Minority Report is superficial pap – why on earth stage it?

Minority Report is a plodding bit of sci-fi based on a Steven Spielberg movie made more than two decades ago. The setting is London, 2050, and every citizen has been implanted with an undetectably tiny neuroscanner which informs the cops about crimes before they’ve been committed. However, as the first scene reveals, the undetectably tiny neuroscanner can be removed from the flesh with a corkscrew. The character who gouges out her tag is a computer geek, Julia, who invented the surveillance method in the first place. She stands accused of planning a murder and she goes on the run to clear her name.

Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the trusty old yarn about a truth-telling rebel who quits the force to expose the corruption at its heart. This creaky structure is padded out with car chases, punch-ups, rooftop escapades and the inevitable break-in at police headquarters that reveals the names of the true culprits.