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Next's opening weekend must have been something of a wake-up call to Nicolas Cage. Riding high after the fairly substantial success of Ghost Rider, the third highest-grossing film of the year so far (and one I managed to avoid), Next opened with a resounding thud, collecting only around $7 million. There are a few possible reasons, including lack of advertising, people waiting to see Spider-Man 3 next week, or maybe Cage isn't actually that big a draw. The scathing reviews can't have helped either. I therefore went in with very low expectations, with the only real incentive being that it's based on a Philip K. Dick short story, The Golden Man. For "based on", read "takes a single plot point from but doesn't resemble in the slightest" (I've only read the story's synopsis, but it really sounds completely different) - which actually wasn't necessarily a bad thing for me, because I didn't like A Scanner Darkly, said to be the most faithful adaptation yet. Regardless of their adherence to the source material, Dick adaptations have a notoriously sketchy track record, and the signs weren't positive for Next.
So is it any good? Surprisingly, I found the answer to be "yes". The plot has more holes than Swiss cheese and none of it really makes any sense, but if you can buy into the central conceit - Cage's character can see two minutes into the future, basically - it's quite a solid action movie. Cage's predictive abilities are put to good use in the various set-pieces, such as an early one where he escapes from a Las Vegas casino while being pursued by myriad security guards. For a film that's hardly been publicised, it looks like it's had a fair amount of money put into it; the CGI isn't the best but it does its job, and there's some very good use of locations. The acting is adequate enough, too: Cage is no different from his standard persona, for better or worse; Julianne Moore puts in reliable support (even if she is just in it for the paycheque); and Jessica Biel will certainly appeal to most of the male audience. While the on-screen relationship between Cage and Biel is slightly creepy due to the age difference and it progresses implausibly fast, it's surprisingly endearingly portrayed. Unfortunately the end was a slight letdown as it feels like it lacks a proper climax, although it was unexpected, which doesn't happen often in most run-of-the-mill action films. Fundamentally the chase narrative moves along at an engaging pace and provides an eye-catching and enjoyable diversion.
The summary
If the numerous gaps in logic are ignored, Next is slick, intriguing and doesn't outstay its welcome. Worth a try.
