Next (2007) User Reviews

magic to do

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 26 January 2013]

Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore, and Jessica Biel star in "Next," a 2007 action film directed by Lee Tamahori and written by Gary Goldman, Jonathan Hensleigh, and Paul Birnbaum.

Cris Johnson (Cage) is a magician named "Frank Cadillac." What people don't know is that Johnson has a unique gift: he can see up to two minutes into the future as long as it impacts him personally. There is just one exception: the girl of his dreams (Biel). He's seen her and he's waiting to meet her.

Johnson has come to the attention of the FBI, led by Moore. There is a nuclear munitions shipping coming into the U.S., and they want Johnson's helping in locating it. One night, in a casino, he overcomes a would-be robber and grabs his gun, as he saw into the future when the man not only robbed the casino, but shot the young woman at the payout window. However, the police attempt to arrest him, thinking the gun is his; the FBI knows differently. With his two-minute warnings, Johnson is able to get away in a stolen car and go officially on the run. Not only does the FBI want him, but the munitions people as well.

I found this film very entertaining with some neat effects as it plays with past and future, sometimes advancing the plot ahead by mere seconds. Nicholas Cage is always great, and he is here as the beleaguered magician who has come to the attention of the casino because they suspect him of cheating.

It's a good cast, and the late Peter Falk has a cameo, another treat.

I didn't catch the reviews when this film came out nor did I do more than glance at a few here on IMDb. But this is an action film. In action films, one enjoys the action and doesn't dwell on the plot nor delve too deeply into it. After all, the basic premise and action sequences in some of these films can be absurd. So just go with it and have fun. That's what I do, anyway.

an entertaining mind bending thriller

[dustinhunter707 · 7/10 · 2 October 2007]

I am a Nicolas Cage fan and the only movie that he has been in that sucked was The Wicker Man so I knew this movie would be pretty good and it was. You never see the twists coming very often in this movie and to be able to see your future and change it like that would be really cool for any of us. Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel were pretty good in this film too. I enjoyed it and it didn't bore me, but neither did the director's other two action films that I watched which were Die Another Day and XXX 2: State of the Union. I have heard some weird things about the director, but he knows how to make a good movie, thats all I know. Overall I give this a 7 out of 10 because it was pretty good but it wasn't perfect or anything. I would recommend it to sci-fi and thriller fans most definitely though.

Mining Another Philip K. Dick Story

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 23 May 2014]

"Next" comes from a story written by Philip K. Dick, like many clever film titles in the last thirty years. Once again, he takes a simple idea--an alternate reality, if you will--and creates with it an engaging drama.

The film involves a variation on time travel. More correctly, it involves multiple realities/universes. Nicholas Cage plays Chris Johnson aka Frank Cadillac, a small-time Las Vegas magician who makes his real money at the gaming tables. He has a special talent: he can look two minutes into his future to see the outcomes of his various potential actions.

This talent has put him in the cross hairs of the FBI and others. The feds (especially the team lead by a special agent played by Julianne Moore) want him to help them thwart the nefarious plans of terrorists. But Chris has suffered enough prodding at the hands of the authorities during his life.

The narrative has fun with the idea of multiple realities, often fooling the viewer. Amidst the chase scenes are numerous chances to question the boundaries of the magician's "powers". The special effects used to portray his options are enjoyable.

The wild card is an attractive young woman named Liz Cooper (Jessica Biels) who enters his consciousness. Chris is drawn to this mysterious woman, especially since her presence seems to alter his abilities.

I can't say Nicholas Cage would be my first choice for this role, but he plays it well enough. Jessica Biels is fun to watch and believable. Julianne Moore does a good job of riding the line between hard-nosed agent and considerate person.

I feel sure some people will not like the ending. And those who prefer to detect plot holes rather than enjoy the ride may not find much enjoyment at all.

Far more than I expected

[SquirePM · 5 May 2007]

Next is a much better movie than I expected to see, having read some of the reviews which called it disjointed and silly. Quite to the contrary, I found it deeply absorbing. I quickly picked up on the elements which must have caused some reviewers to accuse it of being disjointed, and began enjoying them. Of course silliness is part of any sci-fi story, we suspend our critical senses in that regard or we do not become sci-fi fans.

I single out one performer among a fine cast. Julianne Moore has really established herself as *the* deadpan action queen. She was a better Agent Starling than Jody Foster was, and she's a terrific, dominant presence in this film. Kudos to her for propelling herself to the top of a tough genre. She makes films more interesting to watch, by dint of her strong performances.

I read Phillip K. Dick's "The Golden Man" many years ago and still remember a lot of it. When I first began hearing about this movie I immediately flashed to it and wondered if this was a movie of that intriguing story. The answers are "yes" and "no." "The Golden Man" is a much more ordinary story, but with resounding insights on the consequences of his existence. And his skin was a compellingly attractive rich golden hue, which helped make him irresistible to women. None of that fits this new story, and was properly omitted.

What is translated so well from the written page to the screen is the government's intense interest in him (although for different reasons), its efforts to get him under official control, and the exceeding difficulty of doing so. And of course, the story ends in a wholly different way than the movie, a very satisfying and inevitable conclusion that bolsters Mr. Dick's reputation for opening the future to us.

*** OK, ONE LITTLE SPOILER ALERT *** READ NO FURTHER (unless you don't mind) ***

I just have to add, the flurry of action sequences which come like a staccato rendition of The Flight Of The Bumblebee during his escape from custody, is thoroughly delectable and brought more than one involuntary "Ha!" from the audience I saw it with, including from me. It's one of the tastiest treats in the film.

And finally, yes, I too wish I knew who the heck these terrorists were and what the heck they were trying to accomplish with their nefarious plot. But I guess that's the brave new world we live in. We just don't get to hear the bad guys' dialogue, their reasons for doing the things they do. In that way Next is giving us another insight, not dropping us cold as others have complained. The only legitimate beef I agree with is the entirely unnecessary and just plain goofy Nicholas Cage business during the final pursuit. It looks like it must have been an idea of somebody too high up among the moguls to deny, but it is a definite distraction causing "Huh? What?" moments when the action is at its most intense.

All in all, a feather in everybody's cap and a movie I fully recommend without reservation. Drama, humor, really fine action sequences, twists, great characters. As baseball great Yogi Berra once said, " Don't miss it if you can."

Starts out nicely...

[mgruebel · 6/10 · 3 December 2017]

Like "Knowing," "Next" starts out nicely, but the ending falls a bit flat. Not as flat as "Knowing," though.

Nick Cage plays Las Vegas casinos with the ultimate card-counting trick: he can see 2 minutes into the future, and when he makes a mistake, re-live that two minutes until he gets it right. He uses that trick to get the woman of his dreams, but ends up in the cross hairs of an FBI agent who wants him to help her find a nuclear device soon to go off in LA.

Spoiler: one of my main problems with this movie is the corny "it was all a dream" ending. That meme has just been used once too many, and "Next" does not make particularly good use of it. Mainly, the reason for this deus ex machina plot twist seems to be that director Lee Tamahori wanted to show a gratuitous nuclear explosion in LA. Well, then at least make it really slow mo and show us some devastation. And no, explaining it away by saying that mysteriously, Cage can see farther than 2 minutes into the future where his new girlfriend is concerned, does not make it any more satisfying.

Despite the weak ending, it's enough fun to watch once.

Slipped under the radar, but glad I caught it

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 8 March 2010]

Suddenly this popped up as a cheap DVD, and I don't recall having heard of it before.

And it's not bad at all.

The central premise of someone being able to see 2 minutes into his own future is a fun sci-fi idea to play with, and everyone has fun with it in this little movie.

There is a tolerable plot, some good action sequences, good performances, and reasonable chemistry between Cage and Biel.

And, if you're anything like me, you'll take great pleasure in the way Cage's character uses his particular gift to avoid awkward moments.

Good fun.

you'll keep me in this chair forever.....

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 30 May 2011]

Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future.

Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling "winnings." But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm....

cage churns out another movie with no real publicity apart from his hair, but his does have a lot going for it. For one, he puts in a good performance (which is a rarity now, as he is mostly on autopilot these days) and secondly, the story isn't as complicated as you would expect it to be.

Moore and Biel provide good support, but this is the Nicolas Cage show, putting in a little charm into an otherwise lonely man.

The set pieces can sometimes be surprising or annoying, depending on how it affects the flow of the film, and there are some amusing moments, especially when cage first meets Biel.

If the makers had taken the Phillip K. Dick element from the proceedings, then this could have been more successful, but they had to make it appear to be a serious sci-fi, rather than the hokey ride it is.

See it, without rational thought, and you will enjoy the cleverness of it all.

A Good Idea from Philip K. Dick Slips Away in the Script

[gradyharp · 5/10 · 29 September 2007]

Philip K. Dick has been the resource of stories for some very exciting films (Minority Report, Total Recall, Blade Runner), but in NEXT, his short story 'The Golden Man' as adapted by Gary Goldman and directed by Lee Tamahori, the concept of precognition as a human feature in altering the future falls into a video game format that becomes more action film and less human interest tale.

Cris Johnson AKA Frank Cadillac (Nicholas Cage) is a sloe eyed Las Vegas grungy magician who has found a way to hide the fact that he has the gift to see two minutes into his future, a gift that rewards him at the gambling tables but draws attention from the FBI after a thwarted attempt on Cris' part to stop a robbery is captured on video tape. The FBI, especially Agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore), knows that a nuclear device has entered the USA by terrorists headed by 'Mr. Smith' (Thomas Kretschmann), and that if the device cannot be traced, a nuclear bomb threatens the lives of millions of citizens. Agent Callie observes Cris' talent and engages him to aid in the discovery of the site of the device. But Chris' powers lead him to a beautiful young woman Liz (Jessica Biel) with whom his powers to see into the future can be extended for more than the requisite 2 minutes. After a series of 'attempts' at introduction, Cris and Liz bond, allowing Cris' expanded powers to be of more help to the persistent Agent Callie. From that point on the film dissolves into yet another combustible crashing action flick with endless CG special effects, all but erasing the character development. And the ending is as one might expect - not very Philip K. Dick in style.

Cage and Biel do well, Moore seems bored with her character, and Kretschman yet again embodies the evil of terrorism and beyond. There are some rather extraneous scenes on an Indian reservation that add little except the beauty of the Grand Canyon to the story, and there are some truly funny scenes of themes and variations on the chances we take in approaching a potential love source. But in the end all gets rather lost in the explosions ad infinitum that mark the film as a routine action flick. Grady Harp

Unexpectedly Good

[andymcnish · 9/10 · 27 March 2009]

I saw this movie on sale for a bargain £3.

I had never heard of it, but Nicholas Cage is usually watchable, Lee Tamahori did the brilliant Once Were Warriors and the 'look 2 minutes into the future' Macguffin sounded intriguing enough; so I bought it and put it in the DVD player after dinner for myself and the wife to watch.

It was really good and kept us both on the edge of our seats until the end (the ending was also very clever IMHO).

Actually the best movie (along maybe with Watchmen) that I've seen this year.

I imagine the pitch was something like 'Groundhog Day meets Die Hard', but for once they more or less pulled it off.

They could have had a love interest with less of an age gap (but I assume Jessica Biel is there for eye candy not acting reasons) and the plot is a bit silly at times, but Cage plays it with just the right amount of 'tongue in cheek' as a lead in a paranormal action romance and compared with the last movie I sat and watched with my wife (the third Mummy) which is in a similar genre I suppose, this is in a different class.

I can't really understand why so many folks give this really low ratings. Maybe it's real hard core action guys who dislike it, and it's probably not for them - but really this came as a very pleasant surprise. Highly recommended.

Sometimes you just get in too deep!

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 31 August 2007]

While I enjoyed the premise of this film, I felt like I so often do. You've got this neat idea; what are you going to do with it? Nicolas Cage plays a man who can see two minutes into the future, which allows him to move to different places to avoid danger, protect people in danger, and so on. The problem comes with the immutability of time. If you change things, what you saw really wasn't true; hence the plot hole. It was fun watching him dodge bullets and punches. What is hard to swallow is the mind that can put order to all this. Is this going on constantly or can he truly control it. If the mystery is out of his life, can he know the mystery. Part of my problem is that I never really understood what the bad guys were up to (I don't mean on a grander scale but on the details). Cage's relationship with Biel is nice but can he even have a relationship. The two minute thing was convenient. What if it had been a half hour or a day. How would that affect things. Anyway, when the ending comes, it seems satisfying but sad.

Someone said that people booed at the end. I'm sure it's because for some people, leaving a little too much to imagination is quite a stretch. It was a fun couple hours, but one shouldn't think too much. As for Philip K. Dick, he can provoke us pretty well.

Already seen what comes Next...

[williams-kelsey · 3/10 · 7 May 2007]

Watching the ridiculous mess of plot holes and absurdity that is Lee Tamahori's Next invariably makes us wish we could see two-hours into the future to deem this movie a waste of time before we sit down to watch it. A slipshod work of Hollywood cliché, Next, pretends to be an interesting psychological action film trying to leave us wondering about the "what-if's" the movie proposes, when it actually only leaves us wondering how in heavens name any producer could expect us to believe that a middle-aged Nic Cage with bad hair could land Jessica Biel. Without any heart or spirit, this film relies on big bangs and a hot girl to bring the pre-pubescent boys out to spend their allowance at the box office.

Nicolas Cage, who has previously shown some signs of promise in films like Leaving in Las Vegas and Adaptation, falls even further from his former place in our esteem with his latest in a succession of cruddy movies. Hey, at least this latest entry into the club of dismal Cage doesn't ask us to believe that his head bursts into flame as he rides a motorcycle, just that he can miraculously see the future, and with this power duplicate himself, dodge bullets, avoid booby traps, and save the day all while standing in one place looking more like he has a blockage in his bowels than a blockage in his clairvoyance. Actually, come to think of it, we might prefer the flaming skull-head. After this latest installment in his addiction to bad films, we all have almost lost hope that he will go back to working on his acting rather than on his abs (which were amply visible the couple times Cage took off his shirt).

One must feel sorry for Jessica Biel and Julianne Moore, as so very little is given to them in the comic-strip writing of their characters that we can hardly be surprised when the performances come out flat and cliché. In fact, it is worth pondering, what in this movie is not cliché? The nuclear/chemical/biological weapon that was stolen by terrorists and now must be found before "8 million people die"? Nope, The Sum of All Fears, XXX, and The Peacemaker are just a few of the bevy of post-cold war movies focusing on what happens if the weapons from the build up land in the wrong hands. Maybe the hard-ass but essentially well meaning federal agent, willing to do anything to for the greater good? The Bourne Identity and most CIA or FBI based films. So, how about the clever crane shot of Las Vegas with blinding neon and the tune of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation"? Nope, Ocean's Eleven for one beat them to that one. How about the neat bullet dodging effect? Nope, The Matrix. That nifty little tool used to keep Nic Cage's eyelids open? No, A Clockwork Orange did it first. How about the concept of a guy knowing the future and thus knowing exactly where to be at exactly the right time? Sorry, that was Groundhog Day. The major dilemma of whether to sacrifice the individual for the common good? Um let's see, nearly all superhero movies most notably Spiderman and Batman Begins. Then there's also Good Will Hunting and the list goes on. How about the potentially mind-boggling ending that reveals it's all been a dream/ look into the future? There are too many to list. For the most part the film looks entirely Hollywood with whiffs of an attempt at pulpy, arty shots in which Cage is in sharp focus surrounded by an intense blur, supposedly to suggest that only Chris Johnson has a clear view of the world that to others is so blurry. But we're not fooled by the soft, all too obvious attempts at cinematic metaphor because the emblematic Hollywood action sequences with the CGI SUV's and log trucks falling from the sky or in an odd greenly lit warehouse make it abundantly clear that what may appear to be artistic attempts (albeit weak ones) in the film were bastardized by their connection with the omnipresent Hollywood conventions. Therefore, the shots that might be trying to have significance start to look like a director's obsession with sharp close-ups. The music was overpowering and didactic. Every note gave away exactly what was to happen next, if we didn't already know from seeing innumerable similar action plots prior to this one. The dialogue was strained, often ludicrous, and, of course, previously done: "I have seen every possible ending, and none of them are good for you," "There's something I have to do, and I can't put it off any longer." Not to mention the tragically botched punch-line of the old Zen hot dog joke, "I'll have one with everything." For the edification of those of us who have not had the joy to hear the actual joke, the Zen Buddhist says to the hot dog vendor, "Make me one with everything." With such uninspired writing, we would love to ask, did anyone bother to edit or did they expect this whorey slop to pass for actual discourse?

There's something bitterly ironic that in a film entitled Next, there is absolutely no original ideas or circumstances. However, it does work in a way probably completely unintentionally; we, like Chris Johnson, knew everything that was coming, we just didn't have the happy ability to know we knew what was coming and avoid it. What else is there to say but, next please.

***This review was written somewhat in reference to the style and voice of Pauline Kael

Keeps you watching to find out what happens "Next" ...

[Vic_max · 8/10 · 7 June 2008]

It was really interesting to watch this movie because it took the "ability to see the future" idea in a slightly new direction. The lead character can see the future, but only what happens to him and only 2 minutes into the future. Furthermore, he lives his life laying low so as to not get any attention.

Now that is a cool idea for a movie ... and it takes off from there when he finally does get noticed. Nicolas Cage does a great job of playing the lead role of a guy who just wants to be left alone. Julianne Moore is very effective as the bright and ruthless government agent pursuing Cage for the "greater good."

The movie is engaging (you always want to find out what happens next) and you get to see an interesting idea played out: how can he use his amazing yet limited ability given critical challenges?

If you're a sci-fan and like the idea behind this movie, definitely catch this. For everyone else, I'd say it's a definite thumb's up.

I Don't Agree with all that negative nonsense

[swtlilangel · 7/10 · 29 April 2007]

Okay, here is the only review that matters (JK). I have seen some awful things said about this movie. But in reality they were thinking they were going to be seeing something much different, maybe spider-man 3 or something, who knows. At no point was this movie hailed as having 250 million dollar budget. The acting was fair, come on can't have people acting legitimate in a science fiction movie. Most go, wouldn't the Fed's go other routes, this my friend is a movie, made for entertainment purposes. Want the real raw deal, go to the non-fiction section. The term fiction to me means not real. So get over that. The effects are good at all points till the barge which is not all that. The producers could have gone with another actress to play the love interest, or given her more to go with. The movie did play her as desperate seeing how she slept with our star so quickly. But it is a 90 minute movie format, so you can't draw it out. The chemistry between the two is also not in the "best I've seen" category. When together they didn't seem to mesh well, and the scene did feel kinda not there. Okay, now for this two minute nonsense I have been reading about. The rules never change, they are the same. He can just manipulate his ability, and maybe he just never pushed himself before to do all those cool tricks, Plus, not many endings can we say that we really have no idea how it ends, got an idea, but like he says at the end, once you look at the future it changes, thats not a spoiler, thats fact. Instance of that is me telling you that the road is wet, you will than slow down instead of speeding. That is how this film ends, shows you one way it could, completely void of the real ending. Its Nice. I would see it again. Not a lot of drama (thank goodness), good action (about time). You want effects to go "wow" at wait till May 4th. The ending was kind of abrupt,just thrown in your face. And when you are sitting there watching the credits run backwards you feel ripped off. Than you think, if they did it all over again it would not be interesting, based off all the stuff he did initially before his time jump back (mentally) you can gather that he will win at saving the girl, and the state of New York, because now his girlfriend is out of danger. The ending also leaves the movie open for a sequel or maybe a back door pilot deal for some network. Who knows. Anyway, that's my deal. Hope it helps. Here is my closing, when complaining about the reality of some science fiction movie and the how's and the why's and the that would never happen. Remember that its just a movie, and is fake. People take movies so literal, almost like the word of God. It is not, and should never happen. When did going to a movie have to be so difficult. Most critics butcher all the good ones and appraise the horrible ones, that is because if they didn't no one would see it. Simple as that. The most worst movies, or boring movies always get the top prizes. Come on now. When wanting to see a movie don't look for someone else's take on it forget that, don't take someone else's word for it, yours is the only one that matters. Because its your $9.25, no one else's. Peace.

Aged very poorly

[joannabarker-04823 · 2/10 · 8 February 2021]

Interesting concept, but very poor casting in the 3 main leads. Acting is terrible. Script is hilariously bad. **I know you just saved me from a cliche rubbish ex boyfriend, look like a creepy child catcher and are about 20 years older than me, but sure, I'll give you a lift to the middle of nowhere** Urgh!

2 minute forecaster

[wbswetnam · 7/10 · 1 April 2012]

"Next" is a film about Chris (played by Nicolas Cage), a man who can see what will happen to him personally up to two minutes into the future. The only exception to that rule is a vision he has of a beautiful woman (Jessica Biel) whom he knows he meets in a particular diner at 8:09. Every day, twice a day at exactly 8:09 he is in the diner until one day she arrives.

Because of Chris' forecasting skills, he goes to casinos on occasion to supplement his salary from his regular job as a magician. His skills are noticed by an agent of the FBI (Julianne Moore) who wants to utilize his abilities to thwart terrorists who plan to set off a nuclear device in Los Angeles.

I found the movie entertaining and suspenseful. There are a few sequences where the CGI looks kind of fake but overall I thought it was very good. It was well-acted and well-paced. I almost always like Nicolas Cage movies, and man oh man Jessica Biel looks absolutely smmmmmoking hot! I recommend it; I give it seven stars.

Exciting Film

[andy-1978 · 7/10 · 12 October 2008]

I watched this film not knowing anything about it or heard of it. It came up on Foxtel. What a good film. I great when you come across a random film that has a good story line which is action packed with a top cast. Nic Cage plays an interesting role which would hold endless possibilities. A man who can see the future for the next two minutes. Imagine having that talent. He does the gambling thing which most people would take advantage of. He does the girl thing knowing if he will get rejected or not. And after all the normal sort of fun things, he gets called upon by the FBI to save the human race from the usual bomb threat. Lots of action and definitely worth a watch.

Pretty good stuff

[LazySod · 7/10 · 2 May 2007]

Cris is a man with a gift. He can see into the future, at least into that bit of it that includes him. It's a gift he has only used for cheap tricks and the occasional gamble, until now. Because now there is a federal agent knocking at his door, telling him she needs him to predict when and where an act of terror is going to happen.

So far the background story. It is clear that it isn't the first time that this kind of story is worked out, there are many more films that play around just the same thing really. But this one is there, and plays around the same theme in its own way. IMO, it has all rights it needs to be considered a new film. The way the story is worked out really isn't half bad.

Somewhat predictable but nevertheless amusing. rolling on steadily like a rocky river. Effects are good enough, apart from a handful, characters are believable and tension is just (but barely) enough to keep it going.

7 out of 10 futures altered

well i was enjoying it until...............

[tankboyben · 4/10 · 12 May 2007]

am i the only person that thinks the ending is a little stupid, what was it he got wrong and how did he correct it (the bomb i mean) also how come he saw hours into the future when the woman was kidnapped even though he could only see 2 minutes before. i know allot of you are gonna say how he stops the bomb is left to your imagination but I DON'T WANT TO IMAGINE A FILM, I WANT TO WATCH IT!!!!!! also i know 2 people can get close quickly but i didn't really believe the relationship between cage and the girl, also there were some massive holes in the explanation of his abilities. anyhoo i give it a 4 because i really enjoyed it until the abrupt and unsatisfying ending

Good. Not cheesy, Not overblown. Just pretty darn good.

[BroadswordCallinDannyBoy · 8/10 · 28 April 2007]

Cris Johnson has the ability to see 2 minutes into his own future. He works a low-level magic act in Las Vegas with this secret ability and also makes money gambling. However, an FBI Agent sees his uncanny ability to foresee the immediate future and tries to get him to foil a terrorist plot.

The basic plot outline above isn't wholly exciting and can initially smell of outdated Cold War plot lines. And seeing that it is in the hands of Hollywood in the form of big budget action vehicle it will definitely turn many viewers off. The recent highly contrived sci-fi action movie "Deja Vu" is also another potential unfair strike against this movie. But, be clear of doubt, this film is actually good and it succeeds in being intriguing and not cheesy at the same time - completely unlike the "Deja Vu." "Next" leaves a lot to the audience's imagination and certain things are there just for you to accept on the basis that this is a movie - no lengthy pseudo-science speeches here. The movie also makes very good use of computer effects - there aren't many and the few that there are, aren't awful looking like director Lee Tamahori's last feature "XXX: The State of the Union." Johnson's clairvoyance is shown in a clever way and the story takes several nice turns. There is the stock Hollywood romantic angle here, but cheesiness is mercifully spared as it is not over done, but actually played out humorously in certain scenes.

Then the kicker is the ending, which I dare not give away, and it is a real breath of fresh air. It leaves you a lot to think about and that ultimately ends this film with, not a bang which many people might expect from a big-budget action-fest. No, definitely not a bang, but a hum. That hum will stay with you for a while after you finish watching as you think about what happened and what may still happen. --- 8/10

Rated PG-13 for violence

unexpectedly funny

[jemps918 · 7/10 · 18 June 2007]

Nicolas Cage is comfortable playing Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson in the fun action/sci-fi thriller Next. Cris has the uncanny ability to see two minutes into his future, which compels FBI Agent Ferris (played by a stony-faced Julianne Moore) to convince Cris to help stop a nuclear bomb from going off in LA. Sick of government experiments he was exposed to since childhood, Cris is reluctant, until he discovers that it will ultimately cost the life of Liz, the girl of his dreams (Jessica Biel).

Based on the Philip K. Dick story The Golden Man, Next is satisfactorily directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, Along Came a Spider). The movie is entertaining, especially since the dialogue remained light and didn't assume a serious philosophical route; plus, the action sequences are solid.

It was puzzling, though, to see Biel in a damsel-in-distress role that could've easily been played by any starlet. Her athletic assets take a backseat to her exotic beauty, which could not have been stressed enough by the lovestruck Cris. Those moments, fortified by the lack of believable chemistry between Cris and Liz, were almost always on the brink of comedy, which made the movie unexpectedly funny as well.

Entertainginly pedestrian, could have been so much better.

[BenjAii · 4/10 · 18 September 2007]

Oh Hollywood, Hollywood, Hollywood, why can't you invest just a little of the millions of dollars you obviously put into special effects, paying for Nicolas Cage and the rest into a decent story ? Next has a brilliant premise, which is what drew me to it in the first place (and some misleadingly good reviews on here !) but it's such a let down. Entertaining enough if all your simple brain demands is yet another guy on the run with FBI, must stop bad guys, explosions and chases type film to add to the identikit hundred or so you've probably seen already. But you'd expect a little bit more than utterly pedestrian with Mr Cage and Miss Moore at the helm. It doesn't deliver.

Things start out well enough, but then they always do with these types of films. We're introduced to Cage's character and how the rules of his future seeing world operate through an entertaining spin through Las Vegas. Then things start to go wrong.

SPOILERS AHEAD

So my first gripe; the terrorists. They're French. What ? . I mean, great break out of film stereotypes and don't make all terrorists Muslims. But I expect some credibility and backstory for the ludicrous notion that French terrorists want to blow up LA with a nuclear bomb. We're never told and it's never explained. What a load of rubbish, why not make them Canadian or from Iceland, makes about as much sense. You've got to lose bucket loads of respect for a film and the imaginary world it's trying to create for two hours with a plot hole this stupid.

But it's symptomatic of the lazy storytelling that is such a letdown in this film. The 'rules' of Cage's future seeing universe are explained to us and then conveniently broken whenever a deux et machina plot moment requires it at will. But at this point it's all gotten a bit silly and I've given up caring. Except maybe to wonder why Julianne Moore thinks it's worth wasting her time with this sort of stuff. Can't she get any better work? Oh and the 'twist' at the end. For a moment I thought they we're actually going to do something clever. No, it just gets sillier as yet again they arbitrarily break with the rules they've created. No French terrorists waiting this time, though there should be.

Yes, it's entertaining enough, if that's all you want but disappointing in so many areas.

It makes you wonder if Hollywood is such a dog eat dog world where only the most talented survive how it can turn out so many dogs of films like this. An internet forum of movie buffs could have rewritten this into something so much better.

Not bad at all

[nicholls_les · 8/10 · 14 January 2016]

I liked this film a lot and the storyline was pretty good, ( OK the plot had holes and not all of it makes sense ) but still a very enjoyable watch i'd say. Nicolas Cage isn't the best looking actor but he gets away with this one. His several tries to get the girl was a bit Groundhog day like but hey it's just a movie.

I thought that the special effects were good and it moved at a good pace.

Only downside for me was the ending which was a bit flat and the plot holes. They could have explained why the terrorists even knew about him helping the FBI since even he didn't know he was going to until half way through the film. The villains were a confusing mix of so called Russians who spoke French and Serbian and they didn't really work. The makers of this film should have watched some 24 if they wanted to see how to build villains and tension into a film.

But over all I was glad I watched this film.

Not as bad people say

[chrichtonsworld · 6/10 · 1 May 2007]

Like any other movie based on concepts or novels created by Philip K. Dick there is more to the plot than you actually see on the screen. I think Philip K. has some wonderful thought provoking ideas that are really exciting. The problem is that only a few directors know how to translate his ideas on the screen. The execution done by Lee Tamahori is decent, but could have been done a lot better. The CGI effects look average but placed in the context are just right. Nick's ability seems limited at first. Later we will find out that he was holding back. A lot of things are not explained. More background on Nick's character would have been nice. Who is Peter Falk supposed to be? What is so special about Jessica Biel that Nicks' character wants to meet her? Has he already seen that they would end up in bed? And how did the FBI know of the existence of the nuclear bomb? What are the terrorists motives? Who were the terrorists? There are a lot of questions that are not answered. In the end it doesn't matter. Seeing Nick in action is interesting and entertaining enough. The twist at the end gives this movie just that extra dimension it needs. Overall Next could have been a lot better. But to be honest Next isn't bad. It just isn't special enough. At least worth one viewing!

Only fair, should have been very good

[NavyOrion · 4/10 · 27 April 2007]

"Next" struck me as coming off about like a pretty good episode of "The Outer Limits", mildly entertaining. Then again, "Outer Limits" is free on TV. I saw "Next" at a matinée show this afternoon; I wouldn't want to have shelled out $10 for it.

The reviews I've read here so far seem to have had some pretty high expectations for "Next"; I can't help but think that the low ratings reflect more their disappointment than the actual quality of the movie. With a concept by Phillip K. Dick, and starring Nicholas Cage and Julianne Moore (plus Jessica Biel for decoration) it had the potential to be an excellent film; it certainly is not excellent, but neither is it as bad as some are saying.

True, the CGI effects are not state-of-the-art, but they are serviceable, and do not greatly detract from the story unless the viewer is looking for reasons to be annoyed. Yes, there were some plot holes, but one must suspend disbelief even for the basic premise, that of two-minute precognition. And I confess that I too suspected the twist ending ahead of time (maybe I'm psychic, too!) But still, it was OK, if only OK.

The best thing that could have been said about "Ghost Rider" is that it set the bar pretty low for whatever film Nicholas Cage would be in afterwards. "Next" cleared that bar, but not by a lot. It's a shame that a star as fun to watch as Cage has turned up in yet another film that lands with a thud. It will pay his bills for a while, but he can do better, and should wait until better comes along.

It can be appreciated

[NinevehProductions · 7/10 · 5 May 2007]

NEXT is the type of film that has great potential to be highly entertaining, but it's also the kind of film that seems easy to hate. The key to watching NEXT is one must just let go of the critical, cynical attitude, and enjoy the film as if it were a piece of literature. In this respect, it's a very decent, unique film.

Too many people go to movies and then just point out every little flaw in the story or production and they can't even enjoy the art. Hundreds of people spent a lot of time, effort, and money just to entertain us, so the least we can do is be respectful.

NEXT is tempting to criticize, but just let yourself enjoy it.

Same thing happened with the first HULK movie... too many dumbass morons weren't intelligent enough to follow the concept, so now they have to make another one to appeal to dumb, testosterone-driven assholes... the same kinds of people who actually thought LXG was a good movie.