It would seem as if making a TV series based around a well-regarded blockbuster movie would be a sure-fire winner. However, Minority Report the TV show, whilst not a terrible program, makes a number of mistakes that will surely lead to a short run and the ultimate indignity of being cancelled.
Firstly, in trying to stamp their own take on the name, the writers decided to entirely change the tone. Gone is the dark, dystopian future where crime is predicted and the perpetrators arrested before getting the chance to commit their evil deeds. The TV show instead paints a bright, cheerful future where the precog program has been abolished and cops are back to solving crime after the fact, not before. Of course, a lone precog wants to stop the crimes he can still see in his head and so the stage is set for the show.
The problem with this isn't that it quickly devolves into the buddy cop police procedural we are all tiresomely familiar with. That is bad enough. The real problem is that the show's tone is hopelessly overshadowed by the franchise name. Minority Report, the movie was grim and dark. The series, by comparison, is light and almost fluffy.
Everywhere the world is bright and colourful. Too colourful. At times the imagery reminded me Futurama, or the future scenes from Back to the Future. It is the exact opposite of the movie's imagery.
This colourfulness is accompanied at times by light-hearted comedy that seems out of place. There are quirky little flying robots, chase scenes accompanied by music that wouldn't be out of place in the Goonies and the sneaking suspicion that the whole show is aimed at a teen audience.
The show is competent, but this utterly befuddling tonal shift from the source material leaves you struggling to figure out the show's appeal.
If they had pitched it more as a comedy, it would work much better. Likewise, if they had persisted with the darker tone of the movie, it would also have worked. As it stands, it doesn't seem to know where it wants to go.
I watched the pilot and the first episode proper and I really can't say I'm going to watch a third installment. None of the characters have really grabbed me. At times, all of the actors seem to ham their roles up to a 9 on the overacting scale. All of the usual elements are there: Buddy cop; police procedural; chalk-n-cheese partnership; overarching mystery/threat and so on, but the show hasn't made me care about any of it.
As I say, it seems like it would work better as a comedy. As it stands, saddled with the tag of a darker progenitor, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.
This is a Fox show and the ratings are already poor, so I wouldn't expect it to last beyond this initial season. Fox cancelled Almost Human, a very similar show (though infinitely better in all aspects) and that had better ratings on its worst day than this has opened with, so don't get attached to it folks, it won't last.
SUMMARY: Somewhat bemusing attempt to use a franchise name to market something that is almost a complete opposite. Has some charm, but isn't well-acted and seems uncomfortable with its own source material. Fans of the film should steer well clear. Really aimed at non-discriminating teens, rather than adults.
Firstly, in trying to stamp their own take on the name, the writers decided to entirely change the tone. Gone is the dark, dystopian future where crime is predicted and the perpetrators arrested before getting the chance to commit their evil deeds. The TV show instead paints a bright, cheerful future where the precog program has been abolished and cops are back to solving crime after the fact, not before. Of course, a lone precog wants to stop the crimes he can still see in his head and so the stage is set for the show.
The problem with this isn't that it quickly devolves into the buddy cop police procedural we are all tiresomely familiar with. That is bad enough. The real problem is that the show's tone is hopelessly overshadowed by the franchise name. Minority Report, the movie was grim and dark. The series, by comparison, is light and almost fluffy.
Everywhere the world is bright and colourful. Too colourful. At times the imagery reminded me Futurama, or the future scenes from Back to the Future. It is the exact opposite of the movie's imagery.
This colourfulness is accompanied at times by light-hearted comedy that seems out of place. There are quirky little flying robots, chase scenes accompanied by music that wouldn't be out of place in the Goonies and the sneaking suspicion that the whole show is aimed at a teen audience.
The show is competent, but this utterly befuddling tonal shift from the source material leaves you struggling to figure out the show's appeal.
If they had pitched it more as a comedy, it would work much better. Likewise, if they had persisted with the darker tone of the movie, it would also have worked. As it stands, it doesn't seem to know where it wants to go.
I watched the pilot and the first episode proper and I really can't say I'm going to watch a third installment. None of the characters have really grabbed me. At times, all of the actors seem to ham their roles up to a 9 on the overacting scale. All of the usual elements are there: Buddy cop; police procedural; chalk-n-cheese partnership; overarching mystery/threat and so on, but the show hasn't made me care about any of it.
As I say, it seems like it would work better as a comedy. As it stands, saddled with the tag of a darker progenitor, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.
This is a Fox show and the ratings are already poor, so I wouldn't expect it to last beyond this initial season. Fox cancelled Almost Human, a very similar show (though infinitely better in all aspects) and that had better ratings on its worst day than this has opened with, so don't get attached to it folks, it won't last.
SUMMARY: Somewhat bemusing attempt to use a franchise name to market something that is almost a complete opposite. Has some charm, but isn't well-acted and seems uncomfortable with its own source material. Fans of the film should steer well clear. Really aimed at non-discriminating teens, rather than adults.