Pretend, for a moment, that this movie does not star Tom Cruise (difficult, I know, but important if you want to actually enjoy the movie). Forget that there are creepy robotic spiders that crawl all over you and scan your retinas. And try, try, to not think about how awesome it was that I've met Colin Farrell and had his arm around me twice (see pictures below). If you let those things go, you’ll see the interesting part about this movie is the philosophy behind it.
The story is about John Anderton (Tom Cruise), a futuristic cop who works in the pre-crime division of the police department. Pre-crime is the division that uses prophetic, heavily medicated teenagers kept in some kind of liquid (aka pre-cogs) to foresee crimes that are about to happen. Sounds incredibly realistic, right?
Don’t worry, that’s not the really good stuff yet.
The good stuff starts when Colin Farrell appears (and not just because he’s hella hot). He is there to discover the flaws in the pre-crime system. Anderton assures him there are absolutely no flaws; the system is perfect. Farrell responds with one of my favorite quotes from the film, “I agree. If there is a flaw, it’s human…it always is.”
Shortly thereafter, the pre-cogs foresee a premeditated murder - by Anderton. He freaks out, runs away, and begins a journey to discover who he is going to kill and why. Questions hang over him: Do I have a choice in this? Is my future certain or can I choose to stop it? He begins to wonder if his system does have a flaw. And that is the theme of the film. Are the pre-cogs some kind of deity that determine what is going to happen or are they just foreseeing what could happen if it isn’t stopped? Do people have a choice in their actions?
All “free will” fans will appreciate the fact that this movie comes to the conclusion that people do have a choice. Nothing is determined; you can “change destiny” if you are strong enough. In one of the final scenes one character says:
“You see the dilemma don't you? If you don't kill me, pre-cogs were wrong and pre-crime is over. If you do kill me, you go away, but it proves the system works. The pre-cogs were right. So, what are you going to do now? …you know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to. You still have a choice…like I did.”
I love movies that make you think. Minority Report deals with the eternal question of free will vs. predestination. It even addresses the role of God in the debate by discussing the deification of the pre-cogs. While Tom Cruise is definitely not on my list of actors I want to see, I do appreciate the issues this film raises and I have seen it at least 4 times. Let’s get to talkin’ ‘bout these things!
I disagree. I feel like it's been done before (the thesis, I mean). 2001 gave you the technology vs. humans portion and Sliding Doors or Uncertainty gave you the choice part. Also, the last scene you described was too much like the one from Se7en. Ultimately, this movie leaves me wanting...
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