Minority Report
Developed by:
Max Borenstein
2015-
Drama, Sci-Fi
Fox
TV-14
Whenever a film is adapted into a TV show, two questions arise: Will the story work week after week and year after year? And will the production values hold up under the scrutiny? “Minority Report,” a new entry in Fox’s fall lineup, answers those questions with a maybe.
This TV adaptation of Steven Spielberg’s masterful film and of Philip K. Dick’s short story is a sequel of sorts. For starters, we’re still in future Washington, D.C. In this show, D.C. looks more like something out of “Back to the Future Part II” than like anything in its film inspiration. At this point in the timeline, Precrime has been has been abolished. (Precrime is when cops arrest murder suspects before they commit the crime.) The three psychic mutant siblings (the Precogs) introduced in the film, Agatha, Arthur, and Dash, who were at the heart of the Precrime program, have gone into hiding. They don’t want to be taken by the government again. Dash (Stark Sands), the weakest of the three Precogs, has different ideas, though. He wants to use his visions to help people. But he finds little success. None, actually.
Similarly, Detective Lara Vega (Meagan Good) is struggling to solve cases and stop murders. While she uses the advanced technology at her disposal, which is a low-scale version of the film’s, and seems sharp as a tack (she wears a red leather jacket, after all), she can’t outdo the efforts of her rival, Detective Will Blake (Wilmer Valderrama). Of course, all of this will start to change once she teams up with Dash, who has his own difficulty with handling Arthur (Nick Zano), his twin brother. Arthur has set himself up as a rich, sharp playboy. He oozes sarcasm. Dash isn’t even close to being as sure of himself. Arthur wants Dash to come back to living with him and Agatha. Arthur knows that Agatha’s having troubling visions, but Dash is unaware. I won’t tell you what those visions are, but you can probably guess.
In its first episode, “Minority Report” sets up the backstory of Lara and Dash and creates a reason for the two of them to have to work together. A similar thing happened at the beginning of “Sleepy Hollow,” another Fox property, which this show echoes. Also, like “Sleepy Hollow,” the two leads are a white male and a black female. Just sayin’. So, is this merely déjà vu? No. “Sleepy Hollow” is all about bringing the crazy, which, while imperfect, helps it to inject some life into the standard procedural. Outside of Wally the Caretaker (Daniel London), a character who was first introduced in the film, “Minority Report” can’t say the same. Unlike in the film, the main characters in this television adaptation are the chasers, not the chased. A big part of the success of the film is that the main character, played by Tom Cruise, is being chased. By extension, the audience is being chased along with him. That’s the hook. There’s no hook to be found here. Well, at least, not yet. That’s why there’s little suspense in this show. It’s just not compelling, which makes it hard to care about the characters.
Despite that, “Minority Report” isn’t a complete failure. Sands and Good work well together. Their timing’s right, which, admittedly, might be hard to tell because of the material they’ve been given. (This material would be serviceable for a standard procedural, but this kind of show requires much more.) Another positive is that, occasionally, there’s a sense of humor on display, which isn’t unwelcome. However, neither those positive notes nor the futuristic setting can make the procedural parts of this show come alive. As it is, its writing is limited, and it pales in comparison to the film.
Verdict: OK
About: (Source: minority report)
Based on the international blockbuster film by executive producer Steven Spielberg and the first of his films to be adapted for television, MINORITY REPORT follows the unlikely partnership between a man haunted by the future and a cop haunted by her past, as they race to stop the worst crimes of the year 2065 before they happen.
Set in Washington, D.C., it is 10 years after the demise of Precrime, a law enforcement agency tasked with identifying and eliminating criminals…before their crimes were committed. To carry out this brand of justice, the agency used three precogs – “precognitives” Dash, Arthur and Agatha – who were able to see the future. Now, in 2065, crime-solving is different, and justice leans more on sophisticated and trusted technology than on the instincts of the precogs.
Precog DASH (Stark Sands, “Inside Llewyn Davis”) – driven by his terrifying, but fragmented visions – now has returned in secret to help a brash, but shrewd, police detective, LARA vega (Meagan Good, “Think Like A Man” franchise, “Californication”), attempt to stop the murders that he predicts.
As they navigate this future America, they will search for Dash’s missing twin brother, ARTHUR, and elude others who will stop at nothing to exploit their precog abilities. Also complicating matters is Dash and Arthur’s ingenious, but reclusive, foster sister, AGATHA (Laura Regan, “Mad Men,” “Unbreakable”), who just wants Dash to return home.
A drama of crime and conspiracy, this is a timeless story of connection: two lost souls, Dash and vega, who find friendship, purpose and redemption in each other.
