MovieChat Forums > Minority Report (2002) Discussion > Question over the Jet pack fight scene.

Question over the Jet pack fight scene.

posted 9 years ago by ewaf58
9 replies | jump to latest

I love this film and the future technology still looks fresh however I do have a question.

During the jet pack fight scene John shows he's not a bad guy by showing empathy to a cop who has lost his pack in ensuring he has a tight grip and doesn't fall to his death.

But a few moments later we see building site workers tumble from scaffolding when John - holding on to another cop - hit the wooden ramp they're standing on.

Now this doesn't seem to fit in with the empathy shown a little earlier if they fell to their deaths as there isn't a scene where John questions what happened to them.

Even if - in the context of the film - John hadn't realised what had happened it seems a slight miscue by Spielberg sending men to their deaths if the director was trying to show John as one of the good guys.

Thoughts?

Ps just seen it (recorded from BBC2) and it still looks sensational.

[–] smoko 9 years ago

@ewaf58 It's OK, the very next scene has slapstick and wacky music. I mean, the construction workers were falling to their deaths at the same time, but still...

[–] ewaf58 9 years ago

Yes it did seem a little uneven in terms of how we were supposed to feel. The police almost became like an airborne Keystone Cops.

[–] yurenchu 9 years ago

Construction workers are much tougher guys than the spoilt brats at PreCrime who are used to their technology doing most of the work for them. Moreover, I'd guess that construction workers who work at such a height may be expected to have secured themselves to the scaffolding with a cord or something, as part of safety procedures.

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[–] ewaf58 9 years ago

I couldn't see any cord so perhaps it was of advanced almost invisible nano engineering.

[–] Drooch 9 years ago

On my last viewing it looked like the cops went to catch the workers - I think Anderton knew they would have to prioritise saving the workers so bought himself some time.

[–] ewaf58 9 years ago

Hi - good reply - I'll have to look for it if my TIVO box has reached the point where it's had to delete the film.

[–] paulsdhart (277) 4 years ago

It cuts off as the builders fall down, there is a cop flying up, maybe he went after the builders

[–] Ace_Spade (9367) 4 years ago

It's not intentional.

When he's wrestling with the cop, he takes the time to make sure he isn't falling because he's in control. When he smashes through the boards, he is riding another cop, clinging on to the guy's jetpack. He's only half in control, they're going through a chute, and when he bursts through, it's unlikely he was in a position to alter his course or slow down in time. If that was happening slower, Anderton certainly would have prevented the scaffold burst.

It did look like other cops were in a position to help the construction workers, too, and it's possible they have some kind of cyberpunk laser-tethers or something, making a chance of death low(er).

So, I think John realizes what happens, but didn't foresee it happening and couldn't prevent it...hm...

Love this movie. It's underrated, I think.

[–] DrRed (521) 4 years ago

The PreCogs would have foreseen it, if the construction worker had died.