Movie Review Next

Next (2007) 

Directed by Lee Tamahori

Written by Gary Goldman, Jonathan Hensleigh

Starring Nicolas Cage, Jessica Biel, Julianne Moore, Peter Falk 

Release Date April 27th, 2007

Published April 26th, 2007 

Has any writer's work been more abused by Hollywood than Philip K. Dick's work? Sure Shakespeare has been tortured and Stephen King has condemned some of the adaptations of his work but Dick, it seems, has been truly beat up in the adaptation process. For every Minority Report there is a Paycheck. For every Blade Runner, which was tortured in many ways before emerging a cult classic, there is an Imposter.

Now comes Next; an adaptation of Dick's short story The Golden Man. Starring Nicolas Cage as a Vegas lounge magician, Next abuses Dick's sci fi conceits for yet another dull witted, wide appeal, sci fi knock-off.

Frank Cadillac (Nicolas Cage) is a C-list Vegas lounge act. Using his real life ability to see two minutes into the future, Frank, real name Chris Johnson, dazzles out of town rubes by predicting the unpredictable. Chris is attempting to hide the fact that he is clairvoyant by pretending to be clairvoyant, he's worried if someone finds out they may force him to use his gift for ill-gotten gain.

The FBI, led by Agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore), seems to have discovered Chris's secret. They want to capture him and use his gift to prevent a group of terrorists from exploding a nuclear weapon on the West Coast. How seeing two minutes into the future could be helpful is a question the film has an answer to but by the time it gets to it you will be rolling your eyes too much to catch it.

While Chris is using his gift to elude the FBI as well as the terrorist baddies, he finds his gift extending beyond just two minutes when he is with Liz (Jessica Biel), a beautiful stranger who Chris is convinced is his soul-mate. The two begin a tentative romance and together decide whether to help the cops or keep running away.

Next was directed by Lee Tamahori who may be best known for his non-directorial exploits. For those not in the know, the director of Die Another Day and XXX 2 was arrested in 2006 for solicitation. No he wasn't seeking a sex worker, he was the sex work, Tamahori was arrested in full drag. This has nothing to do with Next, it just makes me giggle as much as anything in the goofball action of Next.

The most notable thing about Next is Nicolas Cage's latest follicle debacle. The obviously balding Mr. Cage goes for long hair in Next and well, Nic.. long hair in back, balding in front, not a good look. Beyond the hair, Cage delivers a zombie-like, sleep walking performance ala his work in Family Man or National Treasure. Next isn't quite as bad as Cage's work in The Wicker Man but at least in that bad movie, Cage was awake and engaged.

Poor Julianne Moore. I hope she was paid well for her soul. The former Oscar nominee has made worse films than this, she is in Freedomland for god's sake, and yet she still seems to have too much dignity and class for such trash as Next.

Jessica Biel, on the other hand, is becoming right at home in this type of throwaway, popcorn trash. If you don't believe me, go rent Stealth. Yes, she was very good in last year's surprise hit The Illusionist but the rest of her resume is an ugly mixture of eye candy roles in straight to video features all of which seem to be a silent rebuke of her goody two shoes breakthrough on TV's Seventh Heaven.

One is left to wonder what happened to the family of Philip K. Dick. Do they have no control over what happens to Mr. Dick's work in Hollywood? Are they so greedy that they just don't care? Whatever the reason, it's sad how little care anyone has taken with his work. Philip K. Dick is the sci fi voice of a generation. A man who; seemingly saw the future himself and dramatized it. To watch his legacy trashed by one hack filmmaker after another is a real shame and Next is just the latest and likely not the last example.

Movie Review: Die Another Day

Die Another Day (2002) 

Directed by Lee Tamahori 

Written by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade 

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rick Yune, Judi Dench

Release Date November 22nd, 2002 

Published November 21st, 2002 

I've wondered recently as I awaited the release of the latest in the James Bond series, whether it's the character I like or a perception of the character that I've built in my own mind. I've always thought I liked James Bond, but I don't seek out the films. In fact, I haven't seen any of the Bond movies all the way through since the last one was in theaters. I have my own preconceptions of what Bond should be based on vague memories of movies I haven't seen in years. Maybe that is why Die Another Day is so disappointing, because it doesn't match my memory. It may be quite faithful to the legend as it actually exists but for my notion of James Bond, it doesn't work.

Pierce Brosnan takes on the role of 007 for the 4th time, still in the shadow of Sean Connery and not likely to escape it being that this is likely his last go around with the character. In the opening scenes Bond surfs onto the shores of North Korea and kidnaps a diamond dealer who is on his way to sell diamonds to a corrupt North Korean General. Bond takes the dealer’s place with the intent of killing the General, however his cover is blown during the deal and Bond is captured. 

A flash forward during the credits shows us Bond being tortured for several months ‘til he is freed in a prisoner exchange with South Korea. Under normal circumstances a double 0 agent would be left to die but Bond's bosses fear he may have cracked and before he can give up any important information they trade a most dangerous prisoner, Zao played by The Fast & the Furious star Rick Yune, for Bond.

Now suspected of treachery, Bond must escape his own people and find the people who blew his cover. Along the way, Bond makes the acquaintance of an American operative named Jinx (Halle Berry). The only person who knows who set Bond up is Zao, who Bond tracks to Cuba and finally to Iceland and the part time home of a megalomaniacal diamond broker named Gustav Graves. The connection between Zao and Graves is a good one and typical of the franchise, anyone with a vague understanding of the legend will see through it immediately.

SPOILER ALERT – YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

Indeed throughout Die Another Day, Director Lee Tamohori and screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, tip their hand with a sly wink to the audience. There is not one twist or surprise in Die Another Day save for a terrific cameo by Madonna. If you have seen any of the previous Bond films then you know everything that will happen in Die Another Day, including the agent that turns on Bond, the true identity of Gustav Graves, and where Jinx's loyalty lies. Here is a hint, she is getting her own spin off film so safe to say she isn't the bad guy.

SPOILER ALERT OVER

Director Lee Tamohori is to be commended for the film’s action, which is very well staged. The special effects and stunts in Die Another Day are spectacular. If the only reason your seeing the film is for the action and special effects you will be very pleased. Die Another Day is a well-oiled machine of a movie. Think of it like a perfectly running car engine. It's quite brilliant but do you want to watch an engine run for 2 hours?

Ultimately, Die Another Day has no heart, no soul and no passion. And accuse me if you like of asking too much of a Hollywood popcorn film, I don't care. I need characters and story. Die Another Day has neither. It has paper-thin caricatures going through the motions of special effect and action. And as for Bond, the character is now skating entirely on past glory. That past is quite glorious even in my fuzzy memory but reputation can only carry you so far and Pierce Brosnan, since taking over the role, has brought nothing new to the character. 

In fact, he lacks the qualities that made Bond so glorious before him. Much like his immediate predecessor Timothy Dalton, Brosnan's Bond is wooden and charmless attempting to pass solely on looks and legend. Both Connery and Roger Moore brought unique characteristics to their Bond. Connery's Bond was charming and dangerous and just so cool. Moore's Bond lacked Connery's charisma, but he too was cool and he brought a new humor to the character that wasn't a part of Connery's Bond.

The next in the series is likely to bring a new actor to the role of Bond, and my hope is he can bring something new to the character, but he will need the help of a director with vision and a writer with the wit enough not to fall back on effects and stunts and provide real suspense and, heaven forbid, dialogue. Not too much though, I wouldn't want to take away from the effects too much. Just enough to allow an actor to act.

As a technical feat, Die Another Day is flawless. As a movie, it’s lacking.