Minority Report

This masterfully sleek vision of the future from director Steven Spielberg is an awesome mix of skewed science fiction, twisty Hitchcock-style thrills, stunning blue-grey tinged photography and outstanding design, featuring a fantastic array of cool gadgetry. Set in 2054, when police use precognitive mutants to detect homicides before they're committed, the plot sees top "Pre-cop" Tom Cruise identified as a future killer and forced to go on the run. Well-judged commercial action requirements dovetail flawlessly with ingenious sophistication as Spielberg hurtles with artful swiftness through one spectacularly mounted suspense sequence after another - none better than the snooping robot spiders scuttling through a tenement slum to identify Cruise via his coded eyeballs. Adroitly realised by Spielberg to amaze and rivet in turn, this is what sci-fi cinema should always be about but rarely is - mind-boggling images and a literate, witty script skilfully working together in perfect harmony to create a world of unnerving wonder. It's absolutely terrific stuff - Blade Runner finally has a serious rival as the best Philip K Dick screen adaptation.