Time Flop! (Next (DVD))

Member Name: thedevilinme

Product:	Next (DVD)
Date:	29/03/08 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Silly but fun

Disadvantages: Chunky & Cheesy

NEXT!

I needed something silly and dumb for yet another wet weekend forecast and so after speed dialing my ex girlfriend I got no luck, so instead I decided a trip to Blockbusters would be more rewarding. Because its nearly April most of us have seen all the films we want to see on the cheap rack and so scratching around on the bottom shelf to make up a 3 for £.6.50 deal at Blockies. Although 'Next' is below the plimsole-line rating on Imdb.com at 6.2, I had little choice but to rent this from what was left to find three remotely watchable films with everyone else going for cheap DVDs over their ex's...

'Next', staring the always loveable Nick Cage, has the distinct feel of a pilot movie for a tacky sci-fi series about it, the simple angle here being that Cages character can see two minutes into the future and so benefit from it, be it financially or with the chicks etc. In fact I'm extremely surprised there isn't a TV producer out there in some neck of the woods that hasn't had this idea. It's so suited to the 'goggle box' I think I might pitch the idea myself. Anything but Lost!

To be fair its ok - harmless popcorn film fun with a guy who knows how to deliver these movies. Be it with his stock withering pathos look to camera or flashing his $7.000 dollar teeth (care of Joel Schumacher, who insists all his leading men have new teeth for his movies, Cages nashers for Con Air...), Cage can carry this stuff with ease. Yes the movies dumb but most of the cinema audience is in America.

-The Plot-

Cage plays Chris Johnson, or A.KA Frank Cadillac, a small time Vegas stage magician who uses his unique trick to turn a buck. And when he's not being legit on stage he's cheating the black-jack and roulette tables by similar method, only winning small amounts so not to get noticed. Everything is going ok until he thwarts an armed robbery in a casino, an action that brings him to the attention of the F.B.I., who have some how twigged he can do what he does and they are on his immediate tail, Johnson using his skills to evade them.
It's rather fortunate for Agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) that he does have the powers he does. Apparently some nasty terrorists are planning to ship a nuclear bomb into America and the F.B.I. has no idea where it is. But why would Frank Cadillac, a smoky room magician know where and when?

The key to the search is Liz Cooper (Jessica Biel), a beautiful young woman that Johnson has seen in an unusual vision, unusual because its not two minutes ahead, he waiting at the same diner in his dream every day at the exact second hoping she comes in, he not knowing how many times he will have to repeat that exercise. All he knows is that he has to meet here and its destiny, but unbeknown to him, not just because he has the hots for her. It's far deeper than that.
But the F.B.I. are not the only ones interested in Johnson, a crack team of assassins having him in their cross-hairs. Now, using his ability, he has to figure away out of this by constantly jumping forward two minutes to poke his head around the quantum corner.

-Cast-

Nicolas Cage ... Cris Johnson
Julianne Moore ... Callie Ferris
Jessica Biel ... Liz Cooper
Tory Kittles ... Cavanaugh
José Zúñiga ... Security Chief Roybal (as Jose Zuniga)
Jim Beaver ... Wisdom
Jason Butler Harner ... Jeff Baines
Michael Trucco ... Kendall

The 'Hoods'

Thomas Kretschmann ... Mr. Smith
Enzo Cilenti ... Mr. Jones
Laetitia Danielle ... Miss Brown
Nicolas Pajon ... Mr. Green
Sergej Trifunovic ... Mr. White

-Conclusions-

With that television appeal of the likes of Heroes and Quantum Leap, crossed with the pace of 24, I'm pretty sure this script was originally not meant for the multiplexes, but they got Cage onboard and it got the green light to feature film it. The dialogue is chunky to say the least and if you aren't up with the plot for some unknown reason then that read my lips, this bits coming up next guys with increased volume to camera, will help. At one point you expect the A-Team to jump out of the back of the van and Mr.T to declare he 'Aint getting on no plane' it's that two dimensional. There's also some very blatant motor vehicle product placement on here with brand new shiny silver cars in nearly every sequence, turning the film into a car-lot! In keeping with the product place meant theme it actually won an award, the California On Location Award, or COLA for short.

It's fair to say that 'Next' is instantly forgettable film and should only really be rented as part of a 3 for £6.50p weekly deal at Blockbusters and has no real substance or credibility in the action genre. It's a nice paycheck for Cage and the impressive Julianne Moore and Cage does earn the film a third star because he gives it a bit of class and always tries, as he clearly didn't in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. This film and script is in the John Claude Van Dame death zone folks and in the 80s it would have been him or Michael Dudikoff in the lead to secure its straight-to-video obscurity. But it is just good honest no brainier fun.

-Ratings-

Imdb.com scores it 6.2 out of 10.0 (24,154)

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Blockbusters 3 for £6.50p range...
96 minutes
Action cheese rating
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Summary: Straight-toTV..