*** Official "MINORITY REPORT" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Scott Weinberg]

I haven't checked it, but I think Toy Story 2 also got 100%...but we're getting off topic here.
Suffice to say that it's being met with much enthusiasm by the critics...for whatever that's worth...

 

[Peter Kim]

While watching the last showing of today, I got the nagging feeling that I saw an item elsewhere - the phone that Max von Sydow was wearing around his ear. It made its first appearance when Anderton's wife call's Sydow to let him know Anderton brought Agatha to their cottage. I shrugged off the suspicion, since there was so much product placement in this film, I thought it could've been something to do with that.
But then, toward the end, when Sydow gets a call from the resuscitated Anderton, during Sydow's award presentation, the phone makes another appearance. When he put on the phone again, it hit me - I have that phone!!
Well, it's not really a phone in real life - it's a Bang & Olufsen pair of headphones. In the movie, only one of the headphones is used, with the wires extending from the earbud cut off, to mimic a phone.
So, if you think that all of Spielberg's futuristic props are either CGI or custom built, think again. And, if you follow the link below, you can purchase a pair of these headphones and feel like you're in possession of a genuine Minority Report set piece.
Max von Sydow's telephone (Bang & Olufsen)

 

[Quentin]

Really? I didn't see any. Anderton is certainly flawed, but emotinal investment?
And, as for the supporting cast...no depth or flaws or anything! Well, I'll give Von Sydow an "overambitious" flaw. But, no motive for it.
I don't see the old Spielberg either. This is the NEW, more Kubrickian, Spielberg. It will be interesting watching what he brings us next.

 

[Ken Chan]

A few questions: first, how exactly does the Burgess know that simply setting up the guy in the highrise will put the plan in motion? Because the only reason Anderton kills him is because he's looking for him; the only reason he's looking for him is because Anderton kills him. (Or is this like one of your standard time travel paradoxes?)

Second, exactly why did he do it? He figured they would win the vote and go national, but he wanted to be in charge of it, so to keep himself in power, he sets up Anderton, which proves what?

The look of the film was OK, and there were quite a few clever things, but I also thought it flagged a bit in the end. Anyone think we'll have those automated cars driving people up and down the walls in fifty years?

//Ken

 

[Sam E. Torres]

This is the NEW, more Kubrickian, Spielberg. It will be interesting watching what he brings us next.

i have a feeling catch me if you can will not offer us any "alternative" spielberg, but an awesome film, nonetheless.
and for the record, i think minority report is an amazing film that exceeds on all levels. i was never bored with the film, i never once thought "hey that's a bad shot," and thank God, i never rolled my eyes at anything cheesy like i did when kelly did the gymnastics crap and kicked the raptor in the lost world. as for product placement, i think it was done in the spirit of the film, and not done as an obvious holding up of a pepsi bottle with a twinkle in the teeth fashion. and contrary to what a lot of people think on this board, i love when spielberg adds humor in unexpected places. so there you go, this film just offers everything i could have ever expected from spielberg. God bless stanley kubrick for instilling a solid inspiration in spielberg's new work. LOVED the classical music. did everyone catch cameron crowe and cameron diaz in the subway?
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Second, exactly why did he do it? He figured they would win the vote and go national, but he wanted to be in charge of it, so to keep himself in power, he sets up Anderton, which proves what?

Anderton learns that there is a missing file regarding the unsolved murder of Anne Lively. He lets Burgess know about this, and Burgess knows that Anderton will keep digging until he he finds the answer. It is at this time that Burgess puts into motion a plan to set up Anderton.

 

[Sarah Temple]

Minority Report is very very very amazing. If you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest you do. I wont give away any spoilers or anything, because its just so amazing. I thought the cinematography was beautifully done. Also, there is not one slow second in the whole movie. And when you think its over, its not. Its just so so so amazing. SEE IT!!!!

 

[Jarod M]

So people are complaining that Spielberg explained/spoonfed too much, and yet people STILL missed or didn't understand some of the explanation (it seems several people didn't catch this particular bit of exposition). Spielberg COULD have left more mystery to the story, but I don't think it detracts from the film that much that he didn't.

 

[Richard Kim]

Some random observations from the film. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
-I'm surprised that MR got away with a PG-13. There were some pretty disturbing scenes (like the first "pre-murder") and extracting eyeballs.
-About Colin Farrell's character. At first, he's skeptical about the whole pre-crime program, but when Anderton's on the run, he seems to accept it and uses it to try and catch him. Huh?
-The car factory sequence reminded me alot of the battle droid factory sequence in Attack of the Clones. Speilberg giving props to his buddy Lucas?
-It's explained that the reason why pre-cogs can predict murder and not other crimes is because of the damage to the human psyche the act causes to the perpetrator. They also say that there hasn't been a murder in 6 years. What about people who murder without remorse, like serial killers, or professional killers, like hitmen or assassins?
-What happens to the captured once they get that headgear put them? Are they put into hibernation or something? Why do they keep them this way? Did they do away with conventional prisons in the future?

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Richard,
I think the act of murder included the victim's response as well as they died.
And Wittwer is just being a gov't tool...he likes the program, and he wants in. Probably sees Anderton as a bit of a rival.
My take...
Chuck

 

[teapot2001]

Did they explain why the pre-cogs' predictions were limited to Washington D.C.?

~T

 

[Chuck C]

**be warned of SPOLIERs**
I noticed that water was a huge symbol in this movie, but I'm still trying to figure out what it's a symbol of. Some people think "baptism" or "renewal", but that can't be it. Perhaps Spielberg meant it as "turmoil" and "danger" e.g. His son was kidnapped at a pool, John ducked in a bathtub during a tense scene, the skitzoid precogs were housed in a watery facility, it rained while John was carrying Agatha thru town before the murder of Leo Crow, Burgess murdered Anne in a lake, the very first scene looked like that guy killed his wife in a jacuzzi. However, how does that explain other "happy" scenes with water like John and Agatha meeting with his ex-wife in a home located on the coast or the very end with the precogs at the island ranch home??

 

[Patrick Sun]

I was rolling my eyeballs when John was able to use his old eyeball to get through the precrime doors leading to the precogs. Any normal level of security protocol would have shut down John's access to Precrime's doors.

The last shot reminded me of the last shot of "The Princess and the Warrior".

I did spot Cameron Crowe on the train (I kept thinking he looked a little like Geoffrey Rush, though), but didn't spot Cameron Diaz (what's with all of these Cameron cameos?).

 

[Holadem]

Great movie. I wish it had gone a little deeper into the ethics of the system. There is so much potential wasted there. At the same time, I am now thinking perhaps that was never the intent of the movie: with the personalised ads everywhere and the frequent ID checks, it seems that privacy has all but vanished in 2054. So while these questions might be raised in our heads today, no one in 2054 seems to give a flying shite.

--
Holadem

 

[Quentin]

What about the last shot of Anderton and Wife? I haven't stopped rolling my eyes at that one.

Unfortunately, this film gets worse the more you think about it. Quite the opposite of A.I.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I was rolling my eyeballs when John was able to use his old eyeball to get through the precrime doors leading to the precogs. Any normal level of security protocol would have shut down John's access to Precrime's doors.

Right. And that security was obviously subverted by the "insider" who was trying to frame John.

Brilliant movie.

- Steve

 

[Tim RH]

Unfortunately, this film gets worse the more you think about it. Quite the opposite of A.I.

I'd have to agree with you on this one. Minority Report may dazzle you on the first viewing, but I don't think it'll hold water on repeat viewings. A.I. is the opposite - it only gets better. But I am glad that they are two quite different "future" films from Spielberg. I'm anxious to see what he does with his next film (Catch Me If You Can).

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

Unfortunately, this film gets worse the more you think about it.

 

[Patrick Sun]

There was only one of John's eyes left to be re-placed if he wanted them back, the other one went down the drain.

 

[Mark Palermo]

I think the symbolic importance of John having an eye transplant is that he's forced to change his perception on the value of the precrime system. Thematically, it would make no sense to have his old eyes back after all he'd been through.


Mark