Minority Report was released in theaters on June 21st 2002.
Minority Report, Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise, came out in theaters 20 years ago today. Set in Washington DC in 2054, Cruise plays John Anderton. He is the chief of the “Department of Precrime,” which employs the abilities of three clairvoyant humans, called ‘Precogs,’ to predict and prevent homicides. On the verge of taking the highly successful program nationwide, Anderton finds himself at the center of a murder investigation.
In the long line of classic Spielberg films, this 2002 film based on the Philip K. Dick story of the same name often goes overlooked. But the truth is this Minority Report is just as exciting as Cruise’s recent action hits like Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission Impossible sequels. It deftly blends classic mystery elements with science fiction and action. Colin Farrell joins Cruise as Danny Witwer. He is an agent of the Department of Justice who is suspicious of the ethics and methods behind Precrime and heads the investigation against Anderton. It also stars Samantha Morton as Agatha, one of the Precogs, and Max von Sydow.
Minority Report asks important questions about fate and free will.
The film also questions the role of law enforcement in daily life. At one point, Anderton’s partner even says, “We’re more like clergy than cops.” Moreover, some of the technology depicted in the film would continue to exist in real life, like retinal scans being used in identification and ad targeting. One fan even recreated the motion-controlled display interface Cruise uses in the film on Xbox Kinect. Simply put, this film represents one of the most prolific directors of all time and one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men firing on all cylinders. So if you’re looking for a fun, thrilling sci-fi action movie, Minority Report still holds up!
