ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

One heck of an energetic sci-fi action/adventure from Tom Cruise, with some strange and wonderful concepts driving the plot.

The first time I saw it, however, I really disliked the way the photography was deliberately pale and washed out, with very little color. It just seemed annoying, rather than atmospheric as intended.

My only complaint with the plot was that I never quite understood the reason the bad guy does what he does. Maybe it's something I sort of forget between viewings and then go, "Oh, right. Now I remember," the next time I see it.

But on the whole, this is a very entertaining movie.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Rocky Jones]

I liked pretty much everything about this one except the wacky ESP element. I kind of wished Spielberg had picked a somewhat more plausible futuristic story to film. I really liked the futuristic city and vehicles in it, though. I thought the low-saturation color tone style was kind of interesting, but not bothersome. The full body computer interface idea is probably the most influential aspect, though. Every so often in the tech news I see something referring to a "Minority Report"-style interface.

BTW, I understand there's going to be a TV series based on the film soon.

[Bud Brewster]

The movie was certainly packed with cutting-edge concepts and futuristic technology. Cruise has a great track record for making films with hi-tech elements, like the "Mission: Impossible" movies, and even "Knight and Day" (a great movie -- I love it!)
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Always loved how they did the holographic interface with the consoles at the police station.

This seemed so incredibly high tech & far beyond people pushing buttons. Way cool!

They used the same holo-consoles look for the revived V TV series in the alien ships. Loved it.

That nifty rifle that Tom sported was also fantastic. He had to kinda revolve the whole thing whenever he would take a shot. Appeared to be a concussive force weapon, I think.

[Gord Green]

This film always felt like Spielbergs version of BLADE RUNNER, but never quite getting it. Cruise was fine in it, but not as good as he was in ELYSIUM and EDGE OF TOMORROW.

[Bud Brewster]

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Did I hear somebody say, "Bud, please post the trailer for this great movie"?

No? Oh, well . . . too late now.

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____________ Minority Report (2002) - Trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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This IMDB item surprised me. It seems like an odd way to produce the high-contrast, low-color look the film . . . which I don't really like.
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Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski bleached the film's negative in post-production to create the desaturated colors.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

[Gord Green]

Sorry, that should be OBLIVION. Those one word titles all seem to run together!
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

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I like Oblivion better than Minority Report and Edge of Forever.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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One thing I really like about this movie was the Hitchcock man-on-the-run story, but with a twist.

In this story he was NOT being "falsely accused of a crime and had to find the real criminal", Cruise was actually guilty of a "future crime" and had to prove he could choose not to commit it.

Hitchcock would have love it!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[scotpens]

[The Spike]

The year is 2054 and the murder rate in Washington is zero, the reason? Three Pre-Cognitives (each named after a literary great) whose combined abilities witness murders before they actually occur. Apparently faultless, it's then something of a surprise to Pre-Crime chief John Anderton (Tom Cruise) when the Pre-Cogs predict he is to murder a man named Leo Crow. Forced to go on the run, and haunted by a family tragedy, Anderton must evade the system he so perfectly executed himself. Can he find a flaw? Or is he actually about to commit a murder?

Everybody Runs! That was the tag line that accompanied the explosive trailer for Steven Spielberg's, Tom Cruise starrer, Minority Report. This marketing tool indicated that the great bearded one had adapted from the Phillip K Dick short story and created an action monster? He hadn't, he had in fact created something far far better than popcorn fodder.

Minority Report was the next project for Spielberg following the equally dark and intriguing AI: Artificial Intelligence, both films serving to note that Spielberg was capable of thought provoking science fiction outside of the standard crowd pleasers that many critics love to decry. In fact, it's arguable that Spielberg may have hit his creative peak with Minority Report, for the messages and crawling dystopian bleakness on show paint a picture not so much as a future far away in our lives, but of one we live in now. Big thematic points of reference dot themselves throughout the piece. Such as the changing of eye balls, or that in these post 9/11 years we yearn, and always will, to be safer.

Here in this bleached shadowy world, a world of metallic tones and visual stings (ace cinematographer Janusz Kaminski on duty), we are safe under Pre-Crime. Yet still it's a world without soul, it has no heart, it's almost as if inhuman in itself, suggesting that the World's problems are not easily vanquished by technology - a total sacrifice of the World's inhabitant's souls. Spielberg of course is well served by the supreme professionals he has at his disposal, he has also managed to garner a great performance from Tom Cruise, something that critic and fan favourite directors have not managed to do previously. Believable grief, action work as strong as ever, it is however with his ability to imbue a tortured film noir protagonist where Cruise excels the most.

Alongside Cruise and operating with great impact are Samantha Morton as Pre-Cog Agatha and Max Von Sydow, the latter adding that touch of experienced know how needed for his particularly important character. The odd casting choice appeared to be Colin Farrell as the meddling, almost vindictive Danny Witwer, but he plays well off of Cruise, this even if he veers dangerously close to comic book villainy at times (check out a holy smoke Batman scene). What action there is is first rate, from a jet back pack pursuit, to car jumping heroics, the sequences are crafted with Spielberg's deft eye for an action sequence. While the sick sticks (yes you read right) metal spiders and a brilliant Peter Stormare cameo should hopefully have you squirming and grinning in equal measure.

Which brings us to the finale, an ending that may not be a complete surprise (yet it still doesn't cop-out in context to Anderton's tragedy), but things are rounded off in true classic noir tradition, where it closes down a thinking man's tech-noir. Superb. 9/10
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The quality of mercy is not strnen.

[Gord Green]

Unfortunately the TV series taken from this did not do so well. The concept of "future crime" sounds too much like the so called "Red Alert" idea floated lately as a means of gun control....Where you can affect an individuals rights based on what they "might do" rather than on what they actually do. A bit of a slippery slope!
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]