Next (2007)

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.

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Gary Goldman (screenplay), Jonathan Hensleigh (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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	...	NSA Director 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 Rahi Chun	...	Davis (as Charles Chun)
Patricia Prata	...	Showgirl

Storyline

Possessing the extraordinary ability to see precisely two minutes into the future, the low-profile Las Vegas stage magician, Cris Johnson, has managed to keep his unusual skill under the radar. However, Johnson's rare talent has caught the attention of the tough counter-terrorism FBI agent, Callie Ferris, who intends to use the illusionist's unfailing charisma to thwart the murderous plans of a ruthless group of Russian terrorists. Now, a stolen nuclear device threatens to level California, as Cris' beautiful girlfriend, Liz, is being used by the criminals to gain added leverage. Can Cris save both the hostage and the city of Los Angeles with his peculiar gift?

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Plot Keywords:

woman in jeopardy | tape over mouth | 7 eleven store | time traveler | fowards time travel | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

At about 1:17, Cage says "...Aim for the door - 8 inches above the handrail." At the moment Moore fires, the crosshairs are about 2 inches above the handrail. This is an old joke.

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Goofs

Liz buys Cris a can of shaving cream. He says "Thanks, I really need this." She confirms it as well. However, he is completely clean shaven when she hands the can to him.

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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!

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Crazy Credits

Right before the credits begin, we see them flash by quickly as if they were one of Cris Johnson's precognitions.

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Connections

Referenced in Rewind This! (2013)

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Soundtracks

Strange Brew
Written by Eric Clapton, Gail Collins and Felix Pappalardi
Performed by Cream
Courtesy of Universal International Music B.V.
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Great mindbender

Next is one of those films that requires a second viewing. There's a lot going on and the plot doubles back on itself multiple times. Granted, there are some plot holes and some motivations are suspect, but overall it tends to entertain and keep you going more often than not.

Nicolas Cage plays Cris Johnson, a man who can see two minutes into the future and predict what will happen. The problem is that the future constantly shifts and every action will change the next future. The fact that he can only see up to 2 minutes ahead also limits him somewhat. It does however help greatly in his magic career as a Las Vegas showman. It also helps when playing small time gambling. Unfortunately, it has gotten the attention of the FBI who want Cris to help them stop a Russia nuclear bomb from being detonated on American soil.

As I said, there's a lot of backtracking in the story, which may serve to confuse some but is really important to the storyline. Cage turns in a great performance as the slightly eccentric seeming Cris. Julianne Moore is fine as a hard nosed FBI agent and Jessica Biel does all she can with a somewhat thankless role as the love interest.

Overall, I really enjoyed Next. It's a fun sci-fi film that is the perfect start of the summer season.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Serbian

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Next

Filming Locations:

Running Springs, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,133,049, 29 April 2007

Gross USA:

$18,211,013

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,621,983

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Revolution Studios, Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1