Movie Review (2): Next

Movies Reviews

By Anne Brodie Apr 29, 2007, 9:14 GMT

Isn’t it interesting that just as superhero season approaches, Nic Cage, the quintessential movie rebel, brings an anti-super hero to us? This film tells it like it could be – it sucks to be super.

Cage is quirky and individualistic, and it works well in concert with Tamahori’s positively strange but fascinating direction. They present the dark side of superhero-dom, not inexplicable murderous rage but emptiness of the soul that has to do with ennui, fear, loneliness and resignation. Cris Johnson’s future is bleak because he can’t let people know his power. He would be prey for people more cunning than he is and he knows it.His gift is the ability to see two minutes into the future. He hides in plain sight as a magician and mentalist working tiny empty rooms in Las Vegas. Where if something were to slip, he would be covered, where people are distracted enough not to care.He keeps to himself because he has no choice. Who would understand?One night Johnson foresees a murder about to happen on the casino floor. He disarms the gunman but is then mistaken as the would be killer. He escapes through loopholes he sees two minutes before they are apparent, leaving baffled police in the dust. He heads underground; he simply can’t risk having to tell the truth.Except that the FBI is on to him. They’ve been trailing this low key magician/mentalist and know he has something they want. He can tell them where and when a nuclear bomb is to hit Los Angeles.Julianne Moore is Callie, an FBI team leader with lungs of leather and no sense of humor. Instead of simply telling Johnson that she needs his help in locating the bomb, she attacks and sends him into escape mode.Along the way, Johnson meets Liz, another soul in trouble, played by Jessica Biel. She’s trying to extricate herself from an abusive relationship but her ex- shows up. Liz and Cris set out on the road trip of their lives with the FBI, police and Russian bombers in hot pursuit.Next is not a great movie, but it’s okay, made exciting when Cage does his real life acting magic. He really is fun to watch as he dodges bullets and shoots two minutes before real time.Don’t know what Julianne Moore’s doing here, when I consider her in ‘The Hours,’ ‘Far From Heaven,’ ‘The End of the Affair.’ It’s Clarice Starling redux, but this role allows little development or challenge. She just barks out orders to her team and runs.Director Lee Tamahori has an amazing eye. Much of the film plays out in Grand Canyon, Big Bear Lake, and the desert, massive vistas of erupting nature, places where you’re reminded how great nature is and how small we are in comparison. Tamahori keeps the people tiny in relation to the landscape which is a fascinating cinematic choice reminiscent of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Cage’s anti-superhero is something to be seen. Cage rocks!Next
35 mm action science fiction thriller
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Based on Phillip K. Dick’s The Golden Man
Runtime: 96 minutesOpens April 27th MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, and some language

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Do some researchApr 30th, 2007 - 14:08:49

First of all, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is the book that Bladerunner was based on. So Dick did not write both. He was not involved in the screenplay owing to being dead.

And as for The Golden Man being the source for this movie. That is in itself laughable and pure marketing. It has about as much in common with the short story as the awful Lawnmower Man had with the Stephen King story Lawnmower Man.

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Philip K DickApr 30th, 2007 - 15:42:10

'Do Androids dream of Electronic Sheep' is the story 'Blade Runner' was based on. Dick didn't write 'Blade Runner'.

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Johnny DApr 30th, 2007 - 18:38:33

Dick died after filming of Bladerunner was complete. He commented on how the scenes he saw were exactly what he had in mind. He didn't write the script, but he was a small part of the process.

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Hugh WaynerightJun 20th, 2007 - 21:45:02

Nyah nyah nyah, Nya nya nyna nya nya aaaaa !! Oh shut up Who cares about Dick! Did you see Jessica in her PANNIES? Did you check out that way cool
Dead Hooker on the floor ? What the hell do you guys go to movies for ?
I go for the chicks man !!!

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