Watchably absurd popcorn flick.
Next (2007)
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Reviews Counted:124
Fresh:36
Rotten:88
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Numerous plot holes and poorly motivated characters prevent Next from being the thought-provoking sci-fi flick it could've been.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for intense sequences of violent action, and some language
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins 8 secs
Genre: Action/Adventure
Theatrical Release:27-04-2007
Synopsis: In the years since his novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? was brought to the screen as BLADE RUNNER (1982), Philip K. Dick's paranoid, futuristic works have frequently made the same... In the years since his novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? was brought to the screen as BLADE RUNNER (1982), Philip K. Dick's paranoid, futuristic works have frequently made the same leap---sometimes as brainy puzzlers (OPEN YOUR EYES, A SCANNER DARKLY), but more often as star-powered action vehicles (TOTAL RECALL, PAYCHECK). NEXT (based very loosely on Dick's short story "The Golden Man") falls squarely in the latter category, with always-game Nicolas Cage as Cris Johnson, a man with the ability to see two minutes into the future. Afraid that all sorts of frightening demands will be made on him if the true scope of his ability becomes known, Johnson limits the use of his powers to a hokey, third-rate Vegas stage show and reading slot machines to gauge their payouts. Meanwhile, terrorists have imported a nuclear device into the U.S., with the intention of detonating it in a major metropolitan area, and F.B.I. agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) has discovered that Cris's ability is no fake and that he might be able to prevent the disaster. Unfortunately for Cris, he has just met Liz Cooper (Jessica Biel), a gorgeous schoolteacher who gets more involved in this international intrigue than she had any intention to. Lee Tamahori (DIE ANOTHER DAY) keeps NEXT's action coming at an admirable clip, fully exploiting the film's gimmick of several possible outcomes to every major crossroads that Cris encounters. Enough things explode, drive fast, and roll down hillsides to satiate any action fan looking for a well-oiled thrill machine. Cage and Moore are their usual likeable screen personas, Biel's Liz Cooper is a suitably crushworthy romantic interest, and Mark Isham's (CRASH, THE BLACK DAHLIA) score provides perfect accompaniment to the proceedings. [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann, Tory Kittles, Peter Falk
Director: Lee Tamahori
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenwriter: Jonathan Hensleigh, Paul Bernbaum, Gary Goldman
Producer: Nicolas Cage, Norm Golightly, Todd Garner, Arne L. Schmidt, Graham King
Composer: Mark Isham
Producer: Nicolas Cage
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Next
"Next" is implausible and leaves many questions unanswered, but the action is so spectacular and the chase sequences so slick %u2014 thanks to director Lee Tamahori's signature style %u2014 that a nutty plot is forgiven.
While some moviegoers will want to talk about some of the really cool concepts the film explores, others will want to rip the movie apart.
Half of Next is a clever, unpredictable thriller... the other half is a sloppy, bloated adventure marred by cheesy special effects and some equally cheesy acting.
The earnestness of Cage and tough-as-nails Moore backfires in the face of godawful dialogue and a very poorly established central conceit.
...a popcorn movie, and it's a lot of fun if you just go along for the ride.
The ending of this film is not just a colossal cheat, it's a hard slap in the face to anyone who has invested his or her time in watching it. The preview audience responded with groans of disbelief and derisive laughter.
Diverting enough, and actually might've passed well as logic-less entertainment if not for the ending.
Jessica Biel puts in an Oscar worthy performance to make us believe a hot babe like her would be interested in a balding, creepy guy twice her age like Nic Cage, so give her some props.
"What about intel?" someone asks. "We don't need it--we have HIM." You don't need to be Cage to forsee we're in for a lot of bang bang and the obligatory shooting of the black secondary character is moments away.
Next is a howler of a movie, the most entertainingly awful flick in quite some time.
If the protagonist of Next were to use his ability to peer two minutes into the future before watching Next, he'd probably have enough to go on to skip it altogether.
After the sleekly aggressive audio-visual assault of Déjà Vu, Next's B-movie-ness is almost charming.
Primarily just a fun, mind-bending story, not too brainy but not too stupid, either.
Although it has some fun effects and trademark Cage zingers, Next can't overcome just how goofy, and even uninteresting, it is.
The tagline says, 'If you can see the future, you can save it.' For that matter, if you don't see Next, you can save 96 minutes. What starts out as a mildly diverting thriller blows itself to smithereens in the final reel.
An extremely simple-minded present-day chase movie...blown to smithereens by plot holes the size of the majestic mountain canyons where some of the action is set.
Slickly produced but much ado about nothing, Next keeps one's interest, only to laugh in your face for caring.
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