User reviews

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.

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.

"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.

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."

"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.

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

Next is different! Whether it is true Sci/Fi is, in my opinion, debatable. Oh yes, it IS paranormal. No doubt about that - and you find that out in the opening scene. Cris Johnson (Nicholas Cage) is a Las Vegas magician with a difference. He has a gift where he can see briefly into his future which, as any opportunist would do, he uses to his financial advantage, not only in his stage act but also at the gambling tables. But Cris is also sensible. Whilst he could use his gift to make millions - very briefly - he just makes enough to do what he wants to do in life without drawing attention to himself as he would if he consistently relieved the house of large sums of money.

Following an unfortunate incident at the casino where Cris is mistaken for a petty robber and, on viewing the CCTV coverage of the incident, FBI agent Callie Ferris realises his gift and tries to recruit him to help in stopping an international terrorist gang that is threatening to explode a stolen Soviet nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, putting 8 million people's lives at stake.

Ferris (Julianne Moore) thinks (somewhat mistakenly) that Cris can help find out where and when the terrorists are going to act before it happens but, knowing his own limits, Cris wants nothing of it until circumstances leave him with no alternative.

And then the movie ends!

P.S. It's what happens to change Cris' mind that makes this a movie well worth watching! And that's what makes it a refreshingly different and surprising story.

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.

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

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.