Starring: Nicholas Cage, Jessica Biel, Julianne Moore
Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Science Fiction, Action
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A magician (Nicholas Cage) has the ability to see two minutes into the future. A government agent (Julianne Moore) contacts him and wants to use his gift to stop an impending nuclear attack. Reluctant to be exploited, he uses his gift to evade capture.

Review:

Tim: For a while, I thought this movie was going to be okay. That is, until it ended and I saw it for the stinker that it is. Sometimes, things just do not go right, and you are left with a dud. This movie is a complete mess, feels chaotic, and not very well put together. It feels like everyone involved mailed in their performances, and no one was particularly interested in making a good product (although they do seem to be very much interested in the paycheck). This is why some people don't like science fiction movies. When it works, it really works. When the genre doesn't work, we are left with a steaming pile, like this movie.

Nicholas Cage isn’t exactly miscast in his lead role. I'm not sure who else in Hollywood would have done a better job of going down with the ship. Mostly, he seems like he is disinterested, as if he could care less how the movie turns out. I have no way of knowing if this is true, but he just comes across as if seeing only dollar signs. Jessica Biel feels as if she was miscast. She and Cage don’t have the greatest amount of chemistry, and she looks like she’s completely lost (although I will give her credit for at least giving the impression that she was really trying). At one point in time, I would have said that Julianne Moore should have known better. However, after seeing films like Freedomland, I'm not entirely sure she does. She takes the role reluctantly, with that same air of not really caring how she does. The cast in this movie all seemed quite pathetic.

This is all too bad, because a movie about a man who can see 2 minutes into the future seems like it would have been really interesting. That's a movie that I would eagerly see. However, when none of the pieces fit very well together and everyone involved seems to be cruising on autopilot, you’re left with a disappointing movie that rarely entertains. The film’s conclusion feels as if it was supposed to be edgy and interesting, but it doesn't work, and you’re left thinking, “That was it?”

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 4

If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Snake Eyes, Paycheck