Next (2007)

Starts off good, then goes nowhere

Philip K. Dick adaptations are a tricky science. Now and then, you'll get genre classics like Blade Runner, A Scanner Darkly, and to a lesser extent Total Recall. Other times, you'll get Paycheck. Next falls somewhere in between, with Nicolas Cage starring as Cris Johnson: a two-bit Vegas magician who can see two minutes into the future. Using this ability to get by via gambling, Cris soon learns that a government agent (Julianne Moore) is after him to use him to track down terrorists and a stolen weapon, but all Cris has on his mind is a mysterious woman (Jessica Biel) whom he keeps seeing visions of. Next does get off to a great start with some inventive storytelling that actually manages to echo Dick's "The Golden Man" story of which the film is based, but it sadly veers into a pretty predictable, glossy action yarn that doesn't suit the talents of the otherwise solid director Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day). The villains (featuring the talented Thomas Kretschmann) get no depth at all, nor do many of the other characters besides Cris, and the film's ending will just leave you infuriated. Still, Cage is actually pretty good, and Biel is surprisingly good as well, but neither can manage to save this flick. All in all, Next is a disappointment in terms of being a fan of Philip K. Dick tales, and as a stand-alone sci-fi/actioner, just doesn't offer enough to keep you interested. November 11, 2008

A different twist.

Right off, I liked it - a lot. This genre of film is right up my alley. A good story line. Excellent acting by Mr. Cage (and I'm not a fan). Supporting cast adequate. Fast moving - action - kept my interest throughout. The story moves easily from start to finish. The theme: time, and ones ability to see ahead - not really unique, however, with a "different twist", which I thoroughly enjoyed. Both Ms. Moore and Ms. Biel had important roles, however, were shadowed by Mr. Cage who was really in his element. October 22, 2008

Interesting Premise--Makes the Book Appealing

I had completely missed Next when it was in the theaters and even when it hit DVD. I'm not sure how I became aware of it, but I saw it, read about it, and the premise intrigued me.

The movie is essentially about a Vegas magician (Nicholas Cage) that can see 2 minutes into the future. He, of course, uses this to his advantage during his magic shows. This come to the attention of an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) who is trying to discover where a terrorist group is hiding a nuclear bomb. To add to the whole adventure, Nicholas' character can see farther than 2 minutes in the future with regards to one individual (Jessica Biel's character).

The plot was very good, and I enjoyed the movie completely throughout. The ending was a little shocking, and actually left me wanting more... whether that is a good thing or not you can decide. In my case, I felt like it wasn't.

All in all, definitely a movie worth watching, especially for those that enjoy movies along these lines. September 15, 2008

Mind Bending

This film was on par with the Matrix and others of the genre. Well acted, of course, with Nicolas Cage in the lead.

I can't understand why we didn't see anything about the film when it was released?

Larry September 7, 2008

NEXT time....

A cool twist to time travel. Keeps you stuck to the story and hopeful all the way to the end. For both Cage and for Biel. July 19, 2008

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