Next (2007)

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers (WGA):

Gary Goldman (screenplay) and
Jonathan Hensleigh (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

If you can see the future, you can save it.

Plot:

A Las Vegas magician who can see into the future is pursued by FBI agents seeking to use his abilities to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Seeing The Future | Silencer | Shot In The Forehead | Shot To Death

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Cris Johnson
Julianne Moore	...	Callie Ferris
Jessica Biel	...	Liz Cooper
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Mr. Smith
Tory Kittles	...	Cavanaugh
José Zúñiga	...	Security Chief Roybal (as Jose Zuniga)
Jim Beaver	...	Wisdom
Jason Butler Harner	...	Jeff Baines
Michael Trucco	...	Kendall
Enzo Cilenti	...	Mr. Jones
Laetitia Danielle	...	Miss Brown
Nicolas Pajon	...	Mr. Green
Sergej Trifunovic	...	Mr. White
Charles Chun	...	Davis
Patricia Prata	...	Showgirl

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, and some language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Ireland:12A | Australia:M | South Africa:13V (original rating) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Malaysia:U | Finland:K-15 | UK:12A (original rating) | Germany:16 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | South Africa:10V (DVD rating) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | Norway:15 | Denmark:11 | France:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42014) | Italy:T | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)

Trivia:

The terrorists communicate in French and speak English with a French accent. But when the sniper misses his shot, he curses in Serbian.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The characters visit the Indian village of Supai, Arizona, and two of the associated waterfalls, Havasu and Mooney. In the film it appears that they park their car and walk to these locations in regular street clothes and very quickly. In actuality the village of Supai is 8 miles (through the desert) from the parking lot. Havasu falls is another 2 miles beyond that and Mooney falls is 2 more miles plus a nearly straight vertical climb of 150-200 feet to the bottom. Accomplishing this trip, at the very least, would require carrying a water supply and wearing appropriate boots and clothing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Emcee: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the man who knows what you're going to do before you do it. The amazing Frank Cadillac!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Strange Brew

A Good Idea from Philip K. Dick Slips Away in the Script

Philip K. Dick has been the resource of stories for some very exciting films (Minority Report, Total Recall, Blade Runner), but in NEXT, his short story 'The Golden Man' as adapted by Gary Goldman and directed by Lee Tamahori, the concept of precognition as a human feature in altering the future falls into a video game format that becomes more action film and less human interest tale.

Cris Johnson AKA Frank Cadillac (Nicholas Cage) is a sloe eyed Las Vegas grungy magician who has found a way to hide the fact that he has the gift to see two minutes into his future, a gift that rewards him at the gambling tables but draws attention from the FBI after a thwarted attempt on Cris' part to stop a robbery is captured on video tape. The FBI, especially Agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore), knows that a nuclear device has entered the USA by terrorists headed by 'Mr. Smith' (Thomas Kretschmann), and that if the device cannot be traced, a nuclear bomb threatens the lives of millions of citizens. Agent Callie observes Cris' talent and engages him to aid in the discovery of the site of the device. But Chris' powers lead him to a beautiful young woman Liz (Jessica Biel) with whom his powers to see into the future can be extended for more than the requisite 2 minutes. After a series of 'attempts' at introduction, Cris and Liz bond, allowing Cris' expanded powers to be of more help to the persistent Agent Callie. From that point on the film dissolves into yet another combustible crashing action flick with endless CG special effects, all but erasing the character development. And the ending is as one might expect - not very Philip K. Dick in style.

Cage and Biel do well, Moore seems bored with her character, and Kretschman yet again embodies the evil of terrorism and beyond. There are some rather extraneous scenes on an Indian reservation that add little except the beauty of the Grand Canyon to the story, and there are some truly funny scenes of themes and variations on the chances we take in approaching a potential love source. But in the end all gets rather lost in the explosions ad infinitum that mark the film as a routine action flick. Grady Harp