It’s been awhile since I read [easyazon_link identifier=”140723093X” locale=”US” tag=”londonthoug-20″]Philip K Dick[/easyazon_link]’s story or watched [easyazon_link identifier=”B00A2FSXHK” locale=”US” tag=”londonthoug-20″]Tom Cruise[/easyazon_link]’s movie, but I do recall liking them both. It seems to me that the book was set in a slightly richer world. While PreCrime was kind of an experiment in the film, it appeared to be a well established fact of law enforcement in the story. I always had the feeling that every large city had its own PreCrime bureau. And if the Precog range is a hundred miles, then there should be a set of PreCogs every hundred miles.
In Fox’s Minority Report, we catch up with one of the Precogs as he tries his hand at a bit of PreCrime. He’s not having much luck, since he is the weakest of the three Precogs. While his brother and sister would get the full image and names and places, he just gets flashes. This means he needs some help. Which is how he ends up working with a policewoman. Together they track down people who are planning on committing crimes.
The Tv Show has lifted many of the best elements of Steven Spielberg’s film. The way Tom Cruise conducted the flow of data on a giant curved video screen and the way the Pregon could see just enough of the future to warn Tom to wait a few seconds before moving. Of course, the real drama of Minority Report saw the corruption of PreCrime and how it could be abused by those in positions of power. The hallmark of all Philip K Dick stories is the helplessness of his heroes as they struggle against insurmountable odds.
Fox’s Minority Report looks very good. Great special effects. Good looking actors. Based on the work of Philip K Dick and Steven Spielberg. If The Fox Broadcasting Company follows its usual pattern, this means the show will be canceled a few weeks after its premier.
Minority Report is not perfect. It’s basically a standard issue cop show with a special talent element. Much like Bones, Castle, and a couple of short lived shows from last year, Forever and Backstrom. It also has a lot of the look and feel of [easyazon_link identifier=”B00MMPB66I” locale=”US” tag=”londonthoug-20″]Almost Human[/easyazon_link], a pretty good sci-fi show that ended before it could find its footing.
If FOX could renew the [easyazon_link identifier=”B012D2WIDE” locale=”US” tag=”londonthoug-20″]Last Man on Earth[/easyazon_link], maybe Minority Report has a shot.
