Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5057 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-24
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The weirdness of actor Nicolas Cage and the weirdness of science-fiction author Philip K. Dick seem like a natural fit. The premise, taken from a short story by Dick, is a good one: A mediocre Las Vegas magician named Chris Johnson (Cage) can see into the future--but only about two minutes at the most. Just enough to pull off his act and to make some money at the gambling tables, so long as he's discreet. Unfortunately, he hasn't been discreet enough; a government agent (Julianne Moore) has sussed out his precognitive talent and wants to use him to track down terrorists. But all Johnson cares about is a beautiful young woman (Jessica Biel, The Illusionist) that he can see in his future--much further in his future than he's ever seen before.

Next has flashes that point to a much, much better movie than it turned out to be. A sequence in which Johnson, clairvoyantly explores all the different permutations of how he might approach his mystery woman is both funny and thought-provoking, and when Johnson avoids pursuers by knowing just the right moment to turn a corner or duck his head, it's smart and suspenseful. Unfortunately, the terrorist part of the plot is utterly perfunctory and precognition is reduced to an action movie gimmick. Somewhere in there is the kernel of a romantic comedy about precognition that's just waiting to be made. Cage gives a solid if unsurprising performance, Moore is basically earning a paycheck, but Biel is unexpectedly good (and her part is considerably better-written than your usual romantic interest); her performance suggests a better future than anyone might have predicted. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
In the years since his novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? was brought to the screen as BLADE RUNNER (1982), Philip K. Dick's paranoid, futuristic works have frequently made the same leap---sometimes as brainy puzzlers (OPEN YOUR EYES, A SCANNER DARKLY), but more often as star-powered action vehicles (TOTAL RECALL, PAYCHECK). NEXT (based very loosely on Dick's short story 'The Golden Man') falls squarely in the latter category, with always-game Nicolas Cage as Cris Johnson, a man with the ability to see two minutes into the future. Afraid that all sorts of frightening demands will be made on him if the true scope of his ability becomes known, Johnson limits the use of his powers to a hokey, third-rate Vegas stage show and reading slot machines to gauge their payouts. Meanwhile, terrorists have imported a nuclear device into the US, with the intention of detonating it in a major metropolitan area, and FBI agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) has discovered that Cris’s ability is no fake and that he might be able to prevent the disaster. Unfortunately for Cris, he has just met Liz Cooper (Jessica Biel), a gorgeous schoolteacher who gets more involved in this international intrigue than she had any intention to. Lee Tamahori (DIE ANOTHER DAY) keeps NEXT's action coming at an admirable clip, fully exploiting the film’s gimmick of several possible outcomes to every major crossroads that Cris encounters. Enough things explode, drive fast, and roll down hillsides to satiate any action fan looking for a well-oiled thrill machine. Cage and Moore are their usual likeable screen personas, Biel's Liz Cooper is a suitably crushworthy romantic interest, and Mark Isham's (CRASH, THE BLACK DAHLIA) score provides perfect accompaniment to the proceedings.

Customer Reviews

Why is everbody so unhappy?
When I saw all the poor reviews I felt I had to defend this film. This is not highbrow drama, made to make a bold statement about the human condition. This film is entertainment. Yes its unbelievable, Yes it has some dodgy plot twists and the end is not as conclusive as we have been led to expect in happy ending hollywood films. But does this matter. As a bit of a brainless film to watch its great. Doesnt pretend to be anything else. Goodies, Baddies, superpowers and the end of the world. Who needs more after a hard day. I saw it in the cinema and still bought the DVD. It honestly isnt as bad as its made out to be by some, just dont expect Shakespeare

Entertaining
I've been somewhat of a Cage fan since his brilliant double act with Sean Connery in "The Rock". Alas, nothing he's done since has come up to that standard (but then Connery tends to lend class to anything in which he appears). This cute little film is no exception. Nevertheless, I found this story of a guy who can see two minutes ahead to be rather entertaining - the trying out of various approaches to the girl of his dreams is particularly funny, as his his escape from the casino, in knowing precisely where to stand and where to turn every time, to avoid pursuing Federal agents. The terrorist plot, with its bizarre babble of languages, is, well, bizarre and unconvincing, and Julianne Moore has little to do except appear grim and determined. However, the ending is rather neat and surprising. Perfect fare for long airline flights and times when you don't want to be mentally stimulated.

Exciting SF inspired by "The Golden Man" by Philip K Dick
Nicholas Cage produced and took the lead in this clever, action-packed film inspired by "The Golden Man", a short story by Science Fiction author Philip K Dick.

Quite a few of Philip K Dick's stories have been made into films -"Minority Report" and "Paycheck" spring to mind. In my opinion this is one of the best and more imaginative, though certainly not the closest to the original. The hero of "Next" takes his name and his special abilty from "The Golden Man" and some of the action scenes brilliantly bring to life equivalent passages from the short story, although the setting and plot are completely different. Where Philip K Dick's original was set in a time after a war where the government hunts down and euthanises all mutants including those with special abilities, "Next" is set in a time like our own, in which a government faced by a serious terrorist threat is looking for any angle, no matter how strange, to help defeat it.

Cage plays Cris Johnson, who has the psychic ability to see into the future - but usually only two minutes into the future, and then only if it is something which affects him. Then he sees a beautiful woman (Liz, played by Jessica Biel) visit a restaurant at a specific time of day at some uncertain point in the future, so he waits there for a few minutes each day at that time until she appears.

Cage has been earning a living on the stage using his talent to do "magic tricks" and supplementing it with a little gambling. But unknown to him, FBI special agent Callie Ferris, played by Julianne Moore, has become aware of his abilities and is convinced his talent is real. She is desperate to apprehend a group of terrorists who have stolen a nuclear warhead and is trying to recruit Cris in the hope that he can help to find the nuke before the bad guys set it off.

Unfortunately for both Cris and Liz, the terrorists discover that the same Federal agency which is hunting them is also very interested in Cris. (This isn't stated in the film at any stage but I assumed while I was watching the film that the terrorists are supposed to have either a mole or some kind of highly effective bug inside the FBI.) So the terrorists decide to kill Cris as a potential threat or use someone close to him as a hostage or as bait to flush him out ...

The action is pretty much non-stop, usually highly dramatic, and has some original twists, the acting is mostly pretty good, and although there is the odd hole in the plot it is not too difficult to suspend disbelief. The twist at the end is very clever.

No, it is never quite explained who the terrorists are or what their objective is, other than that they are a group of ruthless, highly trained and well equipped french-speaking caucasians who want to nuke Southern California. Sadly, in the world we are living in today, the presence of a group of terrorists supported by considerable resources who are prepared to go to great lengths, including the loss of their own lives, to blow up innocent people, is hardly the most implausible part of the film.

I'm surprised this wasn't more successful at the box office, I thought it was a very good film, especially if you like Sci-Fi thrillers. If you enjoyed either Paycheck or Minority Report, you will very probably like Next.