| Product: |
Next (DVD) |
| Date: |
11.01.08 (92 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Couple of decent action scenes
Disadvantages: Muddled Plot, Phoned In Performances
When watching films there are always certain rules to abide by. One of them for me is don't expect anything where Nic Cage wears a dodgy looking hairpiece to be any good. Case in point, Gone In 60 Seconds and most recently Ghost Rider. In Next, he sports some nice flowing locks carefully integrated with his receding hairline. It's a brave attempt but still could have done with some CGI enhancement.
The film sees play Vegas magician Cris Johnson. His act consists of seemingly making things happen just after predicting them. Only it's not a trick, he has the gift of seeing two minutes into the future of his life. Such a skill comes in handy when living in Las Vegas, meaning he can always be guaranteed an income at the casino tables. But wouldn't you know it, there's a nuclear threat on the USA and the fed's are running out of ideas. Using someone who can see into the future could help them but Cris isn't so sure. It doesn't help that the terrorists also want him dead, they don't know why but they assume that if he's wanted to aid the FBI then he's better off out of the picture.
Meanwhile Cris has a lapse in his visions and can see further distances but only concerning one woman (Jessica Biel), so while trying to get in bed with her, he sees the resolution of the whole affair doesn't end peacefully and without death.
If all this sounds like a garbled mess then I'm sorry but that's what Next is. Based on a Phillip K Dick story, I can only assume they've taken an interesting concept and turned it into a hokey Hollywood actioner.
The whole film is confused and just plain dumb. For starters the nuclear threat is skimmed over like a sea breeze, we get no inkling of what the terrorists plot is, they're just there to provide another slight obstacle. Meanwhile Julianne Moore is obviously doing this for the paycheque as she's basically playing her Hannibal role, only a tad bitchier. Meanwhile Biel is old enough to be Cage's daughter so the whole romance aspect is a tad uneven, plus I don't know many women who can fall in love instantly with a man she admits is a little weird. Also it's worth noting that Peter 'Columbo' Falk is in the flick, don't ask me what his purpose is though, it's pointless.
This just leaves Cage, he's always enjoyable and it's not a bad performance. Just a shame that the material needed a lot more thought put into it.
Director Lee Tamahori follows up the terrible XXX sequel with this and it's another black mark on his CV. There's a couple of nice action scenes but everything else is sloppily handled.
Next is not one of Cage's best.
- The DVD -
Next is standard action fare, the transfer is pretty decent although I did tend to find that it highlighted some of the more ropey CGI effects in the film.
Of course the Dolby Digital sound mix is great with plenty of bang's for the buck.
- Extras -
This was a rental copy from EIV who choose not to put additional content on their rental discs. However a glance at the retail version offers little more than some bland featurettes.
- Finally -
In the world of Phillip K Dick adaptations, this is more Paycheck than Blade Runner
Summary: The Minority Report on this is to take a Blade to the neg and do a runner
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