Deja Vu DVD Review

What if you knew a tragic event was about to take place, and by going into the past you might be able to prevent it? Would you have the responsibility to at least try? Maybe, but what if by going into the past and changing history you actually made things worse? Or even more frustrating, you go back and change events but the outcome is still the same. And finally, what if by going back in time, you actually cause the tragic event in the future? These questions are the premise for Denzel Washington's new film Deja Vu.

Washington stars as ATF Special Agent Doug Carlin who is called to help investigate the scene of an apparent terrorist attack when a bomb destroys a ferry killing 500 plus civilians in New Orleans. Through his investigation, Carlin discovers the body of a young woman (Patton) who was murdered and made to look like a victim of the explosion. Carlin quickly surmises the incidents are related, and the best way to catch the terrorist is to find out who murdered the woman.

Enter FBI Agent Andrew Pryzwarra (Kilmer) who asks Carlin to join a special investigative task force. Carlin jumps at the chance when he learns his partner was one of the victims of the bombing. Once apart of the team, Carlin quickly learns things are not quite what they appear.

The special task force is able to utilize a wormhole in time so they can see events four days in the past. They begin focusing all their attention on the murdered woman trying to piece together the events which led up to not only her death, but the actual bombing of the ferry as well. Carlin grows increasingly frustrated watching the young woman knowing she is going to be killed but unable to do anything to prevent it. That is until he decides to go back in time and try to catch the terrorist before he kills the woman and commits the bombing.

This naturally brings out all the ethical questions mentioned earlier. Can he actually alter the present by changing the past, and if so could the results be disastrous? Carlin decides to take the risk, and begins a harrowing journey in the past trying to beat the clock and save the woman as well as stop the ferry bombing.

I have to admit, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. From everything I had read about it, I was a little unsure the filmmakers would be able to pull it off, but with Denzel Washington on board how could you really go wrong? The plot does get a bit confusing in areas, and I did find myself having to go back and rewatch scenes so I understood how the scientists were able to do what they were doing, but other than that, the storyline worked.

This is not one of Denzel's greatest performances, but his presence alone brings instant credibility to any movie. It was also nice to see Val Kilmer again. He did a good job portraying the Lead Agent in charge of the task force. The best performance however was from Adam Goldberg who portrayed the quirky and comical Denny, the scientific leader of the wormhole technology.

Director Tony Scott who last teamed with Washington on Man on Fire does a superb job of building suspense as well as mixing in some beautifully shot action sequences. With Jerry Bruckheimer as one of the producers and Tony Scott at the helm, you know exactly what kind of movie you are going to get, a well put together action/drama.

The DVD does not offer an overwhelming amount of extras. There is really nothing original in the special features. Really, the only extra is several mini featurettes found under the "The Surveillance Window" heading. These provide several behind the scenes looks at the making of the movie. They are all interesting, but really rather ordinary.

With an original, if a bit overly complicated, plot Deja Vu provides an action packed and suspenseful thrill ride. Tony Scott and Denzel Washington have once again teamed up to give audiences an entertaining film experience. The movie is well cast, with Adam Goldberg stealing the spotlight, and Denzel Washington lending his Hollywood star power to an overall fun film. This DVD would be a welcome addition to anyone's collection.