Steven Spielberg is without doubt one of the greatest film directors the world has ever seen. Sure, his films may always be blatantly mainstream, but that doesn't mean he can't be considered a great director. When you take into consideration the films that he's made, you can't help but respect Spielberg for his achievements and talent. Not only is there clear artistic merit in each one of his movies – indicative of his experience and skill – but each movie is exceedingly entertaining, catering for all audiences and hence making each one a hit with the general populace.<br /><br />Spielberg has the infallible ability to combine mainstream with art when it comes to the medium of film, and this is the one quality which distinguishes him from other directors; and as mentioned above, it's also the reason why his movies are so popular and why he is so highly regarded as a director. Twenty years after he first started out as a totally unknown figure, Spielberg entered the new millennium as one of the most influential figures in history, and continues to make top-notch movies with his winning formula – Minority Report continues this streak.<br /><br />Spielberg returns to the genre of science-fiction (after the 1990's saw no films of the like coming from him) with Minority Report. It's perhaps the most intelligent sci-fi movie of the decade in fact, and it adapts the same principle that all of Spielberg's movies operate on. There's the artistic and technical side of the movie – the brilliant screenplay, the outstanding visuals, the powerful themes – and the entertainment factor – dozens of chase sequences, futuristic weapons and the like – and as a result we get a highly original movie, and one that also boasts the high IQ of the Pre-Cogs.<br /><br />Who are the Pre-Cogs? They're psychic beings who have can foresee the future. It's the year 2054, and the United States government has set up a department called PreCrime, which utilises these Pre-Cogs to predict murders before they even happen, hence their name. The names, victims and times of the murders are provided by the Pre-Cogs to the PreCrime agents, and they intervene and prevent these murders before they actually occur. As a result, the homicide rate drops to 0%, and PreCrime becomes the most groundbreaking government action in United States history.<br /><br />In Minority Report, Tom Cruise shows he is an ideal lead in an action film, and here he plays one of PreCrime's agents, John Anderton. He's as good as ever as he dodges futuristic weapons (including a 'sick-stick' which makes one vomit on cue, incapacitating targets in the weirdest way), jumps on the roofs of moving cars and sets out to clear his name. The story is that the Pre-Cogs have named his as the next person to commit a murder, and in four days he'll murder a man he doesn't even know. Naturally, as it's part of PreCrime's duty to apprehend murderers before they even murder, Anderton is immediately made a fugitive, and he goes on the run. Speaking of fugitives, Minority Report is like the 90's film The Fugitive, except set over 50 years in the future with a newer, classier plot, and off course with a totally different look.<br /><br />Minority Report has a totally unique visual style. Shots were overlit and colours were desaturated in the post-production process, resulting in predominantly blue shading in some scenes, noticeable brightness in others and even a high-contrast film noir in select scenes. On top of this is perhaps some of the finest art and set decoration I've ever seen. The film imagines Washington D.C. 50 years from now, and that very prediction of our lifestyle is ambitious indeed; cars which drive themselves, home appliances which operate on voice command, holograms and highways which even run vertically – the most wild and imaginative concepts are placed together into one single movie, and even though it eventually builds to disappointing level of cynicism and implausibility, it's still wonderful to look at and experience. Suspension of disbelief comes into full swing in Minority Report – as do all of Spielberg's movies – and is what makes the movie so, so entertaining.<br /><br />The 140 minutes zoom by in a flash as John fights for survival and at the same time fights to clear his name, and his journey of endurance eventually turns into a test of redemption and revenge as the film's revelations unfold to the audience. Minority Report is heavy-laden with the aforesaid themes, and make the movie a visceral and thought-provoking experience, on top of the high enjoyment level we are subjected to. The only problem with Minority Report is that there are so many themes, ideas and concepts that the film offers that it becomes a chore to sit through; on top of this are the film's revelations, which are both extremely satisfying and extremely confusing at the same time. The screenplay is unexpectedly complex, up to the point where it takes a while to figure out why someone's doing that, or why something happened. Thankfully, it's a fault that's easily overcome, and fails to undermine the film's superiority substantially.<br /><br />Minority Report is definitely not Steven Spielberg's best film, or even one of his best movies; that said it's far off from being one of his worst films either. It's a fine film to add to his CV and a fine film in itself; Minority Report is the most intelligent science-fiction film of the 2000's, and its ability to be artistically beautiful coincides with its ability to entertain and enthral without any conflict or imperfections. This is what makes Minority Report so successful and so good, and is what makes the movie worth checking out, not the film's synopsis as one would normally do. Do yourself a favour, and see the film for its art and intelligence for a change.<br /><br />8.5/10