Since its release in 2002, Minority Report has been one of my favorite movies, a summer blockbuster with a harder sci-fi bent that was actually about ideas and futuristic possibilities, rather than relying heavily on an elusive high concept and special effects.
Based on a Philip K. Dick short story, the script by Scott Frank was also fueled by a mystery and detective work, making it a much smarter, more fulfilling film than it could have been in the hands of a director besides Steven Spielberg. Oh, and Minority Report had the star power of Tom Cruise driving the whole thing. I’d argue this is one of the best movies he’s ever made, though he’s been on an impressive streak with the last two Mission: Impossible films, Jack Reacher and Edge of Tomorrow.
So I eyed FOX’s new Minority Report TV series suspiciously. It’s surely unfair to compare a TV show to a big-budget movie steered by Spielberg and Cruise, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but that invitation is made by using the name, brand and concept. But executive producer Max Borenstein and showrunner Kevin Falls have smartly not tried to remake the movie on a TV budget, instead expanding the concept by picking up 10 years from where the movie ended.
The pilot episode probably does a good enough job of explaining the overall concept that seeing the movie beforehand isn’t necessary (as it should be, since the show will have to stand on its own). Actually, there’s probably too much of an effort to explain the concept, resulting in some wooden expository dialogue among the lead characters early on.
But if you have seen Minority Report, there are plenty of rewarding references and callbacks that add to the enjoyment. The three precognitives who could see murders before they happened and thus drove the “Precrime” initiative to prevent those killings from taking place are all characters in this series. (Of course, they’re played by different actors, but since Samantha Morton’s Agatha was the only precog prominently featured in the film, the TV show can take advantage of that. Interestingly, the same actor who portrayed the precogs’ caretaker in the movie reprises that role for the series, which is kind of fun.)
At the end of the movie, the precogs were moved to a remote location where they could live safely and peacefully, but as the series begins, two of them — twins Dash and Arthur — have worked their way back into society. Dash (played by Stark Sands) tries to stop the murders he continues to see, which becomes the driving force for the show, while Arthur (Nick Zano) has used his gifts for significant personal gain. Agatha also figures into the series, and will play into later storylines and larger conspiracies, based on what we see in the pilot.
Dash doesn’t have the resources to prevent the murders from happening, but also can’t reveal himself, lest the government or other organizations try to seize him and use his abilities for their own means. So Dash gives what he has — sketches based on his visions — to homicide detective Lara Vega (Meagen Good) hoping she can help.
If I had one issue with the pilot, it’s how the show overly sexualizes Vega. Good is gorgeous, which can’t be avoided, but putting her in tight outfits that reveal cleavage (one lingering shot is borderline embarrassing) doesn’t do much service to her character. Nor does a gratuitous photo of Vega in a bikini that Dash happens to find. If it’s explained later on that she prefers to dress that way and perhaps doesn’t want to lose her femininity in her job, that would be one thing (even if it was a stretch). But if we’re continually reminded how attractive Vega is, it will be more difficult to take the show seriously.
The technology and futurist concepts shown in the movie were a big part of what made it so fun and memorable. (Think about the touch screens that we now see on our smartphones and tablets, for example.) Expecting a TV series to match the effects and design seen in a major Hollywood venture would be unrealistic, though the show tries a bit in that regard. References to drones and social media (Tinder!) seem a bit heavy-handed, and could make the show feel dated. (Hopefully, we’ve evolved past selfies by the year 2065.) It would be intriguing to see what the next step of those trends might be, but maybe that’s asking a bit much.
A TV series can’t be properly judged on one episode, especially a pilot that tries to shoehorn the show’s entire concept and cast of characters, while also setting up future storylines, into 45 minutes of content. But Minority Report demonstrates enough potential to be intriguing. Hopefully, the next few episodes can build on what’s already been established.
