NEXT is the ridiculous Nicholas Cage 2007 effort that is supposedly influenced by the 1954 Philip K Dick story, THE GOLDEN MAN. With the except for the subject of precognition, there is absolutely no connection to that story whatsoever. Director Lee Tamahori (DIE ANOTHER DAY, MULHOLLAND FALLS, ALONG CAME A SPIDER) and his leading man have a lot in common; they are both manic, gonzo personalities that jell quite well on film together. So, NEXT is all style, all flash, and quirkily entertaining since it is never boring. However, NEXT suffers from the typical Hollywood action film cliches like no logic, no depth, and no consistency. The oddball director serves up the action in a very diverting way, yet Tamahori fails to generate the necessary suspense to make this film satisfying. The cast is delivering their lines with tongue firmly in cheek, as if they are privy to some inside joke. So while the filmmakers position this effort as a worthy Philip K Dick adaptation, it falls well short of TOTAL RECALL or MINORITY REPORT (or even PAYCHECK for that matter).

Chris Johnson (Cage) makes ends meet by performing as a street magician. This career does not net him the money he needs to survive, so he devotes a portion of his money to the gambling establishments that he frequents. He is able to get by with these unorthadox methods of income generation, thanks to his secret ability of being able to see into the future a whole 2 minutes. He keeps his secret of precognition to himself, in fear of coming under control of others. Last thing he wants is his life becoming a circus. When FBI agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) discovers Chris's power, she makes life miserable for him in an attempt to get him to join her team. Agent Ferris wants Chris to aid the FBI in their attempt to locate a nuclear bomb which has been stolen by a group of terrorists. The last thing Chris wants to do is join her team, so instead Chris and his girlfriend (Jessica Biel) go on the run to avoid the government. The group of terrorists soon learn that that Chris is endowed with his precognition, so they make a pact to eliminate him. Now Chris and his girlfriend must avoid the government and terrorists to stay alive...

On the this Blu Ray release, NEXT is presented in a 2.35.1 ratio with a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer that is just stunning. Similar to Alex Proyas (or someone of that nature) director Lee Tamahori has a distinct visual style that really comes out with this transfer. Much of NEXT is a road movie, and in these shots the backgrounds and scenery are impressive. Its all about the details folks, and with this transfer, you can really soak them in. The depth contributes to the high quality presentation here. The cinematography incorporates a really bright color pallete, which comes though nicely. NEXT's one few caveat, however, is the rather unimpressive digital effects sequences which are more suited to an early 1990s movie than a 2007 blockbuster. The transfer renders these effects sequences rather blatantly, which may cause you to groan a bit (like I did). Despite an overall strong visual impact, there are some minor instances of oversaturization, bad fleshtones, and uneven black levels. The authoring is well-done with no banding, wavering, artifacting, or pixelization. 

Paramount Home Video includes an impressive uncompressed PCM 5.1 Surround (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack. Since NEXT is a major action spectacle, the uncompressed Blu Ray mix incorporates cutting edge sound design with powerful lows. The gunshots, explosions, and other sound effects are clear and resonate through the bass. The rear effects are aggressive and match the front soundstage. Mark Isham's keyboardish score meshes well with the other aural aspects of NEXT, and really complements the overall viewing experience. The dynamics, ambiance, and dialog are solid, and never over power the other sound components. While I would not consider this 'reference quality', this PCM 5.1 Surround (48kHz/24-bit) more than gets the job done and there is no weaknesses here.

Paramount Home Video sadly includes a minimum number of special features. However, to their credit, all of the extras (including the NEXT theatrical trailer) are presented in 1080p/VC-1 high definition video. Remember that at this stage of the game, most studios are just importing special features in standard definition, so kudos to Paramount. The entire supplement package consists of several featurettes, kicking off with the 20 minute documentary Making of Best Next Thing. This is the major behind -the-scenes piece with the cast and crew highlight the trials of the production. Cage rambles on about what attracted him to the project in that manic manner that only he can. Visualizing the Next Movie is the 15 minute featurette that explains how they created NEXT's distinctive visuals. The Next Grande Idea explores the precognition in the real world. Any finally, the last documentary is a 2 minute mini-interview with the leading lady called Two Minutes in the Future With Jessica Biel.

NEXT one of the few movies to explore precognition and successfully melds the genres with a Hollywood action blockbuster. Its quirky, its entertaining, and the twist ending is satisfying. However despite the sci-fi connections, there is really nothing here of depth to offer movie fans. This is not THE TERMINATOR, I, ROBOT, or I AM LEGEND. Despite the surprisingly bad special effects, NEXT is certainly worth your time for a rental. Paramount's audio visual presentation is superb. The extras are lean but hey, at least they are in true high-definition.

-  Brian Cleary