Deconstructing Precrime and Precogs

Steven Spielberg has given us countless iconic images over the years. Still, somehow methinks that three bald people lounging in a bathtub isn't one for the ages. This plot important image inspired a lot of the production design for Minority Report. The shape of the pool is incorporated into the PreCrime logo, the cop's badges, the foot of the statue in front of the HQ, etc. The man responsible for this, production designer Alex McDowell gets his turn in the spotlight in this bonus feature (or Bonsu feature as some reviewers like to call it - I like the sound of that!). Costume designer Deborah Scott also gets to add her two cents.

Spiel intrudes Alex McDowell by listing off the parts of his resume that got him the job on MR: David Fincher's Fight Club and Mel Gibson's aborted Fahrenheit 451 remake. While doing research, McDowell explains he looked at a lot of envelop-pushing architecture. Editor Janusz Kaminski also praises the movie sets filled with straight lines, metallic surfaces and lots of glass. The Precog organization appears to be completely transparent with nothing to hide while in reality of course it is hiding the biggest secret of all. The secret is contained in that aforementioned big bathtub: three sightseers that are cut off from the rest of the world, forever bathing in some kind of milk-like brain fluid that's supposed to help them to see the future. This womb like place is sort of an acoustic reflection of the working of their brains.

Before this particular Bonsu is through, effect supervisor Michael Lantieri comes in to talk a bit about the futuristic weapons that Spielberg's think tank came up with like the sonic gun and the vomit stick. The intend was to come up with things that would not look outdated within 5 years after the film came out. Property master Jerry Moss also talks about cool weapons. Well at least Spielberg thinks their cool. Remember that MR came out the same year as the revised version of probably his most iconic film, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. You know, the 2002 anniversary edition that was softened up by replacing all the government people's weapons with walkie talkies.

6 out of 10