review: NEXT

Paramount  //  Buy from Amazon.com Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson has a secret... a gift and a curse which torments him: he can see two minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name 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. I should've known better - a film that barely blipped in the theaters before disappearing to a quick release onto DVD does not bode well for an evening's entertainment... but hey, I like (most) Nic Cage movies... I loves time travel.. and I figured a film by the director of "Die Another Day" (possibly one of the best James Bond films) should all combine to create a solid bit o' cinematic entertainment... Wrong. This movie is a stinker - from the opening scene with Nicolas Cage's terrible toupee and even worse acting, it became instantly clear to me that everyone involved in this film must've given up on it before it had even begun, as no one puts any effort whatsoever into their performances or line delivery. Well - to be fair - I suppose I have to give them some credit for delivering their hack lines with a straight face - I actually guffawed out loud at the trite, cheesy dialogue these talented actors were forced to dribble out to collect their millions in pay. Bad bad bad. So bad. Couldn't even finish this one. Video Presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, the film looks great and was beautifully shot. Too bad it's such a turd. Audio A solid, pronounced Dolby 5.1 surround mix accompanies this one, belting out the dialogue and the effects in fine form. Extras making-of featurette "Visualizing the Next Movie" featurette on CG "Next 'Grand Idea'" featurette "Two Minutes in the Future with Jessica Biel" interview Closing Thoughts Great premise dead on arrival thanks to terrible dialogue/acting + minimal extras = tough to even recommend a rental