As a Nicholas Cage fan, I had a very big problem with the movie Next. In it, he wasn’t playing in a typical Nicholas Cage role. Now, I’m not trying to pigeon-hole Nicholas, into a certain characterization, but this character just didn’t work for him. He was an odd bird, of sorts, and while he was supposed to be odd, he really just wasn’t “Nicholas Cage” odd, if that makes any sense.

The movie, for me, started out very slow. It was hard to get into Next. Then there was a period of “interesting” events, which caught me by surprise, but then it stopped being interesting and ended. I had to pause because I wasn’t expecting the movie to end where and how it did. I understood this film was going to end without any type of definitive ending, but I didn’t expect the film to end as abruptly as it did.

Next is a Sci-Fi thriller movie. Nicholas Cage plays Chris Johnson (also known as Freddie Cadillac on stage), a Las Vegas magician with an amazing gift. Unfortunately, Chris sees this “gift” as more of a curse then a blessing. He has the ability to see into the future, which has made the FBI incredibly interested in Chris’ special talent. After stopping a robbery (which Chris had seen was about to happen), the FBI realize just what kind of gift he has, and they need him to help them, by using his gift/curse.

FBI Agent Callie Harris (Julianne Moore) is convinced Chris can help the FBI stop a nuclear attack set to hit Las Vegas, in the near future. While the rest of the FBI is unsure, Callie has faith in Chris’ abilities. Except, Chris doesn’t want to help them so he spends most of his time running away from them. This dates back to his childhood, where he was treated like a “lab rat”, something he hopes will never happen again.

Chris’ love interest is Elizabeth “Liz” Cooper (Jessica Biel). Due to a vision, Chris had known she’d be meeting him and does everything in his power to get her attention. After Liz’s ex-boyfriend beats Chris up, she offers him a ride out of town (since he says his car is broken). Along the way she ends up falling for him. However, she soon learns about Chris’ gift from Callie, which Liz really doesn’t believe until he shows her the capabilities of what he can do. Luckily, Liz likes him, so she wants to help him get away.

Meanwhile, the terrorists are trying to take Chris down, because they know he is the only person who can stop them. Using Liz as bait, he has to decide whether helping the Feds or saving Liz is more important. From here, the film gets interesting, odd, and then it ends. Of course, there is more to it then what I’ve told you, but you will have to watch the film to see how things end.

The visual quality was near perfect. With all the action, I was glad the film was visually pleasing. It kept the movie from being a total dud. The aspect ratio of the transfer is 2.35:1, and it was transferred in an anamorphic widescreen setup. The audio quality is excellent and as expected of a new DVD release. The sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish and dubbing is done in both Spanish and French.

Next, which comes in both HD and regular formatting, boasts at least three special featurettes. The first featurette is called “Making the Next best thing. This featurette has cast and crew interviews. The second featurette is “Visualizing the Next Best Thing”, which looks into the action sequences and any CG effects that were used. The final featurette is “Next Great Idea”, which explores a scene where Chris & Liz visit the Grand Canyon’s Indian Reservation. An interview with Jessica Biel is also included on the Next DVD, though it is short.

Bottom Line: Next had potential, but fell flat when it came down to it. The acting was good, but the plot and a few “wrong” casting choices could have saved this movie and made it a hit. I recommend renting this one before buying it.

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Technorati Tags: Nicholas Cage, Next, Paramount, Jessica Biel, Magician, Sci Fi, Julianne Moore

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