Minority Report (2002) DVD Review – UK

In the future the police can detect murder before it occurs. Prepare for a visit from the Pre-Crime unit headed by Chief John Anderton - that is until he becomes wanted for a future murder himself.

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In the future the police can detect murder before it occurs. Prepare for a visit from the Pre-Crime unit headed by Chief John Anderton - that is until he becomes wanted for a future murder himself.

Runtime

2 Hours 19 Minutes

BBFC rating

Region

Region 2

Sound

Dolby Digital 5.1

Aspect

2.35:1

Release year

2002

Details

The year is 2054 and for the past six years Washington D.C. has been murder free. This is all thanks to three unique and genetically modified clairvoyants who can see where and when a murder is going to be committed. Once the perpetrator is identified the Pre-Crime squad, headed by Chief John Anderton, is dispatched to intercept and detain them before the crime is carried out. It all works exceedingly well, the system is flawless and there are plans to roll it out nationwide.

When the clairvoyants identify that another murder is going to be committed in the city, John Anderton springs into action and heads to the control room to make sense of their visual information. However, John is in for a shock when the images he sees are of himself killing a man he has never met and in a place he has never been before. Surely this infallible system is wrong and he isn't really going to commit a murder? Fortunately, he still has friends within the organisation and they allow him a small amount of time to escape before the alarm is raised.

John is going to need to utilise all of the tricks of the criminal underworld, including a drastic surgical procedure, to avoid detection from the Pre-Crime squad and the vast resources at their disposal. With the net closing in around him, the clues begin to indicate a conspiracy to cover up a "minority report" which will cast doubt on the whole project. He has just 36 hours to discover who set him up before the system he helped to create puts him behind bars.

Picture & Sound

The picture transfer is near perfect with a high bit-rate throughout the film and no signs of artifacting. Due to the blue bleaching process it would be hard to describe it as a wonderfully rich and colourful picture, but the detail is superb and whatever colours are allowed to bleed through are well defined, vibrant and free from edge enhancement or outlining. This bleaching method also seems to help the special effects. Whilst many recent big budget films have relied too heavily on CGI, Minority Report seems to get the balance just right and, when it is used, it blends in perfectly with the surrounding scenery. Is this the Spielberg touch at work again?

The sound is excellent with near continuous use of the surround channels, so much so that after a while you actually forget you're enveloped in total sound. The dialogue is crisp and clear in the centre channel and, with the action happening all around you, there is never a need to adjust the volume either to hear the dialogue or to keep the neighbours happy. The LFE channel is also not neglected, with plenty of low thumping bass to clear off the cobwebs. It is just what an action film should sound like. There is little to separate the two sound formats, but the superior separation offered by the DTS soundtrack will always get my vote of approval.

Menu & Extras

The menu system is wonderfully animated and scored with the same dark theme seen in the film, and each submenu is either scored, animated, or both. With the film's long running time and its dual Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, the extras have found themselves on their own disc. And what a vast and interesting collection they are too, with the section on the wizardry of ILM being my personal favourite.

Naturally, with Steven Spielberg at the helm, the extras are detailed, interesting and, unlike some DVD releases, do not feel like padding material. Also included are Production Notes, a Stills Gallery and Theatrical Trailers. It is just a shame that Mr. Spielberg once again fails to deliver an audio commentary, but the collection of extras presented here more than makes up for its omission.

Overall

What a brilliant and dark vision of the near future this film is. It is a definite nod to that classic, and Spielberg favourite, Blade Runner, albeit with some subtle comedy moments that only he would dare to add. Whilst the idea of people seeing future crimes is a little far-fetched to say the least, this film is a futurist's dream and so much of it feels like a tantalising near reality. There are 3D holographic televisions, retina scanners for identification, tiny in-the-ear telephones, dynamically updating newspapers and the most amusing - and rather worrying - idea of personalised holographic advertising. Every street and shop greets you with its own special offers and reminders. The horror of things to come perhaps?

Mind you, predicting future crime would certainly come in handy in these modern times. Unless, of course, you are the notorious motorist criminal exceeding the speed limit by 1mph or parked on double yellow lines while posting a letter. Any help in preventing the never-ending rise in crime would certainly be welcome. But I guess that is one futurist's dream too many - although any help in picking the winning lottery numbers would be equally appreciated.

As for the film itself, it was certainly overlooked at the cinema and hopefully that will be rectified on DVD. Whilst there was wide-ranging criticism of Minority Report, it still has to be rated as one of Spielberg's finest efforts. This is not a film full of puppies, fluffy kittens and an easy ride to the credits, but rather a dark and intelligent analysis of both the present and the future. Perhaps that was its theatrical downfall, as people may simply have been expecting a no-brainer action flick. Do yourself a favour and get, in my humble opinion at least, one of the films of 2002 on DVD.