Splitting images (Next (DVD))

Name: Ailran

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Product:	Next (DVD)
Date:	28.04.08 (111 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some cool ideas

Disadvantages: Could have been a lot better

Next is a typical Nicolas Cage movie, it is an out an out action thriller, with a touch of science fiction thrown in, full of complete nonsense (based on a Philip K. Dick story) and a no attempt to explain any questions that regularly pop into your head as you watch.

Cage plays Cris Johnson, a Vegas magician who has the strange ability to be able to see two minutes into the future. He doesn't exploit this as much as he could, preferring to stay low key using it for his magic tricks and to make a little extra money gambling.
Unfortunately for him he comes to the attention of the FBI, in particular Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore). She knows there is something odd about him and wants him to use his abilities (amazingly deduced just from watching him play Blackjack it seems) to help her find some terrorists who have managed to get a nuclear bomb into mainland USA (how he is supposed to do this again isn't made clear!)
He wants nothing to do with her, the FBI or terrorists and uses his abilities to avoid being caught by the agents all over the casino where he works (again why he wouldn't want to stop a nuclear attack in his home country is explained).

Cris goes on the run with the Liz Cooper (Jessica Biel), a woman he is not only attracted to but around whom he discovers he can 'see' more than two minutes into the future. He had 'seen' her in a restaurant and had gone there every single day until what he saw happened in reality. I am not sure how this worked because if he could only see into the future around her how did he 'see' her at the restaurant?
With the FBI chasing him will they get hold of him in time to stop the curiously multi European nationals with the bomb?

As you can see Next fails to explain a hell of a lot of the complexities and questions its plot throws up, it still manages to be an enjoyable film. Most of the little niggles didn't occur to me until after the film had finished. Whilst it was running there was enough going on to not only keep me interested and involved.
Next has a whole 'go with the flow' vibe to it that, to be honest, most action films need. The nonsense in the story combined with the images are what often makes a great film. While Next is no classic it is like a good rollercoaster ride... thrilling and fun while on but when you look back at it it was only really ok.

The real standouts in Next, come on you don't expect great acting from the two leads do you, are the CGI tricks used to show how his 'power' works. A scene almost lifted from 'Groundhog Day' showing Cris running through different ways of approaching and chatting up Liz is a lot of fun and when you see how he dodges bullets it is a real eye opener to his 'power' and how having this ability must affect his mental well being!

All in all Next is as full of holes as a colander, but it is enjoyable hokum and is certainly worth watching on TV or by renting...... just don't think about all the plot holes until after it has finished!

Summary: Next time it'll be different