Nicolas Cage has had some really odd roles in his time. Some of them work for him while some of them don’t. I feel his role in Next didn’t work for him. While the problems are more with the script and the casting then anything else, I feel compelled to point out that having this disc available in an HD format doesn’t really help to sell more movies. A crappy movie is still crappy in HD. It just seems to look better, in all its crappiness, on screen.

The best part of the Next HD DVD is the fact that it is HD. There are no complaints about the HD aspect of this film. However, if that is the only redeemable quality of a film, then there isn’t a lot that can be said to help make the film any better than it is. It is sad that this movie wasn’t better because I’ll admit that I like both Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. I don’t mind Jessica Biel much either, so this movie could have been so much more than it was, with a likeable cast that can actually act when given the right screenplay. Unfortunately, Next wasn’t the right one.

Release Information:
Next was released in movie theaters on April 27, 2007. The HD version and the regular DVD versions were both released by Paramount Home Entertainment on the same date, September 25, 2007. Next is one of the premiere releases by Paramount since it is also available in this HD version, offering a better picture and sound quality then the original. Next has a runtime of 96 minutes in length. It comes in the standard HD DVD case.

Next Plot:
Next revolves around the life of magician Freddie Cadillac (Nicolas Cage). Cadillac, whose street name is Chris Johnson is a boring magician with a small fan following. He is only more interesting when you consider his real talent and that’s not pulling rabbits out of hats. Johnson is able to see into the future. Now by this, I am not talking about Lady Cleo or the visions that you see from the blonde psycho on Court TV. Cadillac sees so far into the future that he knows who he will encounter in his life and how to approach them to get what he wants. Of course, he sees this gift as a curse and this curse is something that fuels the movie, for better or worse.

Also aware of this curse is FBI Agent Callie Harris (Julianne Moore). Harris wants to use the gift to her advantage by stopping a nuclear attack. The FBI is aware that a bomb will be going off in Las Vegas, but that is all they know. Harris is convinced that Cadillac is the answer to her prayers. The only problem is that Freddie is not a lab rat and he doesn’t wish to help.

Most of the movie is a not so elaborate game of cat and mouse. Cadillac chases his love interest Elizabeth Cooper (Jessica Biel – I know…it’s kind of weird). Cadillac runs from Harris. Cooper and Cadillac run from the terrorists. All of this is meant to lead to one big climax, of sorts. The only problem is that while Cadillac can see into the future and can go through various outcomes to find out what the future will bring, it does not mean that we can do the same thing. The climax fizzles and leaves you dead in the water. The experience, which begins on a hopeful yet somber note, ends up failing miserably.

Audio/Visual:
There isn’t any difference in the transfer aspect ratio between this HD version of Next and the original. Both were transferred at 2.35:1. This provides a crystal clear picture, especially on my HD television set. It has nearly the quality of that in the movie theater, which is why I prefer HD anyway. While you may notice a few fuzzy moments, the overall quality is vastly improved from most DVDs that are unavailable in HD. You will love watching this DVD just for the beautiful picture if nothing else.

The audio for Next – The HD Version comes through surround sound on an HD television with a perfect, clear, crisp tone. The audio gets an A+. It was transferred in perfect, True HD 5.1 English Surround Sound. I didn’t have to fiddle with the volume with this one. Now, if only the movie had been good. Next would have received five stars!

There are three languages available for Next . There is English, of course, French, and Spanish. Besides the original True HD sound, there is also the option of DD Plus 5.1 English, DD Plus 2.0 surround French, and DD Plus 5.1 Spanish. Subtitles are available in optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Bonus Features:
One thing that you really cannot complain about is the amount of bonus features available on the HD DVD for Next . Of course, these are the same features found on the original DVD. They just have a better, HD DVD quality to them. The features include three featurettes, “Making the Next Best Thing” (this provides information on making this movie since it was loosely based on a short story, “The Golden Man” by Phillip K. Dick), “Visualizing the Next Move” (this looks at how the special effects and visual aspects of the film were created), and “Shooting the Next Grand Idea” (this featurette looks at the shooting of parts of the movie in the Grand Canyon). Other special features include theatrical trailers for other Paramount movies, bookmarks, and an interview with Jessica Biel, “Two Minutes in the Future with Jessica Biel”.

Bottom Line:
This movie is filled with action and very little substance. The cast suffers because of the script suffers. Still, I had to give kudos to whoever transferred the audio and visual aspects to this DVD. There are a plethora of Bonus Features, which fans of movies seem to love. If only this movie were good, this would be something I would recommend wholeheartedly. Action fans may want to rent Next (in any form HD or otherwise) before purchasing a copy of it. You never know. You may disagree with me and like it. All I’m saying is that it wouldn’t be the first time.

Rating:

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