Customer Reviews

Next

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(41)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

While I've never read the Philip Dick story this movie is based on, I'll have to say this story has some strong points on its own. Nicolas Cage is great as "Frank Cadillac" or Chris, as he prefers to be called. He can see two minutes into his own future, and this opens some interesting possibilities. It's funny to see him run through several different pick up scenarios before finally finding one that will work with Jessica Biel. This ability also saves his life several times.

The storyline moves along at a good pace. While there are some boring scenes, there are enough "Wow!" moments to keep you hooked until the end.

Ah, the end...there's our problem. In an attempt to pull out a great plot twist, we end up with a very cheated feeling. It's almost as if we don't get to see how it all ultimately works out. This could have been fixed with about 5 minutes more screen time, but we don't get it. I'm pretty sure the DVD will probably have an alternate ending in there somewhere because I can't believe this is how they originally envisioned it.

As a whole, this was a good movie and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect, and seemed to stumble under the weight of its plot a couple of times (who were the terrorists? where did they get the bomb? Why would a woman like Jessica Biel agree to drive a man she'd just met across the desert...especially when the guy looked like a psycho?), but it was worth the time it takes to watch it.

Next brings to the screen the story of Chris Johnson, a.k.a. Frank Cadillac, a down-on-his-luck onstage Las Vegas magician with a rare gift: to be able to see two minutes into the future! Things "liven up" when a government agent in her effort to find a group of terrorists aiming at detonating a nuclear bomb somewhere in the United States attempts to enlist Chris Johnson who seems to be rather preoccupied with other matters...
There are slight hints of the X-Files, Deja Vu (Denzel Washington), Frequency (Dennis Quaid, James Caviezel), Timecop (Van Damme) and The Lake House (Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock).
Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few thrills.
The only major setback is in relation to those "geniuses" that came up with the French-speaking Europeans as the villains and with no explanation whatsoever as to their motive! It's not as if there aren't enough prospective terrorists out there, they're lining up for crying out loud, so why go with some of the most unlikely candidates?
What European would even bother to act as such in reality???
Nevertheless, the setting, the plot, the dialogues, and the music are all good.
In conclusion, Next is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection as it is one of those films that gets you and keeps you thinking long after it's over. 4.5 Stars

Next, a movie based on the Philip K. Dick short story, is very clever in spots. Nicholas Cage plays a precognative gmbler/magician who can see two minutes into the future. The interesting thing in this movie is that he can see all possible futures; this led to some interesting scenes in the movie. The plot revolves around terrorists planning to blow up LA who finad out that this guy could upset their master plan. Government agents are looking for this guy too for the same reason. Ahh, terrorism, the all purpose plot device - why blow up LA? Just because I guess - whatever..

Anyway, the special effects are cool, there are some good action sequences and Cage is a good choice to play the main character in the movie. Its not worth the 9-10 bucks it would have taken to see this in the theatres but it is worth renting/buying on sale.

Next is a movie based on a classic science fiction theme, the "small" wild talent. It is based on a short story by Philip K Dick, the great science fiction writer whose stories have inspired numerous movies; works by Dick were also the basis for "Blade Runner" (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep), "Total Recall" (We Can Remember It For You Wholesale), "Minority Report," and "A Scanner Darkly," among others, Nick Cage plays Frank Cadillac, a Las Vegas stage mentalist who can actually see the future; the catch is that he can normally only see his own future, and only 2 minutes ahead. He has made a life living "under the radar," exploiting his talent in minor ways, until a rare precognitive glimpse beyond his 2 minute horizon reveals to him the woman that he is destined to be with.

The film is extraordinarily well crafted, gradually introducing the audience to the nature of Frank's power. There is a terrorist nuclear bomb subplot that provides a major plot motivator. With "24" now in its 6th season, this is already beginning to seem a bit tired as a plot device. Nevertheless it keeps things moving and offers Cage's character a fundamental dilemma: what good is a 2 minute warning against a nuclear bomb? In addition, Frank is being chased by Julianne Moore as a federal agent who has figured out Frank's talent and hopes to use it to find the bomb. I found this to be the one serious plot weakness, in that there is not enough of a backstory to explain how Moore's character has become so convinced that she absolutely must have Frank on her side to stop the bomb.

Initially, we see only the effects of Frank's power as he effortlessly evades capture in some beautifully crafted chase scenes, but as the film proceeds, we begin to become privy to Frank's glimpses of the future. I can't recall whether I ever read the Phil Dick story (The Golden Man) that the film is based upon, but it introduces a type of uncertainty that Dick loved to play with, in that we become less and less certain whether we are viewing the actual present or one of the many alternative futures that Frank sees. For Frank, the future has almost a Schrodinger's Cat quality, since just by looking at his future, he changes it. There is a wonderful scene toward the end in which Frank becomes a sort of quantum cloud of alternative Franks working his way through a booby-trapped factory.

The reviews I saw for this movie were not impressive, but film reviewers have always tended to have trouble appreciating Phil Dick. I thought that it was pretty nearly perfect. The ending, which I won't reveal, might strike some as a bit of a "bait-and-switch" but I thought that it worked perfectly, because by that time I was very much into Franks mindset in which possible futures become as real as present experience. There is one scene in which Jessica Biehl's character says something like, "life should be a surprise," and Frank says wistfully, "That would be nice."

The acting is top notch. Cage clearly appreciates science fiction, and is listed as a producer, and he is very convincing as Frank. Biehl and Julianne Moore round out the strong cast.

Be sure and stay for the credits, by the way; there is a minor joke.

The concept of the two minute warning is a great one, and my only real complaint about the movie is that I'd like to see this idea played out at even greater length. Perhaps Cage will consider producing a TV series with a similar character.

I am happy to say I really enjoyed this movie. I read some bad reviews of it online, but wanted to give the movie a chance. I'm glad I did.

Nicolas Cage plays a character that can see 2 minutes into the future, which is certainly a superhuman ability. You can imagine many of the scenarios that might unfold through use of this ability, but the movie manages to keep it fresh and interesting. I think the subtleties of his ability and actions are portrayed very well. He is quite the smooth operator, and plenty cool. There is a lot of action in this movie, and it is exciting from the start. I also liked the fact that love enhances his ability, and liked Jessica Biel as his love interest. If there was a flaw in this movie, it would be the ending, which left something to the imagination... a bit too much to the imagination by some people's standards. However it doesn't ruin the movie in my opinion. I only buy movies that I really like and want to see again many times. This is one of those movies. Check it out!

Next DVD

Next starring Nicolas Cage is an action thriller about a magician who can see exactly two minutes into the future. Julianne Moore plays an FBI agent who recruits him to help prevent a bombing by Terrorist. Peter Faulk(aka Columbo) has a small part in the movie. It's nice to see him still working.

This movie has an underlying Science Fiction/ Fantasy theme, something that seems to be happening more and more these days. I was surprised to find this. I don't recall it being promoted at all.

Highly recommended for fans of Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore and Peter Faulk and Science Fiction/ Fantasy movies.

Gunner April, 2008

Within the first 5 minutes, you are drawn into the character lead by Nicholas Cage. He can see 2 minutes into the future and change it. Therefore he takes up magic and gambling, but the FBI notices his gift and force him into helping the nation. This is a great movie. A must have for my library.

I love movies about alternate possibilities, time travelesque stories, alternating time lines. Some Films of recent come to mind such as Deja Vu, Premenition, even the sappy romance of the Lake house. I would even like to mention one of my personal favorites although utterly fantastic in a quantum physics way is Grand tour: Disaster in Time with Jeff Danials. I missed Next in the Theater to many other blockbusters playing on multiple screens phased this action thriller off the big screen very quickly. I thought the concept for this film (based on the story by Philip K. Dick) was very cool. Chris Johnson aka Frank Cadillac (Cage) is a fortune telling magic act in vegas, who can also see 2 minutes into the future of his own life. And if you can see the future you can change the present. Johnsons life of scamming the black jack tables and slot machines changes when the feds take notice of his abilities. Incidently the opening sequence after Johnson foils a shooting in the casino(an incident the may have happened if Johnson had just let the event unfold as it did in his premonition) leads casino security on a cat and mouse through the casino watching johnson manuveur going on a 2 minute lead into the future to perfect timed escapes and dodges was more impressive then watching tom cruise duck authorities with the Pre-cog in Minority report.
Johnson can only see 2 minutes into the future until he meets Liz(Beil), a fateful meeting based on a unusual premonition. For some reason, that is never explained in this film he is able to see further into the future when he is in her presence. If you can just accept that as the way it is I think you'll enjoy this movie better.
Thrills come hard and fast as Cage dodges the feds and foreign terrorists that have taken a nuclear munitions cache. which is why the feds want Johnson, to use his abilities to find said cache before it detonates. Johnson cheats death numerous times along with a few embarrassing situations when he first meets Liz, as you see all the possibilites he initiates before choosing the one that works. Next delivers the goods as far as thrills and shootem up action, and as a treat there is a little bit of a surprise before the end of the film which blew my mind, not a mind blowing as the end of the Sixth Sense, but still pretty cool. Coolest special effect in this film is watching Johnson split apart from himself, creating multiple versions to check out all the possiblities of his surrounding and which way to go. And dodging bombs, snipers and other close shaves.
Jessica beil is absolutely gorgeous as Liz(no surprise) a very girl next door type. Julianne moore plays lead persuing FBI agent.
This movie was entertaining despite some of the criticisms from mainstream magazines whose biggest complaint about Next was Nicolas Cages' Lame hairdo. Please, Next is suppose to be a science fiction/fantasy of coarse theres going to be some inconsistencies(like Cage being old enough to be Beils Father), but to that all I have to say is...Time Cop!
Bottom Line....Entertaining. Would have given this one more star, but I feel the film could have been at least a half hour longer to resolve things.

It's risky for a story to intentionally fool with time, specifically a linear sequence of events; the end result will be either a uniquely constructed narrative or a convoluted mess. "Next"--based on Philip K. Dick's short story "The Golden Man"--is about a man who has the ability to see two minutes into his own future, which is just enough of a heads up to prevent certain things from happening. The idea is enough to attract anyone's attention, and thank goodness that it actually redeems itself by the end of the film; while nowhere near as complex or thought provoking as last summer's Philip K. Dick adaptation--"A Scanner Darkly"--it still manages to be a thoroughly entertaining story, a pre-summer popcorn flick with an engaging plot and decent performances.

The film opens in Las Vegas, where Cris Johnson (Nicholas Cage) headlines a magic show under the alias Frank Cadillac. When not on stage, he gambles at local casinos, puffing on cigarettes while trying to manipulate his odds of hitting jackpots. He is, of course, under constant surveillance, and on this particular night, his antics go a little too far, prompting Security to intervene. The situation is made worse when he envisions a casino shooting and prevents it from happening; he makes himself look guilty, and he's forced to escape. This sequence is loaded with plausibility problems; even if you have the ability to peak into the future, it's still impossible to escape the ever-present surveillance cameras (I should know; I've been to Vegas many times). Not only can Security see his every move, they also follow him closely as he darts around the casino. Yet he escapes with ease. He also manages to steal someone's car.

Luckily, the rest of the film succeeds in overshadowing this sequence. This is when FBI agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) is introduced; she's had her eye on Johnson ever since learning of an international threat against America. A group of Russian terrorists have stolen a nuclear warhead and plan to detonate it in Los Angeles, which will result in the deaths of eight million people. Johnson's precognitive abilities are perfectly suited for preventing a disaster of this magnitude, which is why she feels justified in forcing him to cooperate. After all, it's not about him: it's about saving millions of lives.

Johnson, as you might expect, is not anxious to be a pawn of the American government. The most obvious solution is for him to leave Vegas and hide in some remote part of the country. But he can't. This is because, for reasons he can't explain, he's been having visions of a young woman in a local diner, and he simply has to meet her and find out why. This is a troubling situation; when it comes to this mystery woman, he can see far beyond two minutes into the future. It's never adequately explained, even when he finally does meet her after months of visiting the diner, sitting at the counter and sipping away at martinis (you usually don't associate martinis with diners, but I digress). Her name is Liz (Jessica Biel), and she befriends Johnson when he disrupts a confrontation between her and her controlling ex-boyfriend.

It isn't until the two meet that Johnson finally decides to flee Vegas; they both travel to Flagstaff, Arizona, where Liz teaches at a local Native American reservation. Unbeknownst to them both, Agent Ferris and her team are hot on their trail. The same can be said for the Russian terrorists; Johnson is a threat that must be eliminated at any cost.

Parts of this film play like scenes from a run-of-the-mill Espionage Thriller, much like the material of a James Bond story: we have the dastardly plot to destroy a major city; we have the international bad guys; we have the lone figure who has the ability to stop them. This was actually more of a distraction than anything else, which may be bothersome to those who have read the original Philip K. Dick story; to say that this adaptation is unfaithful to its source would be an understatement. But in all honesty, a comparison is completely unnecessary. I say this because the screen story stands on it's own, and for the most part, it works. Johnson is a fascinating character--someone both blessed and cursed with a supernatural ability that could be used for humanity's benefit. But how would it benefit him? "If I help you," he says after he's caught by the FBI and restrained in front of a TV screen, "you'll keep me strapped to this chair forever." He has a point; he may be able to foil this nuclear threat, but it would mean the loss of his personal freedom.

The final sequences of the film follow a fairly routine structure: Johnson teams up with the FBI hoping to save both the population of Los Angeles and Liz, who has since been kidnapped by the Russians. Johnson's ability is used to its fullest at this point; this is a treat for the audience, especially during a climactic sequence in an industrial complex. All this paves the way for an end sequence that I didn't see coming. I won't go so far as to call it a twist ending, but I will say that it was unique. I don't know if the same can be said for "Next" as a whole, but so what? It was entertaining just the same.

Okay, by all accounts I'm supposed to hate this movie. It was critically panned and even the review on the FX movie channel I'm rewatching it on right now gives it one star. Usually I am in full agreement with the professional reviews, but not this time. This is one of the movies that is pure escape for me. I don't analyze every little detail when I watch this movie and I don't find myself being super critical the way I am with other movies. Can't really explain why, but it might have to do with the beautiful theme music, the beautiful settings of the movie, or the incredibly beautiful Jessica Biel. Man this woman takes my breath away and she especially looks lovely in this movie. Maybe I'm soft on this movie because it's about a guy creatively figuring out how to get the woman of his dreams, and I had a similar challenge meeting my current girlfriend. Unfortunately I did not have the main character's ability to see into the future to increase my odds, had to do it the old fashioned way.

There are some interesting twists and turns, and I have to admit I did not see the end coming. I thought it was a very creative use of his ability. The acting is solid, Nicolas Cage is his normal self, and you either like him or you don't, I like him. As beautiful as Jessica Biel is I think she's a fine actress. Julianne Moore is always great in everything I see her in and the rest of the cast is fine as well. I really appreciate the fact the movie never becomes some sappy love story, it never becomes cliched.

So if you're a super critical reviewer maybe you'll see all the plot holes, poor acting, contrived circumstances, and bad script writing, but as I said, none of that stuff entered into my mind. This is not an oscar worthy movie, but it is a super fun escape for a few hours, and honestly isn't that the point of movies in the first place, escapism?