Don't Run, Stay (Minority Report (DVD))

Member Name: Bridgend boy

Product:	Minority Report (DVD)
Date:	15/07/02 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good tense story line, Great effects

Disadvantages: Tom Cruise

Those people who would have wanted to see this film will probably have already been to see it, therefore, this review is aimed at those who a) can’t stand Tom Cruise (an attitude to which I am fairly sympathetic) or b) can’t stand all this sci-fi nonsense (an attitude to which my wife is very sympathetic).

Having just re-read that first paragraph, I can’t believe that we’ve actually seen the film ourselves. Ah… the joys of compromise. That’s what a strong marriage is built on apparently. I love sci-fi and can take or leave Tom Cruise, my wife on the other hand, can’t stand sci-fi or Tome Cruise! However, as I was paying and we took my car, I got to choose.

Anyway, back to the review.

The film is based on the premise that murders can be foreseen by three gifted individuals, who supply a special police unit with the date and time of the murder along with the names of both the victim and the murderer. It is at this point that our Tom, leaping into action, dons some rather snazzy gloves (presumably donated by Michael Jackson) and attempts to guide a recently landed plane into its allocated airport bay. Actually, I may have that wrong, but that’s what it looks like.

Once the location of the murder has been determined by our brainy hero, the whole manly team leap into a futuristic plane and, rather unnecessarily I thought, smash through the roof and windows of the location, jump on the murderer and arrest him.

All very well and good you may think. But so did our Tom, until the psychics predicted him murdering someone he hadn’t even met. That put him into a bit of a lather I can tell you. This is actually where the film starts to get good. Naturally our toothy hero, runs from his own colleagues and tries to clear his name, putting him in a rather tricky position. If he does manage to prove the system wrong, he’s effectively out of a job and has potentially arrested hu
ndreds of innocent men and if he does kill someone, he’ll go to jail forever. Nasty!

Anyway, the film barrels along at a cracking pace from here on in, and is actually more of a tense thriller which just happens to be set in the future than a sci-fi, action movie.

Tom puts in his usual safe performance, as do his co-stars. The films best performance comes from a plastic surgeon who agrees to give Tom an eye transplant (just go and see it!). Peter Stormare who also played the Russian cosmonaut from Armageddon and stole the show there as well plays this part.

All in all, the film is well worth seeing. As I said above, not so much sci-fi as tense thriller set in the future. There are some nice twists in the plot, the special effects are eye-popping (aren’t they always these days?) and I can think of worse ways to spend a fiver and a few spare hours. If you’ve seen Attack of the Clones and don’t fancy Scooby Doo, then choose this.

Summary: