Minority Report

By EWAN McDONALD

(Herald rating: * * * * )

You gotta feel a little twinge for Tom Cruise. He was always going to be painted as the bad guy in the divorce, especially since so many of the women's mags have Aussie connections. Then he makes one of last year's better movies and what does he get? Four months in New Plymouth.

Working together for the first time, Cruise and Steven Spielberg chose a short story by Philip K. Dick, whose works have been translated into Blade Runner and Total Recall.

It's 2054 and Washington DC is peaceful. Murder is
obsolete because the Department of Pre-Crime spots murders before they happen and arrests the would-be killers.

Head of operations is Detective John Anderton (Cruise) who uses information from three "precognates" (floating bodies who can predict the crimes).

Perhaps you should fast-forward through the first 20 minutes: it's full of technical jargon and special effects which are almost certain to put you off. Stop at the point when Detective Ed Witwer (Colin Farrell) shows up to shut down the department before it goes nationwide.

When he analyses data
from the precognates, Witwer realises that Anderton is about to murder. The supercop is forced to go on the run and prove his innocence.

On either side of the camera, Cruise and Spielberg are on top form. The result is a thrilling old-fashioned manhunt movie and a fascinating and imaginative piece of science fiction with great effects.

The DVD offers solid but unspectacular background, with Spielberg's noted distaste for the medium meaning no commentary and few meaningful extras.

* DVD, rental video: January 22

DVD features: movie (146min); four making-of
features; discussion with
Spielberg and Cruise; production concepts; stills gallery;
storyboard sequences; trailers; cast and film-maker biographies; production notes; booklet.