Next

Review by LMcG

Next is the latest Nicholas Cage action flick, which also features Julianne Moore, two leads that lend the production more credibility than it actually deserves. The plot centers on Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson (Cage) who trades on his secret ability to see two minutes into the future by peddling cheap magic tricks. He does his best to lie low making small winnings off the gambling scene, but when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris (Moore) must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.

Next is a very watchable action-thriller It features some new and interesting set pieces centred around the main character, but struggles with an obviously low budget when the major action sequences take place. The best sequences involve Cris moving in a very choreographed way to avoid gun shots and punches (much like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, but without the slow-mo) simply by calculating at what precise time and what precise direction they will come at, having seen the shots happen two minutes beforehand.

The plot progresses reasonably well, introducing the obligatory love interest in quite an amusing way that is reminiscent of Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Of course this hyper-speed new union plays a major part in the motivation of the central character and therefore lends some predictability to the climax. Attempts are made at clever or at least unexpected ending, but quite frankly this leaves the viewer with a feeling of great dissatisfaction and gets the teacher-style verdict - simply could do better. Overall, Next is not a bad film, its just best enjoyed over a few beers on a Saturday night.