females. He flies over and fertilizes their eggs. Thus, if he dies, the species dies. Never explained, of course, is how all the hatched eggs carry only females, nor how they spread globally from one male who rules from the ruins of London. No matter, this movie relies on its visual thrills to carry you along. Logic went the way of the dodo. Bale and McConaughey spend most of their time shouting at either each other or their subordinates. McConaughey trying to look tough, has shaved his head, has an unkempt beard and continually chews on a cigar stub in the corner of his mouth. His attempts at being a macho John Wayne type are ludicrous. He’s all ham and gestures, but Reign of Fire does not present any acting challenges, so why waste the effort. The dragon effects are what propels Reign of Fire and they are decent, nothing spectacular. Reign of Fire is merely screen filler, an old-time Saturday matinee diversion that fails to ignite its scripted possibilities. Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloomjc@yahoo.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32284 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 737184 X-RT-TitleID: 1114678 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 1.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Thu Nov 14 14:17:33 2002 From: Christian Pyle Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Minority Report (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 04 Nov 2002 19:22:09 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 33271 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 806620 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1057 X-RT-RatingText: B- Summary: r.a.m.r. #33271 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Lines: 71 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!deine.net!news-out.nuthinbutnews.com!propagator2-sterling!news-in-sterling.newsfeed.com!news-in.nuthinbutnews.com!telocity-west!TELOCITY!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-06!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:5104 rec.arts.sf.reviews:395 Minority Report Reviewed by Christian Pyle Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Scott Frank and Jon Cohen (based on a story by Philip K. Dick) Starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, and Max von Sydow Grade: B- In 2054, murder is obsolete in Washington, DC. A police division of "pre-crime" uses the visions of three psychics to prevent murders before they happen. The would-be killers are arrested and imprisoned with a "halo," a device that plays the murders they sought to commit over and over. Detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) runs this pilot program, which is expected to be adopted nationwide in the near future. John is haunted by the murder of his son years earlier, a crime that could have been prevented by pre-crime. Skeptical politicians have dispatched Detective Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) to find a fatal flaw in the system. It's Danny who raises the obvious moral question: how can society punish someone for a crime that was prevented from happening? John responds by rolling a ball down a table; when Danny catches the falling ball, John points out that catching the ball does not invalidate the certainty that it would have fallen to the floor. Movie formulas are as unbending as the laws of physics. Thus, with the inevitability of the falling ball, John stumbles across a hint that all is not right with pre-crime. And, just as predictably, the system protects itself. The next prediction offered by the psychics is that John will murder someone, a man he's never met. As his former colleagues pursue him, John goes on the run and, of course, on a quest to clear his name. "Minority Report" is based on a short story by legendary sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick, whose works have previously given us "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall." Like "Total Recall," "Minority Report" takes an intriguing concept and, rather than exploring its practical and philosophical implications, uses it as a catalyst for a standard Hollywood action movie. On that level -- as a futuristic remake of "The Fugitive"-- "Minority Report" works well. The innocent-man-falsely-accused plot has a paranoid, visceral appeal that makes it consistently appealing even though we've seen it before. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski creates a slightly-blurred future where the dominant color is a murky grey. The look at times suggests the film noir aesthetic of "Blade Runner" and "Dark City," but it also creates a singular impression. This is also Spielberg's darkest science fiction film in terms of theme. Generally the genre brings out a child-like sappiness in the director (see "Close Encounters," "E.T.," and "A.I."). In "Report," the script brings an edginess in its paranoia about the oppressive capacity of technology and the portrayal of its hero as a drug addict straining to maintain a façade of emotional stability. However, Spielberg also waters down those elements and tacks on a happy ending that rings false. Spielberg consulted a team of experts to envision a future in which monorail cars are the primary mode of transportation within the city and in which databases allow people to be addressed directly by advertisements and instantly located by police. The commentary on advertising is insightful; however, it also serves as a vehicle for shameless product placement. (Spielberg, of course, virtually invented product placement with the Reese's Pieces in "E.T.") © 2002 Christian L. Pyle Read my other reviews: http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Christian+Pyle ========== X-RAMR-ID: 33271 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 806620 X-RT-TitleID: 1113879 X-RT-AuthorID: 1057 X-RT-RatingText: B-