"I've seen every possible ending. None of them are good for you."

Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) possesses the unique ability to witness the events of the immediate future moments before they happen. He, of course, uses it during his magician acts at Las Vegas when under his alter-ego Frank Cadillac. Of course, he has visions of a woman he was supposed to meet in a diner near the Grand Canyon region. One night, after one of his acts, he manages to stop a robbery before it happens, but he's confused to be the robber after holding the gun. Luckily, he escapes, but he eventually becomes a target for one FBI agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore), who hopes to use his abilities to stop a terrorist attack. However, due to recent events as a child, Cris won't have anything to do with it. He'd rather much spend his life with the intended girl in his vision, Grand Canyon reservation teacher Elizabeth Cooper (Jessica Biel). But when a group of Eurotrash terrorists (led by Thomas Kretschmann) kidnap Liz, Cris may have no choice but to be a guinea pig for Ferris.

I'll say this right off the bat: I enjoyed xXx: State of the Union, a critically reviled film from director Lee Tamahori, who was already behind a spy film, the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day. Sure, it was a silly film, but Tamahori managed to film some suspenseful action scenes, and keep the tongue in cheek. It was a guilty pleasure, plain and simple, so I was ready to swallow his next pill: Next, another Phillip K. Dick-adapted film.

It's a tough call at this point. After Tony Scott redeemed himself from a series of bombs (Domino), he bounced back with the intriguing sci-fi thriller Deja Vu, with Denzel Washington no less. This had a similar time-related sci-fi premise, and it was simple, yet deep entertainment. For Next, Lee Tamahori does exploit Cris' clairvoyant abilities, yet he also wants to film go-for-broke action scenes and a tired romantic subplot that ruined a similar Dick-adapted film, Paycheck. Still, until the film ends, I somehow found myself entertained.

Speaking of action, Tamahori does get a little ahead of himself when relying on obvious blue-screen techniques (as noted in the first car chase), a small number of Michael Bay-esque crane swoops, and CGI effects that, while sharp, aren't necessary since Nicolas Cage is adept at action films (his karate fights are highlights). But I wouldn't lie that I wasn't in complete suspense for almost every action scene, making up for any little glitches along the road.

The whiz-bang magic is further complimented with a solid performance by Cage himself. As mentioned above, the actor is not a slouch when it comes to the action genre (Con-Air, Face/Off, The Rock), and his low-key, but focused performance further seals the deal. Whether it's trying to protect agent Ferris from an avalanche of cars and large cement tubes, or fighting off the Eurotrash villains on the docks, any doubts of Cage not pulling it off can be squashed. And his scenes with Julianne Moore, another actress giving top-notch readings, pop and sizzles with energy.

The only weak link in the cast is Jessica Biel. Much like Paul Walker (pre-Running Scared), I'm sort of curious how she's so famous, considering her spotty filmography (well, The Illusionist was her only hit). Yes, I agree, she's got a smokin'-hot physique. But that doesn't make her performance in Next any interesting. You can tell she's somewhat overcompensating herself, especially during a tearful speech in the first half, and it's pretty bland. Regardless, I saw the trailer for her next film, the Adam Sandler starrer Chuck & Larry, and she seems much more loose than she is here, so maybe a little time with America's favorite man-child will hopefully get me on her side.

I can forgive that little snafu. But Tamahori somehow goes nuts and throws in a bit of a cop-out ending after an amazingly-filmed action scene that had me nuts. I don't know why every director wants to make a futile attempt to really pull the carpet under the audience's feet, especially after doing such a good job within 2/3 into the movie. This latest attempt in Next extinguishes all the fire that Tamahori was playing with. The film is alright, but I wish the ending was much more satisfying, just like it was in Deja Vu.