It's the year 2054 ... in Steven Spielberg's atmospheric new thriller, "Minority Report," a muscular and dense exercise of skill and verve. Although a few things remain the same in 2054, much has changed.

Pre-Crime chief John Anderston (Tom Cruise) buys the motto "That which keeps us safe also keeps us free," until he becomes a fugitive himself. Accused of a crime predicted for the future, he is soon on the run.

"Minority Report" may be the most adult film Mr. Spielberg has made in some time. It's about the bloody blurring of passion and violence: a compassionate noir. As Anderton, it may be one of [Cruise's] best performances yet.

Many of the suspenseful beats are also sick jokes. ... The movie is filled with fictional commercials and the onslaught is presented as intrusive.

Steven Spielberg decided that there was no better time to release his latest film, "Minority Report," a dark, complex, futuristic whodunit.

Spielberg: "I wanted a movie with layers and with a little more substance. ... The question is, Where do you draw the line? How much freedom are you willing to give up? That is what this movie is about. ... We decided to put the film through a process called bleach bypass. Then we shot some of the scenes on 800 ASA film stock, which creates a kind of graininess that makes it feel more like old film noir."