More about this DVD  •  DVD Info  •  Movie Main Page  •  Message Board

By now you probably know the story. Cruise plays John Anderton, a top officer for the "Precrime" unit, a crack team of law enforcement that uses "Precogs" to "see" offenses before they are committed. These "crimes" are stopped before they actually happen, but the "criminals" are incarcerated anyway, their memories erased as they await freedom after a 100 year sentence in a virtual purgatory. But when this supposed "foolproof" system convicts Anderton himself of a precrime, he's on the run and on the lam, plunged into a Kafka-esque nightmare that only turns up more questions than answers. Go, Tom, go!

In the tradition of Spielberg's recent A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Cruise's Vanilla Sky, Minority Report is easily the pair's most polarizing work. It's a heady mix of sci-fi, action and hard-boiled tech noir that some loved, others hated (and like A.I., almost all agreed was too damn long). Critics swooned, but perhaps the film was just too intellectual and lacking in the requisite Spielberg thrills to connect with the cultural mainstream. Here's a film that is less about action than it is about ideas: by turns exhilarating and frustrating, it was the seemingly perfect match between Spielberg the moneymaking machine and Cruise's camera-friendly mug. But so consistent with the new "adult" Spielberg, he seems to want to betray his instincts to appease the masses by shifting tonal gears throughout, and flirting but never fully committing to his dark side. It's a mishmash that, while incredibly stimulating, never coalesces into a complete, emotional whole.

It's tough to deny Minority Report's gangbuster opening, as we tag along with Anderton as he logs in another "Precrime." It's as exciting a sequence as Spielberg has ever committed to celluloid. The film's next hour is almost as good, which only ups the expectations: How long had it been since I was this excited about where a movie was going to go? Spielberg's innate cinematic gifts are ably on display - he tightens the screws and dazzles us with his cinematic virtuosity, every sequence a masterpiece of composition, lighting, design and editing. While Cruise doesn't transcend his image or stretch his range, he does make the perfect Anderton - too cocky but so charismatic you can't blame him for being such a putz. Then, unfortunately, like so many recent Spielberg flicks that give great concept but lack a coherent, well- plotted screenplay, the film loses its way with so many climaxes on top of climaxes that you wonder if anyone even knew how this film was going to end when production began. Messy.

I don't want to spoil any of this film's considerable surprises by revealing the answers to its many secrets and plot twists. Suffice it to say that it seems Spielberg is leading us to a more ambiguous if ultimately optimistic conclusion than he is known for, and is asking all the right questions. Is the inevitability of crime worth the price tag in a free society? Does the need for safety and security for the many outweigh the freedom of criminal? Can even a "foolproof" system such as Precrime ever really be safe from corruption? Fascinating stuff, and the visual world Spielberg has created (with the help of a "think tank" of leading visionaries that only a filmmaker of his stature could command) actually enhances the film's substance instead of overwhelming it. But then he pulls back from making a real statement on the issue - he knows what his answers are, but refuses to come out and actually tell us. Now pushing sixty, even after Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, even after months and months of proclaiming Minority Report would be his "darkest" film ever, Spielberg seems unable to confront a future that is not black and white, that is without easy heroes and villains.

It isn't just a case of the audience wanting too much; we aren't even given enough information to figure out what Spielberg and scenarists Scott Frank and Jon Cohen are trying to say. Gone is the emotional and intellectual context of the film's terrific first two-thirds, instead replaced by a series of phony noir-ish double-crosses that come off as nothing more than a second-rate rehash of The Fugitive. Rather than give us the real payoff both we and he deserve, Spielberg uses plot to distract. The fairy-tale ending is incredibly frustrating, a ludicrous final act creepy in its reduction of the film's tough questions to the notion that the answer lies in the simple supplanting of grief by reproduction. That the film goes on and on is less of a problem than the fact that Spielberg is pulling his punch; there is no way this story would ever resolve itself like it does, even in such a fantastical cinematic future. Yes, it's an allegory, but allegories eventually have to own up to what they are trying to say. More than just a letdown, it is almost a betrayal of the film's very ideas.

I'd love to see Mr. Spielberg take a real risk and follow-through on his newfound willing to embrace "adult" subject matter; but not since his first theatrical feature The Sugarland Express has he ever had the courage to truly embrace an ambiguous viewpoint. Minority Report would have been a classic had he followed through on the ideas set up early on. As it stands, it is still a fascinating, daring experiment from two of today's leading Hollywood icons. You may not like it, but you have to see it - so rare in these days of prefabricated product, it will actually make you think. And for that, I am grateful.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Challenging questions and artistic choices aside, Minority Report is a tremendously exciting cinematic experience, if only due to the fact that this is the first time one of our generation's most accomplished visual stylists has worked in true widescreen dimensions in over a decade (since 1991's Hook). Shot in Super35 by Spielberg's longtime director of photography Janusz Kaminski, it's a beauty to behold, although the film's visual look incited almost as many detractors as the film itself. Its look is indeed harsh, with Kaminski trying to jump through as many celluloid hoops as possible - from overprocessing to "bypass bleaching," this film is like a trying to get your eye to follow one of those Cirque du Soleil contortionists. Some hate it, but for me the sheer act of looking at Minority Report is a total gas.

Presented here in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (a separate pan & scan version is also available, but with Spielberg finally doing a real widescreen movie in over a decade, why spoil the fun?) this is about as good as a non-high def transfer of this film is going to look. The print is indeed "pristine," but it has been so processed that it is full of intentional "defects" typically reserved for the reject bin. The opening sequence is a good example. Kaminski and Spielberg have so blown out the whites that contrast looks totally out of whack. Using film stocks geared towards low-light filming, and often "pushed" to bump up contrast, grain is often noticeable and very thick. Colors are also intentionally processed giving the film a very bluish cast and fleshtones occasionally a bit off.

Visual excesses aside, this is a actually a very fine transfer. Blacks are perfect, and the transfer retains a consistency many found lacking in Spielberg's A.I. DVD earlier this year. It has a film-like appearance that is sometimes three-dimensional, and there is no "bad" video processing, such as edge enhancement. Oddly, the darkest scenes fared best for me aside from the frequent shots that suffered from the heavy grain: the daylight exteriors often look intentionally pale and bland, versus some of the more colorful interiors, such as Anderton's apartment, which have a less severe look that is really quite cool. Since the long feature (146 minutes) is given a dual-layer disc all its own, there are no compression artifacts. Love it or hate it, this DVD presents Minority Report in fine fashion, a look that is true to its original intended visual design.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

Wow! The transfer will likely incite debate, but I doubt anyone will be disappointed by this soundtrack! Featuring both Dolby Digital Surrouned EX and DTS ES surround options, it's a stunner either way you go. This is one aggressive mix, easily the best Spielberg movie soundtrack next to Saving Private Ryan. While the action scenes shine the brightest, this is an aggressive mix throughout - surrounds are almost constantly engaged, from the noticeable discrete effects to subtle ambiance. Dynamic range is up there with the best of them, with a very wide and spacious front soundstage. The usual John Williams score is nicely deployed to all five channels, with often 360-degree panning effects clearly audible. The .1 LFE is a real powerhouse, and this is exactly the type of film that should be played loud. Don't wimp out and forget to crank it up!

For once, I noticed a fairly substantial difference between the DTS and Dolby Digital tracks. The DTS was the clear winner for me, offering slight to considerable improvements over the Dolby Digital. Highs sound fuller and more alive, with more transparent imaging, especially on front-to-back pans and "whooshes" between the rear speakers. Low end also packs more punch, adding greatly to an already very alive soundtrack. While the Dolby Digital track is very good in its own right, in this case go with the DTS for sure.

Also included is an optional English 2.0 Surround track plus English captions for the hearing impaired encoded as subtitles, although there is no true English Closed Captioning.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Another spiffy two- disc set from DreamWorks, Minority Report is a typically classy affair from the house that Spielberg built. I've always thought that the studio has produced some the best menus around, and this is no exception. Perfectly in keeping with the look and theme of the film, all are easy to navigate but still visually interesting. And in what may be a first for the studio, all the video-based extras were produced on high-definition video and are presented here in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. They look great and match the cinematic feel of the feature. DreamWorks has also included French and Spanish subtitles on all the extras except the still galleries and the trailers; alas no English subtitles or captions are provided. Weird.

With disc one reserved entirely for the feature, all the supplements are on disc two. I often feel guilty being such a spoilsport, but in a way the back packaging for this set feels a bit deceiving. Really one long 90- minute documentary produced by longtime Spielberg collaborator Laurent Bouzereau, his work has been cut up into so many different parts it might look more complex than it really is. That's not to say that, all told, this is not a comprehensive, impeccably produced making-of, just that it can't quite compare to so many of today's mega-packed DVDs with commentaries, deleted footage, etc. It also works much better if you just hit the "Play All" feature, sit down and pop the popcorn, and save yourself all that button clicking....

Let's start with, appropriately enough, From Story to Screen. "The Story - The Debate" (9:32) offers a look at the long gestation period for this sci-fi epic. It is no secret this one was in development hell for years, and despite Spielberg and Cruise wanting to work together for over a decade, I guess it's just tough getting two big superstars together at the right time to make it happen. Co-scripter Scott Frank also offers a bit on the development of the story and the basis for the "Precrime" concept. Another 9 minutes is devoted to "The Players" (9:28), a visit with the main cast including a scruffy-looking Cruise, the amazing Samantha Morton (with more hair this time), Max Von Sydow (finally looking like Father Merrin thirty years later), Kathryn Morris, and Hollywood's current "It" actor Colin Ferrell. Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing vignette for me, as I just wanted more. Everyone raves about Spielberg as usual, and doesn't anyone ever get into an argument with this man?

Up next is perhaps the most substantial of the sections, Deconstructing Minority Report. Here, we get a visually engaging look at the creation of the future world and the nitty gritty of the production. "The World of Minority Report" (9:18) is quite fascinating, as Spielberg commanded a crack team of leading futurists to come up with a plausible if still fantastic possible future, expertly visualized by a production team including Kaminski, production designer Alex McDowell, costume designer Deborah Scott, set designer Anne Kuljian and art director Ramsey Avery. It's certainly Spielberg's darkest and grittiest work in look and tone if not spirit, and this is a cool little look at how it was done. "Precrime and Precogs" (8:18) offers a bit more of an in-depth look at three facets of the production: McDowell explains how the "Precog pool" was created; Scott shares the secrets of the precogs from concept to final execution; and Spielberg himself, fittingly, gives us a tour of the film's many gadgets.

Next up in the "Deconstructing Minority Report" section is a bunch of short vignettes on more specific aspects of the film. Spielberg gives us more precog fun with "Precog Visions" (4:49), a look at those creepy dreamlike sequences, including the disturbing murder sequence. Watch Spielberg the visual stylist explain how it's done (he is indeed the master). "The Vehicles of Minority Report" (5:08) is quite fun, a look at the sleek hovercraft and other cool stuff with vehicle designer Harald Belker, plus some thoughts from sound designer Gary Rydstrom on how to make them all sound so cool. Kaminski, McDowell and composer John Williams then discuss "The Spyder Sequence" (5:37), one of the most acclaimed action scenes in the film. Aren't those little buggers just so cute...and menacing?

Rounding out this section are three vignettes on The Stunts of Minority Report, each nearly 3 minutes. "The MagLev Escape" (2:57) hangs up poor Cruise in wires; "The Hoverpack Chase" (2:56) takes us to a special set rigged to throw the actors in all directions; and producer Bonnie Curtis hosts "The Car Factory" (2:44), which twists human pretzel Tom into even more odd shapes. Fun!

Even after all that abuse, Mr. Cruise was nice enough to provide a new intro (4:36) to ILM and Minority Report, this doc's final section and all about - you guessed it! - the magic of Industrial Light & Magic. Perhaps the most unique visual conceit of the entire film is the Precrime "hologram" effects, which involves the complex use of multiple takes, green screen and computer animation to make it all work. "Hologram" (3:06) features CG supervisor Barry Armour explaining the trick, then "Hall of Containment" (3:11) offers more blue-screen trickery required for that eerie sequence. "Hovercraft & Hoverpacks" (3:06) is a kinda neat look at the integration of real-life crafts and models into all the artificial CGI backgrounds, plus the addition of post-effects to simulate heat and motion. Last but not least is "CyberParlor" (1:53), a look at the sequence and its inventive use of background "scan plates."

Rounding up our documentary trip is 4 more minutes with Spielberg and Cruise in Final Report. Yes, dry your eyes kiddies, it's time to say good-bye. As with A.I., Spielberg sure knows how to wrap things up eloquently. Still "finding himself" after 20-odd films and billions in box office, he's still pushing himself. More power to him.

Now let's take a look at this set's considerable Archives. Like the menus, these are nicely laid out, visually attractive and simple to use. I went through at least 200 images, just clicking, so I'm sure those really into conceptualization and design will have hours of fun with this. "Production Concepts" is an exhaustive look at everything from architecture to gadgets to vehicles, with twelve sections in all: "Precrime," "Hovership," "Hoversuit," "Spyder," "Pre-Cog," "Hall of Containment," "Cyberparlor," "Vehicles," "City Apartment," "Greenhouse Plants," "Roadway System," "Buildings and Architecture," and "Objects." Also included are three animated storyboard animatic sequences set to the film's score: "Maglev Sequence" (2:06), "Alley Chase" (3:35) and "The Car Factory" (3:16).

This section also includes four promos, including the acclaimed teaser and two full trailers (all in anamorphic widescreen), plus a promo for the Activision game. Also included are fairly extensive text production notes, and finally filmographies for the main cast and crew.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

Oddly enough given the success of the film's extensive theatrical website, no ROM extras have been included.

Parting Thoughts