[Screen It]

 

"NEXT"
(2007) (Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Moderate Mild Extreme *Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Mild Minor Heavy None *Moderate
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Heavy Moderate None Moderate Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Sci-Fi: An FBI agent recruits a reluctant Vegas magician in hopes that his supernatural ability to look into the future can help her find a smuggled nuclear bomb before it's detonated.
PLOT:
Cris Johnson (NICOLAS CAGE) is a low-end Vegas magician -- a.k.a. Frank Cadillac -- whose specialty is being able to predict what will happen just moments into the future. His ability is more than just a stage act, however, as he can see up to two minutes into his future, a gift that not only helps in his show, but also in gambling at the local casinos. His winning streak has not only drawn the attention of a casino's security personnel, but also FBI agent Callie Ferris (JULIANNE MOORE) and her partner Cavanaugh (TONY KITTLES), as well as a group of terrorists led by Mr. Smith (THOMAS KRETSCHMANN).

It seems the latter has smuggled a nuclear bomb into the U.S. and plans to detonate it in Los Angeles, and he and his team are concerned that Cris might be able to help Callie and the FBI find and stop them before they deploy it. Seeing his gift more as a curse, Cris wants nothing to do with Callie's proposal, and easily eludes her team's efforts to capture him since he can see their every step before they happen. Besides, he's fixated on meeting a mysterious woman, Liz Cooper (JESSICA BIEL), who repeatedly appears in his visions, but has him confounded since they appear further out into the future than any of the rest.

Once he finally meets Liz, Cris does what he can to avoid Callie and her team who are racing against the clock to stop the villains who view the seer's death as a must to pull off their plan.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
If they're fans of anyone in the cast or the sci-fi premise, they just might.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For intense sequences of violent action, and some language.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • NICOLAS CAGE plays a low-end Vegas magician who has the supernatural ability to see up to two minutes into his own future. He uses that gift -- that he views as a curse -- in his act and to beat various casino games, as well as to avoid Callie, other FBI agents, and the terrorists who all want him for their own reasons. He drinks, smokes, uses profanity, and has sex with Liz, but does save the day.
  • JULIANNE MOORE plays the FBI agent who will do whatever it takes to get Cris to help the FBI find the terrorists before they detonate the bomb. She uses profanity, lies, and uses coercion in her attempt.
  • JESSICA BIEL plays a young woman who teaches at an Indian reservation and unexpectedly finds herself wrapped up in the predicament. She uses some profanity and sleeps with Cris.
  • THOMAS KRETSCHMANN plays one of the villains who's plotting to detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles and wants to make sure Cris doesn't interfere with their plans.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Here's a brief summary of the content found in this sci-fi film that's been rated PG-13. While no "f' words are verbalized, one is clearly mouthed. Otherwise, there are at least 6 "s" words along with various other expletives and colorful phrases. While we don't see the actual act, off-screen sex is heavily suggested (the couple is seen, presumably nude, under the covers after making out when the woman is wearing just a towel). Other bare skin and some scantly clad women are briefly seen.

    Violence includes various people being wounded or killed by various means (mostly from gunfire, but also some knives), but there isn't a great deal of bloody results from any of that. Non-lethal fighting is also present. For those with low tolerance levels for such material (and/or fear of a nuclear bomb being detonated in the U.S.), it's possible those scenes and other moments of peril might be unsettling or suspenseful.

    Various characters drink and/or smoke, while various bad attitudes are present (mainly from the terrorist villains). If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

    For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that during the opening credits and then again later in the film.

    For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement, some spin around camera shots, and some fast-moving POV shots in the film.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Cris has a martini.
  • Miscellaneous people have drinks during Cris' magic show.
  • Cris walks along with a drink.
  • Cris has another drink.
  • Cris has a martini.
  • A villain downs unknown pills from a prescription bottle.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • We see a dead woman lying on the floor with her eyes open (we later hear her throat was slit, but we don't see any blood).
  • Liz has some blood on her arm.
  • Cris is shot and falls to the floor with a slightly bloody bullet hole in his clothing (but we then see that this was his vision of the future).
  • An FBI agent is shot and we see a hole in his forehead, but no blood.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The terrorists obviously have bad attitudes for plotting to detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. They also try to kill Cris to prevent him from helping the FBI.
  • Callie lies and coerces people to help her, but does in efforts to find and stop the terrorists (see below).
  • Cris uses his ability to see into the future to win at various casino games.
  • Cris takes a man's hat to help disguise himself and elude security personnel looking for him. He then takes a car that's being valet parked, and then eludes the police in a high-speed chase through the city.
  • Callie coerces Cris into helping her (saying she can fix his criminal doings, such as stealing cars to elude the police, etc.).
  • Liz isn't happy to see some guy who tracks her down in a diner, essentially admits that he's stalking her, and then grabs and won't let go of her hand. Cris intervenes, and the guy repeatedly tries to punch him.
  • Callie lies to Liz about Cris, saying he's delusional, and she coerces her into assisting (by putting some sort of pills into his orange juice).
  • We see that the FBI has Cris bound to a chair with some sort of eyewear apparatus across his face, as Callie tries to force him to see the future.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but probably few others.
  • Some kids may worry about the threat of a nuclear bomb being detonated in Los Angeles.
  • While eluding the police at high speeds, Cris crosses a railroad track and is smashed by a train. We then see that was a vision, so Cris guns the car a little faster and darts across the tracks, this time barely ahead of the crossing train.
  • Cris nearly drinks some spiked orange juice, but Liz (who spiked it under coercion by Callie) stops him.
  • Cris has a vision of Liz bound and gagged in a wheelchair with explosives strapped around her body. He then sees those bombs explode (from a distance, and with no blood).
  • Cris stops FBI agents from tripping a laser line emanating from a wall explosive (an agent disarms it).
  • A nuclear bomb goes off, with the fiery shockwave tearing up a cargo ship, but we then see that this was just a vision.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Handguns/Machine guns/Sniper rifles/Nightstick/Explosives/Nuclear bomb: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound, or kill others, and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • We see Callie firing her handgun repeatedly at the firing range.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Do you believe this sh*t?" "Oh sh*t," "That little pr*ck," "Who the hell /is he/are you(people)?" "This isn't a pissing contest," "Must be a bitch to park that thing," "Psycho vibe," "He screams like a girl," "You're odd" and "I sure as hell hope so."
  • Some of the fighting and action might be enticing for some kids to imitate.
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Cris has a vision of a person suddenly exploding from bombs strapped to them.
  • A terrorist grabs Liz from behind.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of suspenseful, ominous, and action-oriented music plays in the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 1 mouthed "f" word, 6 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("pr*ck"), 5 hells, 2 damns, 5 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "Jesus."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • A Vegas showgirl shows cleavage and adjusts her covered breasts in her outfit. Another such woman wears a small bikini-style outfit (that shows cleavage) while on stage with Cris during his magic act.
  • We see Cris shirtless as he changes clothes.
  • Approached by two people at night who say they're with the gaming commission, a casino employee jokes that shouldn't they be at a strip club.
  • Liz gets out of bed and we see her in her panties (and top).
  • Liz walks out in a motel room wrapped in just a towel (that shows some cleavage). She and Cris then passionately kiss while standing (he's fully clothed). We next see them in bed, presumably after sex, with her head on his shirtless chest (we see her bare shoulders and back, while the rest of them is under the sheets).
  • We see Cris shirtless while shaving.
  • Liz shows a little cleavage in a top, and then a lot more in that same top (in a different position).
  • We see Liz in bed with a sheet just over her presumably bare breasts (we see cleavage).
  • SMOKING
  • Cris smokes around 4 times, while Callie nearly smokes in one scene.
  • An older man (Peter Falk) blames his taking so long to walk from one spot to another on his previous two pack a day habit.
  • As he's being put in a holding cell, Cris asks for a cigarette from some guards, but does this to make them drop their guard so he can escape.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • None.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The comment that sometimes magic is the real thing that hides behind an act.
  • What it would be like to see into the future.
  • The time travel type conundrum of seeing into the future and then making a change to prevent that from occurring, thus changing the future, meaning it never occurred.
  • An older man (Peter Falk) blames his taking so long to walk from one spot to another on his previous two pack a day habit.
  • Liz's comment that life is supposed to be a surprise rather than predestined.
  • Cris splits into various versions of himself (representing him seeing different versions of the future).
  • VIOLENCE
  • Cris sees a vision of a robber pulling a gun at a casino and shooting two people (no blood). Accordingly, when Cris sees that person walk up in the present, Cris rushes up and knocks the man back into a slot machine, grabbing his gun, prompting casino guards to pull their guns on him (he manages to escape).
  • While eluding the police at high speeds, Cris crosses a railroad track and is smashed by a train. We then see that was a vision, so Cris guns the car a little faster and darts across the tracks, this time barely ahead of the crossing train.
  • A villain shoots a man in the leg with a handgun and another pulls a switchblade (we later hear he slit the man's throat -- not seen).
  • Liz isn't happy to see some guy who tracks her down in a diner, essentially admits that he's stalking her, and then grabs and won't let go of her hand. Cris intervenes, and since he can see into the future, he avoids the man's various attempts at punching him. During this, he pushes the man aside, and then grabs and bends the man's arm while also pinching his nose. Realizing this doesn't impress Liz, Cris rewinds the scene and then lets the man punch him in the face, flooring him.
  • We see a dead woman lying on the floor with her eyes open (we later hear her throat was slit, but we don't see any blood).
  • On several occasions, we see surveillance footage of Cris pushing the would-be robber into the slot machine (from the scene listed above).
  • To elude the FBI and the terrorists, Cris runs out of a motel room and seemingly leaps into a canyon, but only jumps down a short distance to a path below him. During this, he knows about and thus moves aside from a sniper's shot at him. Following his earlier orders, Liz then drives her SUV into a water tower, causing it to fall over and drag various large objects along with it as it careens down a hill. Knowing what's coming, Cris avoids the falling debris, as must various FBI agents. The flow then hits a bunch of large logs that now also careen down the hill, with Cris barely saving Callie (after she points her gun at him) from being hit by them as well as car that flips over and lands near them.
  • A villain kidnaps Liz at gunpoint.
  • We see that the FBI has Cris bound to a chair with some sort of eyewear apparatus across his face, as Callie tries to force him to see the future.
  • Cris has a vision of Liz bound and gagged in a wheelchair with explosives strapped around her body. He then sees those bombs explode (from a distance, and with no blood).
  • As he's being put in a holding cell, Cris asks for a cigarette from some guards, but does this to make them drop their guard. He then strikes one and kicks another back into a third. He then hits more and then uses a nightstick to strike more of them, including throwing it a short distance to knock another guard to the floor.
  • A sniper shoots Cris who drops to the parking lot (but we later learn he faked being hit while avoiding the shot). FBI agents in a chopper then confront the sniper who fires machine guns at him, but they fire back with the same, killing him (no blood).
  • A large-scale gun battle breaks out between FBI agents the terrorists where various parties on both sides are shot and wounded or killed. As the FBI tries to rescue Liz from a van, a shot near it sets off an explosion that causes the van to tumble. Liz escapes, but a man grabs her foot, prompting her to kick him in the face. More shooting continues, including Callie shooting some dead.
  • A terrorist grabs Liz from behind.
  • Cris is shot and falls to the floor with a slightly bloody bullet hole in his clothing (but we then see that this was his vision of the future). FBI agents then shoot the sniper who falls from his perch and ends up hanging from some chains by his feet.
  • An FBI agent is shot and we see a hole in his forehead, but no blood.
  • Cris has a vision of an explosion causing a catwalk to collapse with him on it.
  • While holding Liz hostage, a villain repeatedly shoots at Cris who keeps walking toward him (we're seeing overlapping versions of his visions of the future). The villain then threatens to detonate the explosives around Liz, but Callie shoots the cell phone trigger from his hand.
  • A nuclear bomb goes off, with the fiery shockwave tearing up a cargo ship, but we then see that this was just a vision.



  • Reviewed April 25, 2007 / Posted April 27, 2007

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