I don't really know how to put the thought that came to me while watching _Next_ in a way that makes any actual sense, so I'm just gonna out myself as kind of an idiot and tell you all what that thought literally was: "I'd like to see this movie in a different movie".
_Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._
Great watch, will likely watch again, and do recommend.
While I wouldn't normally consider clairvoyance "time travel", the way it is implemented in this movie is essentially time shifting. He "thinks" himself forward in time, and then essentially time shifts himself backwards to a time before he witnesses the consequence.
It's such an interesting concept, but potentially un-cinematic. They honestly do an amazing job of displaying Nicholas Cage standing in place to "see" and making it seem interesting.
Juliane Moore helps by being a badass lady in charge, but Jessica Biel (a proven entity herself) just doesn't have the opportunity to be little more than a damsel. Cage carries most of the movie, but is a lot less "crazy" than he is in other movies, if that is any comfort.
Definitely check this out next time you're looking for an "out of the box" action flick.
Entertaining if not uneven sci-fi thriller. Nic Cage was fine but it was weird having a guy in his mid-50s (adding black hair coloring didn't make him look younger) wooing a woman in her early 30s, and given the romance was a good part, that is a big strike against. Another strike was some shoddy CGI, seems like they didn't have the budget that would match the action sequences. All that said, found it to be an okay time-waster and an interesting idea that probably would work as a TV series. **3.0/5**
CinemaSerf
September 19, 2022
5
Someone here has been watching too much "Dr. Who"!. Sadly, though neither the acting nor the writing can really capitalise on the quirky theme of this sci-fi thriller. Nicolas Cage is "Cris" (the man clearly has an issue with the letter "h"). Anyway, he has the ability to see two minutes into the future and he uses his skill to best effect as a low-key magician in Las Vegas. He is coasting along fine until FBI agent "Ferris" (Julianne Moore) alights on a plan to use his unique quirk to thwart a plan by some unscrupulous Russian terrorists to detonate a nuclear bomb in California. Things take a turn for the more dangerous for poor old Cage when his girlfriend "Liz" (Jessica Biel) becomes a pawn in the game too. To be fair, it does move along swiftly enough, but there isn't even the merest hint of jeopardy. The dialogue and the action scenarios are straight out of the Janet and John book of join-the-dots disaster thrillers, and Moore is distinctly out-of-sorts trying to hold this derivative and disjointed story together - getting little help from a terribly wooden leading man. It's got straight to video written all over it, and even the most die-hard fans of the genre and these actors are bound, surely, to leave disappointed.
Ok, yes, this is a pretty bad movie, and no movie ever matches up to the Philip K Dick book it's based on, and yes that does go for Blade Runner too. The script is lazy, the plot holes are a mile wide and the technical inconsistencies are eye-roll-inducing. But you know what, it's an entertaining little adventure. Nicolas Cage is always worth a watch and I'll watch anything featuring Jessica Beil. It looks big, beautiful and colourful onscreen. Not everything has to be Shakespeare people, and thank the Gods for that fact.
RalphRahal
January 19, 2025
7
Next (2007) starts with an exciting premise that immediately hooks you. Nicolas Cage plays Cris Johnson, a man with the unique ability to see a few minutes into his future. The first act delivers on the concept, balancing intrigue and action with some fun moments where his abilities shine. It sets the stage for something big, and you can feel the potential brimming as the story begins to unfold.
However, as the second act progresses, the movie starts to lose its way. The momentum slows, and while there are still moments of brilliance, like a few thought-provoking quotes about beauty and perception, it feels like the film is more focused on reaching a predetermined conclusion than fully exploring the depth of Cris' abilities or the psychological impact they have on him and others. The performances from Cage and Jessica Biel are enjoyable, and their chemistry works well enough to carry the more personal scenes, even when the script feels underdeveloped.
Despite its flaws, Next still has moments that stick with you, and the ending adds an unexpected twist that makes you reflect on what came before. While the movie doesn't quite deliver on its full potential, it remains an entertaining watch if you enjoy high-concept sci-fi thrillers. It's the kind of film that leaves you wondering how much better it could have been with a stronger focus on character depth and the world-building around its unique concept.
Review contains spoilers --- You have been warned.
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An interesting and unique take on future prediction in contrast to how most other movies portray them, and personally I think it is the best way to portray the ability, it can be a great inspiration for people to watch, so I would recommend the parts of the movie where more action is shown.
The issue I personally find with the movie that I dislike is the slow development while the genre is an action thriller, I would consider adding the romance genre in consideration to the development that happens and leads later to the actions which later happens in the movie; the actual action and thriller part of the movie I think it is both too short and too long at the same time and it doesn't do the movie right, most of all with an ability like what Cris shows.
I personally like the cunning of the agent Carrie in the end along with the relatively good ending, though I also don't like the timing which the movie gives.
There are definitely some parts that can improve, and some parts that are unnecessary, hence my review of each individual components:
- **Story**: 5/10 - I think personally the story is both too long paced and too short paced, the beginning is far too long with the chase scene, although I gotta give credit for the showcase of the ability and at the same time the subtle foreshadow and misleading of the female romance and important character, but either way it was way too long along with the romance development in the middle of the movie, I think it should've been shorter being an action movie, while the actual action was far too short at the end; I dislike how Carrie and Cris entirely disregard the death of the agents during action which could've been avoided if they decide to let Cris handle the investigation of the deck entirely. I also dislike the nonexistent explanation they have given of how his ability works, and how Liz somehow extends his ability to see into the future along with the open ending given, I would've appreciated to know if they managed to solve the issue and display Cris ability once more instead of being left on a kind of cliffhanger. Another part would be the time inconsistency within the movie, for example in the interrogation Carrie asked Cris to observe 2 minutes ahead in order to find the nuclear weapons location, but 2 minutes isn't nearly enough time to arrive on the site of the place and neutralize it, at least logically thinking. Overall the best and worst parts of the movie balances each others out.
- **Characters**: 4.5/10 - Some of the character's acting are amazing along with their description and personality, while others are particularly lacking. Agent Carrie's cunning is particularly overlaid and it shows her intelligence and confidence very well, particularly in the ending where it looks like she is already expecting Cris with her singular question: "ready?", in contrast Carrie's boss development and acting is lacking, as there doesn't seem to be a consistency with his character and personality, at one point he emphasized to her the importance of time in the situation with the nuclear weapons, but in the next moment he gave her 5 days to get Cris Johnson, I think that's particularly inconsistent with his character. The protagonist's personality is also weirdly written, I think, his personality gave me an awkward feeling of *unpredictable*, though the message of *freedom* which his character is meant to give is well taken and understood, after all, anyone with such an ability would be a great asset. I think my rating will have to be slightly lower after considering the good and the bad.
- **Visuals**: 8/10 - I have to give the visual a good score, because the representation of the future prediction simply gives a higher priority than the details, but there are points that lowers the score overall, the shaky camera during the final shootout is pretty bad, same with the lighting in the ship scene, those could've been better, but I think I understand the reason they were like that, after all it is still a thriller movie and it is supposed to give the spectator a nervous feeling, but I honestly think it only confused me more than giving me the feeling of nervousness.
- **Audio**: 6.5/10 - I will emphasize the audio on the last shootout scene, as they did their job amazingly in that scene in contrast to the visual, as due to the audio I did feel a certain nervousness in if Cris and Carrie will succeed or not in rescuing Liz from the terrorists... But that's all! I don't think I have a good opinion about the audio in any other scene, as it feels like it wasn't even worth remembering, since I am writing this right after finishing the movie and I can't remember noticeable audio in the *first hour of the entire* movie. Either way the score will have to drop due to the last point, even though the last scene helped greatly maintaining at least the dignity of the score.
- **Enjoyment**: 6/10 - Personally I enjoyed only enjoyed the action and thriller parts of the movie, along with the displays of the supernatural ability by Cris, I didn't enjoy greatly the other scenes including the romance, which could've even been the main point of the movie at this point with how large of a chunk it took. I think I will rate my enjoyment a hard 6 out of 10, largely carried by the action and ability shown during the movie.
**Overall: 6/10**
Alas the final score for the movie for me is a hard 6, a fine movie carried by the singular scenes which shows an amazing CGI, but unfortunately that's it, it was simply a bad plot on amazing scenes of CGI, but still enjoyable if the three genres of action, thriller, supernatural and slow-burn romance is your taste, unfortunately that isn't my taste for such movie.
