Next - Competent little action flick

Nicolas Cage has done some great films and he has done some absolute stinkers.  And, seeing as he releases about three movies per year these days, he's also made films of every quality level in between. 'Next' sort of falls right in the middle.  It's not a terrible film - it's completely watchable, yet it's hardly ever going to be remembered as a classic, even in the sci-fi action genre.

Cage plays a magician who knows how to do more than just make a rabbit appear out of a hat.  He can see into the future, however he's limited to only the next two minutes and only what's about to happen to him.  An FBI agent (who's definitely not Clarice Starling) played by Julianne Moore seems to think that his 'gift' will be enough to find out where some terrorists have stashed a nuke before it wipes out Los Angeles, therefore she recruits Cage for the job.  Sadly, he doesn't make it easy for her to persuade him, as he's got more pressing matters - namely gradually falling in love with a girl about half his age (Jessica Biel).

Cage's 'ability' lends itself to some neat camera tricks and scenes where you get used to not knowing whether you're watching what's actually happening, or what could happen, depending on whether it's just one of his 'predictions.' So the action is standard and there's the usual chases and gun-fights.  Cage and Biel play their parts as best as the script allows them to, but don't expect any of Cage's trademark 'madness' which will end up as a meme all over the internet.  Julianna Moore also does the best with what her character is afforded, playing a more two dimensional version of a previous FBI agent who is far more 'layered.'

Don't expect any 'character development' with the terrorists.  There's an ongoing joke in the Marvel superhero movies about how 'one dimensional' their antagonists are.  If you think they're cardboard cut-outs of 'evil' then you haven't seen these terrorists.  They're just bad guys who can be shot without anyone caring.  Plus any FBI agent not played by Moore is just there to spout cliches and exposition.

'Next' is the kind of film that you can have on in the background and only half watch and, as long as you're in the mood for a - mainly - action film (the sci-fi is kind of muted) then you'll get something out of this.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that