Nicolas Cage is comfortable playing Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson in the fun action/sci-fi thriller Next. Cris has the uncanny ability to see two minutes into his future, which compels FBI Agent Ferris (played by a stony-faced Julianne Moore) to convince Cris to help stop a nuclear bomb from going off in LA. Sick of government experiments he was exposed to since childhood, Cris is reluctant, until he discovers that it will ultimately cost the life of Liz, the girl of his dreams (Jessica Biel).
Based on the Philip K. Dick story The Golden Man, Next is satisfactorily directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, Along Came a Spider). The movie is entertaining, especially since the dialogue remained light and didn't assume a serious philosophical route; plus, the action sequences are solid.
It was puzzling, though, to see Biel in a damsel-in-distress role that could've easily been played by any starlet. Her athletic assets take a backseat to her exotic beauty, which could not have been stressed enough by the lovestruck Cris. Those moments, fortified by the lack of believable chemistry between Cris and Liz, were almost always on the brink of comedy, which made the movie unexpectedly funny as well.
Based on the Philip K. Dick story The Golden Man, Next is satisfactorily directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, Along Came a Spider). The movie is entertaining, especially since the dialogue remained light and didn't assume a serious philosophical route; plus, the action sequences are solid.
It was puzzling, though, to see Biel in a damsel-in-distress role that could've easily been played by any starlet. Her athletic assets take a backseat to her exotic beauty, which could not have been stressed enough by the lovestruck Cris. Those moments, fortified by the lack of believable chemistry between Cris and Liz, were almost always on the brink of comedy, which made the movie unexpectedly funny as well.