Nicolas Cage, an infamous factor of the old hit-n-miss formula, recently falling among the latter, yet again yields another pooper! What’s Next?

Next
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel
Releasing: April 27, 2007
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 96 Minutes

Next is helmed by director Lee Tamahori, who formerly did the ridiculous Die Another Day, nearly obliterating the Bond franchise in its entirety, and Oscar worthy XXX: State of the Union staring the greatest action star/comedic mastermind of our time, Ice Cube. His new film, Next, is based loosely off Phillip K. Dick’s 1954 short story entitled The Golden Man without the mutant X-Men like concepts (as a side note relating nothing to this film, if you haven’t read Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? yet, you really should, today!).

On to the film… Cris Johnson (Cage) has a rather nifty handy little supernatural ability that most politicians, gamblers and street thugs alike would sell their souls and DNA to possess: The ability to foresee the future two minutes from the present. But like all superpowers are to their “unfortunate” carriers, this one causes great strain on poor Cris, forcing him to keep a low profile in Vegas as a smalltime magician making a few extra bucks on the side as a gambler (probably what any person with half a brain would do in his similar situation) to avoid suspicion.

But darn it, a bunch of jerk terrorists decide to smuggle a nuclear bomb into Los Angeles and the FBI, led by Agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore), needs Cris to help them track it down before detonation reaches its purpose. This also doesn’t help much with Cris’ love life when he meets Liz (Jessica Biel) who can’t resist his amazing ability to say all the right words at the right time personality. (Didn’t she also fall for a magician in her last flick The Illusionist? Coincidence?) But for no explanation whatsoever, Liz is unique in that Cris can see the future further than two minutes in advance when she is involved, which plays heavily into the plot as it unfolds. And thus Cris embarks on a spine tingling suspenseful journey complete in his Last Action Hero wardrobe of a poop brown leather jacket over a wispy t-shirt in search of the terrorist group before time runs out.

The insanely CheezeWiz acting could have been the worse part of this film. Nicolas Cage is a given nowadays. Jessica Biel is hot although barely tolerable in this one. But Julianne Moore as a better actor than the two combined in my opinion was a huge and surprising disappointment. I suppose Tamahori is more to blame for this but it was very upsetting to see this as her follow up role to last years hands down best film of the year, Children of Men. Oh and Columbo’s little cameo was sadly wasted and thankless. In my opinion supported by fellow writer, Spyder, the only person who showed any kind of genuine emotion was the hottie news reporter in her reaction when a bomb goes off killing a human being on live TV while she is speaking. Bummer.

The next problem I had with this film was the suspense factor being exceptionally limited, due mainly to the story setup. I mean the guy can see into the future and take whatever precautions needed to avoid fatalities, which is cool, but it doesn’t create too much of a concern with the audience for his well being since, well, he can see into the future. Cris would be a huge jackass to get killed when he saw it coming two minutes from now. Consequently when any heart pounding, “Holy underwear Batman! Is he gonna make it?” suspenseful scene arises, I felt it was a bit restricted.

However, it did have its pleasurable moments as well. The scene where Cris meets Liz for the first time and uses every possible come on until the right one works is rather humorous. And the resolution in the third act was rather clever when he exponentially multiplies into many Cris Johnsons in search of bombs, booby traps and whatnot.

As a side note, this movie would make a great videogame if I may say! Take the trailer scene where he’s fleeing the police, has a flash-forward that he is traveling 80 miles an hour only to get creamed by a train, then flashback to the present he then guns it to 110 miles an hour barely skimming by in time, Fast and the Furious style. He’d have infinite lives! I’d play it!

All-in-all I felt this was a movie that could have been great, beyond great if it weren’t for the horrible direction it was taken and executed upon. It’s a shame as well since I was hoping Nic Cage would finally win his way out of his monumental losing streak, but oh well. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll do Ghost Rider 2!

It gets a generous, generous 2 out of 5 stars from me!

Official Movie Site: nextmovie.com