Déjà Vu Reviews

I didn't really know what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Tony Scott and Denzel Washington, I thought I should it a give it a try. First of all, you can say whatever you want about Tony Scott but the guy definitely can direct an action movie. It is like Denzel Washington. He basically spent his all career playing the same character over and over again (with a few notable exceptions) but I actually don't care since he always thrills me. Here, working together again (they made 5 movies together eventually), they both managed to transform this rather preposterous story into an explosive action feast and I was really entertained throughout the whole thing. You also have Val Kilmer and Jim Caviezel in supporting parts but I thought they were both rather under-used which was really too bad. Was it possible to get more, to get something better from this plot? I highly doubt it but it is a compliment to Scott and Washington's talent. To conclude, it is a rather standard but very well made action flick and it is actually worth a look, especially if you are looking for some brainless action flick.

I'll get over the plot of this movie right away: It is by far the most extraordinary amount of bullshit and techno-babble I have seen in ages. The amount of that terrible techno-babble even exceeds the ludicrous amounts that Star Trek had. There's an actual moment where the characters engage in a pseudointelligent conversation regarding the physics of the entire time machine video thingie. They try to make it seem possible by using fancy words that the writers hoped the viewers would adapt as actual words in their head, and the writers obviously assumed that none of the viewers didn't know anything about the basics of time and space. Hell, I don't know shit about them either, but I can tell when I'm being subjected to techno-babble and bullshit. I mean why should they try to make us believe that something in a movie that obviously bases itself on a fantasy world unlike ours would actually be possible in our world? Deja Vu has magnificent action and a nice premise, so why bother our heads with dull dialogue that we know is in no way intellectual or interesting? It makes no sense, bring in the action already! I must say that how they did the whole time seeing thing was kind of impressive, especially a chase scene around the middle of the movie where Washington is chasing a man from the past with a humvee (this is a Bruckheimer production after all) in the current day.

Tony Scott is a great visual director. He can make things look really cool and such, but he is terrible when it comes to creating actually intense sequences, which is something that was already apparent in his previous movie, Man On Fire, in which the last hour was somewhat boring, monotone action. He is pretty decent when it comes to the dramatic moments. The camera work is actually relatively impressive at a few points. Also, thank god that Scott didn't go over the top with the color filters and such like he did in Man On Fire, it wouldn't have fitted this movie. It must be said though, that the man has kinda gone low. I mean he directed True Romance, and now he's making movies like this? He deserves better. The acting here was rather questionable. Washington obviously did this for the paycheck, and showed little to no effort in maintaining his character as a believable human being. Kilmer has done nothing in the last years except cashing in on those paychecks as well, so his performance was pretty much the same as Denzel's: Mundane. The female character here is the ultracliched black woman™ who provides the most unbelievable and idiotic movie romance of all time with Denzel. Nothing whatsoever stands out from the rest of the cast, because the screenplay is good in nothing but creating these cliched run of the mill unbelievably predictable charecters who do exactly what you expect them to say and do exactly what you expect them to do.

All and all, I enjoyed the action scenes in Deja Vu, but the movie tries too hard to make itself seem plausible or realistic, and fails miserably. This, like the 2006 movie Lucky Number Slevin, simply ruins itself by trying to be smart and witty. Underneath the pseudointellectual shell is nothing more but a run of the mill CSI episode combined with a few action scenes.

With all of the excellent films that Denzel Washington has starred in over the past ten years or so, including American Gangster, Training Day, Man On Fire, Inside Man, etc., this picture definitely proves it has what it takes to meet those expectations. With over the top action, a great story, a great cast, and pretty neat looking high tech gadgets to go back in time, this is by far one of the best films of 2006.

The story is about a man named Keith Frazier (Washington) who works for the ATF, which the meaning of is away from me at the moment. He realizes he can go back into time in order to save a woman from being murdered. The way she is killed before going back in time I believe is a boat explosion, though it has been quite awhile since I viewed this film. Anyway, he goes back into time and begins unraveling all sorts of clues in order to figure out how to save her, while in the process falling in love with her. That is the plot in a nutshell.

In my opinion, the two falling in love was a great addition to the already excellent story. It made the film that much more enjoyable and edge of your seat exciting. I can honestly not think of any flaws in this film.

Bottomline, see this film if you haven't. You will be very happy that you did.

Very interesting new age sci-fi thriller. On one hand, time travel has been beaten to death inside the movie genre, but on the other, this seemed very fresh. Kept me on the edge of the seat the whole time. A must see.

Wow! I really liked this movie! I didnt expect it to be this good, for me to enjoy it this much, but i certainly did.

Denzel Washington is an awesome actor. He is so tallented in so many different ways and in that way he was perfect for his character in this movie.

Some parts very confusing i must admit, but most of the time i just sat back and enjoyed the chills and thrills of this movie! Its an easy 8/10 and probably deserves a higher rating.

A good movie, with good acting---as long as you don't think too hard about the obvious problems in the story....problems that will always exist in such time travel-type stories.

The one thing I found really hard to believe was that, while working to find a terrorist who killed hundreds of people, Denzel Washington's character was allowed to drive recklessly, causing all kinds of accidents (and not minor ones), possibly killing others in the pursuit of one man.

This movie was also predictable...I saw the outcome from the beginning of the movie, so I wasn't surprised when the story took the course I saw coming, but I still found myself glued to my seat in order to finish watching the movie, which was pretty good, despite the obvious flaws.

While not too bad a concept and story line I found what they did with it to be mediocre. Denzel Washington was great as usual (when isn't he?) and there was a good enough amount of action for the action buffs but after I found out how they got their surveillance it seemed to me that it was pretty predictable. If you want something that's action packed and just a bit of fun to fill in a lazy Sunday afternoon then this movie is for you. If you want something with depth and that will keep you guessing, I recommend watching something else.

I just sat down to watch this, with family.
What we expected: a typical Hollywood action-packed blockbuster with a great idea, destroyed in all ways possible.
What we got: an interesting somewhat plausible - still a little predictable - script, decent actors (no Oscar nominations here), great action, and a clever twist.
Fun entertainment, but if you pay attention to the details from the start, you'll have the ending figured all out.

This movie was a lot of fun to watch. There was lots of action and great cinemaphotography. This movie was an "A" ticket ride as far as action goes. Denzel, as always, does a great job of leading the way. He has a pretty strong supporting cast this time also. James Caviezel plays an evil character that you want to hate. One of the things that I really enjoyed was the way that we get to flow through a scene in one continuous shot. The scenes would flow through walls, windows, doorways, and rooms in what looked like one shot. In the movie Denzel joins Val Kilmer's crew in trying to solve a murder. The story builds with suspense as they get closer and closer to solving the case. As the climax nears, there are some twists and turns in the story that keep you wanting to find out what will come next. This movie probably won't get Denzel an Oscar nomination, but it will provide you with an action packed night of fun. I don't think you will leave this one wanting to get your money back.

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