"Minority Report" - Privacy concerns of twenty years ago hit harder now
Minority Report is an underrated Spielberg movie and an all around creative thriller with plenty of enjoyable moments. Tom Cruise is great as always given the passion he has for performances and putting his all into the project. Conceptually the core idea behind the precogs and the conspiracy that unfolds is strong, keeping your interest the whole way through.
This is unabashedly a 2002 movie. Spielberg has never shied away from using the latest industry tech in his movies, so it’s no surprise that he utilized so much CGI and green screens in Minority Report. You can see through it for the most part but it’s nothing that makes it unwatchable. Personally, I think the movie is kind of gross looking because of the harsh white lights and constant bloom to give it a “futuristic” look. The visuals are the only part of this that I would consider to be notably bad.
Back in 2002, the lack of privacy the inhabitants of this world have probably hit way harder, giving this movie a dystopian feeling. In 2023, a lack of information privacy is so commonplace that this futuristic world feels a little too real and a little too close to being legitimately executed. Facebook 100% would utilize those Eye-dentificators to sell you random stuff.
Thankfully the story is interesting and the way the twists and plot beats unfold is entertaining and fun. There’s some action here and there and a good guest performance by Collin Farrell as well. Minority Report is certainly worth watching even if it’s not perfect, and I’d love to see more original thrillers like this get made with a bigger modern budget.
As a fan of Spielberg, I have to admit, I have never seen or heard of this movie in my life. I had to look up the trailer for this and I agree with you on that white light look. Steven is a very versatile director and visionary, but that color made it hard for me to get through the trailer. It's a hard pass for me, but at that time, filmmakers didn't have the technology we have currently. I just also love that a majority of films use that bright color as way to indicate the "future." Other than it's harsh look, it does have some well known actors in it. Like Tom Cruise, who typically plays the same character in anything he is in.
ReplyDelete"Minority Report" is 100% a hidden Spielberg gem, especially compared to many of his other notable works. The concept of precogs and the unraveling conspiracy is still just as attention catching all these years later. While the extensive use of CGI and green screens dont age as well as the rest of the movie, it doesn't detract from the overall viewing experience as some other films from the same decade do. Its portrayal of privacy concerns feels like it could be a commentary on today's technological world, and the absence of information privacy in our world makes this dystopian future unsettlingly close to reality. It's a testament to the film's foresight for sure.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I want to say that I love the setup of your blog. It is very eye catching. So, personally, I am not much of a television person, but growing up I always heard about Spielberg and his movies. This one seems quite interesting, and I may need to watch it. Though I not seen the movie, I am quite surprised to hear that CGI was used in 2002. With the advancements in technology since then, I wonder what a remake of the film would look like.
ReplyDeleteMinority Report is a great movie and I love it, though it should be noted that I am a sucker for Tom Cruise movies. While Minority Report is indeed a dystopia, I feel as though it struggles to speak to us to day. One thing about our world today is how much it tries to appeal to us individually. Yes we may lack privacy, but that is because we choose to use the internet services we do. And what do they do with this information? They try to sell us items tailored to our interest, wants, and desire. We may be living in a dystopia, but its more Brave New World than Minority Report.
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