Next [Blu-ray]

     Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret: he can see two minutes into the future. Sick of the government and scientific interest in his gift he lies low in Vegas performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling winnings. But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles government agent Callie Ferris must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.System Requirements:Running Time: 96 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre:&nbsp;SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating:&nbsp;PG-13 UPC:&nbsp;097361312545 Manufacturer No:&nbsp;131254      The weirdness of actor Nicolas Cage and the weirdness of science-fiction author Philip K. Dick seem like a natural fit. The premise, taken from a short story by Dick, is a good one: A mediocre Las Vegas magician named Chris Johnson (Cage) can see into the future--but only about two minutes at the most. Just enough to pull off his act and to make some money at the gambling tables, so long as he's discreet. Unfortunately, he hasn't been discreet enough; a government agent (Julianne Moore) has sussed out his precognitive talent and wants to use him to track down terrorists. But all Johnson cares about is a beautiful young woman (Jessica Biel, The Illusionist) that he can see in his future--much further in his future than he's ever seen before. Next has flashes that point to a much, much better movie than it turned out to be. A sequence in which Johnson, clairvoyantly explores all the different permutations of how he might approach his mystery woman is both funny and thought-provoking, and when Johnson avoids pursuers by knowing just the right moment to turn a corner or duck his head, it's smart and suspenseful. Unfortunately, the terrorist part of the plot is utterly perfunctory and precognition is reduced to an action movie gimmick. Somewhere in there is the kernel of a romantic comedy about precognition that's just waiting to be made. Cage gives a solid if unsurprising performance, Moore is basically earning a paycheck, but Biel is unexpectedly good (and her part is considerably better-written than your usual romantic interest); her performance suggests a better future than anyone might have predicted. --Bret Fetzer Beyond <i>Next</strong> <td width="33%"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000RZIGUY.01.TZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0"> More Nick Cage on DVD <br> The Author that Inspired the Movie <td width="33%"> The Soundtrack </tr> </p> <strong>Stills from Next (click for larger image) <p> <td><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next1-lo.jpg"> <br> <p> <img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next3-lo.jpg"> <img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next4-lo.jpg"> <br> <p> <img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next6-lo.jpg"> <img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next7-lo.jpg"> <br> <p> <img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/aplus/next/next9-lo.jpg">

Comment:
    This is a very underated film that is entertaining and has action and suspense for everyone. A great twist ending that I didnt see coming. I own the HD-DVD version so if the BD is as good, it will look and sound great.This title is already released on Blu-Ray in the UK so this is a review based on my viewing of this film on Blu-Ray. This will however, not be a review of picture quality or menu fluidity. This will simply be a review about the movie itself, the characters, scenery and the story are all something I will touch upon. When I first saw the trailer for "NEXT" I thought it seemed a bit too corny and a bit too full of CGI to even give us a credible storyline. However I was proven wrong when, after a recommendation from a friend I decided to get this on Blu-Ray. From the first few minutes of this film I knew my first impressions of this film were clouded by partial judgment, as within the first few minutes we were subjected to a slick and stylish action thriller. The story is that a small time Vegas strip magician known as Cris Johnson has an extraordinary gift to be able to see 2 minutes ahead. This to Cris is a curse as he is never surprised and as a child subjected him to rigorous testing which left him bitter and lonely. After Cris sees that a man is about to rob the Casino, he tries to stop him which leads to a misunderstanding and means that Cris has to leave. After stylishly dodging each security guard he manages to escape the Casino and the clutches of the FBI who are chasing him for another reason. A group of Russian terrorists gain possession of a Nuclear device and threaten to set it off in L.A. The Russians want to kill him and the FBI want him to help them prevent this major terrorist situation, the only problem is that Cris is always two minutes ahead of schedule. Nicholas Cage has never really been my favourite actor, but in roles such as this he really pulls off the character brilliantly. Cris Johnson is a man that has never been surprised, he's always been able to tell what happens next and this has helped him escape some sticky situations. Jessica Biel plays the love interest, that admittedly has no real depth to her character or any sort of dimension that would make us care for her and their relationship. Julianne Moore plays the hardarse FBI agent who simply wants him to help prevent the possible deaths of 8 million people. She simply wants him to help prevent the tragedy then to send him on his way, but as she comes to know Cris and how he feels and works she becomes more emotionally involved and it eventually becomes a relationship that is more than just business. Overall the film is quite intelligent and quite slick, the scenes where we see Cris consider all possible scenarios before he takes the appropriate action are very well done. The character of Liz really drags down this movie as the relationship seems rushed and simply doesn't work as the character is very much one dimensional anyway. I honestly think Cage shines in this film and action movies are something that I think Cage can actually carry on his shoulders. This is a very good popcorn movie although it did have its flaws there's no doubt it's entertaining and can give you a good night in.