Next

"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.

One of the few upsides of the catastrophic collapse of cinema the past 6 or 7 years is I've been going back to watch films that passed me by the first time around. This is one of those; a sci-fi-esque action thriller with Nicolas Cage as a man who can see two minutes into his own future, and Julianne Moore as the FBI agent trying to bring him in to prevent a terrorist attack.

Preposterous stuff, of course, and full to the brim with plot-holes; it's apparently based very, VERY loosely on a Philip K. Dick short story, but it doesn't ponder any of the implications of the themes it raises with any depth or make even the slightest attempt at realism, and none of it ever feels like it makes much sense.

So it's really nothing more than a big, dumb, fast-moving action flick, but it's exciting and enjoyable all the same, in an effortlessly fun way that would actually seem impossible for anyone working in Hollywood to achieve today. So I like it much more now than I would have then.

5.9/10.

"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.

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 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.