Diagonaldi Very well executed

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

MDavenp900 My wife and I love Denzel, but his choice to do this script? Inexplicable.The premise is this. Denzel, an ATF agent, is recruited to join a very special, experimental unit on their first case. Using unimaginable technology, this group is able to put together surveillance data from four satellites (and one would have to presume other sources as well) and, four days later, present it essentially as a movie. The preposterous (I know, I know, "Sci-Fi") part of it is they are able to swoop down to ground level and show video looking not only inside a building, but even a close-up of its occupants. Using the latest "heat technology," they can not only show the outline of a body, they can present how many hairs in an eyebrow, eye color, even expressions the person in view made that many days in the past. What's more, they can, even from space mind you, display non-heat producing objects like pictures on a wall! Yep, they can! But get this. With all this technology, they have no ability to record/save any of what they see! Fire the guy that forgot that element. So...The current issue is a bombing that took 500+ lives and the determination to discover the "terrorist" responsible. "As luck would have it," a body washes up on shore appearing to be a victim of the bombing, but Denzel's character notices something that makes him dig deeper. Though intended to appear as just another victim, this person, we discover, was dead before the incident, but it is clear the bomber was in fact responsible for the woman's death. Denzel's take? Find the murderer, find the bomber.Introduced now to this investigative team and their tools (even Denzel can't believe it, but of course the script told him to "suspend disbelief" so he does after only a few questions), he encourages turning the focus to this woman victim and track her life for those four days. Maybe, though the team is adamant "we can't change the past," they can see enough to track down the culprit. I will stop there.Just, and spoilers begin right here, along with the omniscience necessary to go anywhere at any time from "four satellites," voices can be heard, notes can be read, and with heat sensor technology (?) even phone displays can be represented in 1080p. (I don't think 4k existed then. Maybe in the sequel.) The result of all this is indeed the capture of the bomber, not a Muslim of course, that would offend the PC's out there, but a fruit-loop "doing God's work." And then the fun really begins.Afraid of exposing their technology, the investigative team leader calls everything off, but that doesn't stop Denzel. Instead he enters (you had to see this coming) a "time capsule" and goes back in time four days to try to stop the incident. (Anybody remember, "We can't change the past"?) But preposterous wouldn't be preposterous without, well, more "preposterosity"! (I just made that word up and I like it!)Getting there "just in time" (after being revived in a hospital like a heart attack patient), Denzel rescues the girl but, himself is blown into little tiny pieces when the bomb, this time, goes off under water. No problem. Because somehow he was split in two and, in real time, though in real time he entered the capsule and went backward, he also didn't. That's right, up walks Denzel to investigate a different crime scene, only minutes after he was destroyed. Thank goodness there won't be big enough chunks of what was his other self to cause him to wonder, "Am I dead? Or am I really, really dead?"I give. If you can suspend disbelief this much you're a better man, or woman, than I! I would give it 1 star, but there is Denzel, and face it. He is about as good as it gets at his profession. This was simply not the vehicle to prove it.

yvonne-91633 I have to admit right away, that science fiction, which includes time travel, is not one of my favourite genres, simply because I struggle to understand the niceties of the story line, more often than not.Not being a very patient person, and hubbie having watched this film multiple times, I made him keep pausing the action to explain both the current and upcoming scenes to me ... frustrating for him I know, but I also hate surprises!Is Denzel Washington typecast? Probably Does he ever make a bad film? NeverYou could almost believe that he is playing out almost every character he has ever portrayed, in the way in which he approaches real life situations - cool, calm and collected.The plot was well considered and played out without any awkward continuity moments. The special effects and crowd scenes were meticulous and well executed and Val Kilmer played the perfect foil to Denzel's character.If you were not quite as sceptical as myself, you could not have failed to find this a very thought provoking, immersive and intriguing film.

Screen_Blitz "Wait a minute, have I seen this before?", a question that appropriately suites the overarching theme of this flashy mystery picture. This science-fiction action thriller, directed by Tony Scott, capitalizes on compelling concepts involving time travel, a sci-fi element with a constantly fluctuating reputation throughout most of the history of cinema. If there is any detriments to Scott's direction dealing with time travel, it is that he doesn't offer anything particularly new or original. Fortunately, that doesn't stop this film from being the entertaining tale of mystery and techno-compulsion. The title describes a phenomenon in which someone meets someone or faces a situation they believe they have encountered regardless of whether he or she has or not. This concept serves the centric theme of the story which places Denzel Washington in the lead role as a man seeking for justice against a heinous crime. In a solid conclusion, Tony Scott proves he is capable of tackling the concept with precision, if without inventiveness. This film follows Doug Carlin (played by Denzel Washington), an ATF agent who is assigned to a case involving a bomb explosion that takes the lives of 500 innocent people on a ferry in New Orleans. Boasting incredible detective skills, Carlin is invited by Agent Pryzwarra (played by Val Kilmer) to join the surveillance team who are responsible of using high-tech surveillance technology that allows him to travel back in time four days prior to the bombing. So Carlin must hunt down the man responsible in attempt to stop the disaster, while pursuing after Claire (played by Paula Patton), a woman the terrorist is hunting down to kill. Arguably one of Tony Scott's biggest achievements in this picture is effectively tackling the use of time travel in the way that avoids the common dilemma overcomplicating the narrative. Scott proves he is more than capable of telling a solid story without slipping into the cracks of irrationality or dullness. That is not to say that the film doesn't fail to offer anything inventive. Easily the film's sharpest detriment is its execution never stands out among other and more superior films that tackled the concept. On the bright side, Scott does not fail to bring on the thrills once the plot finally kicks into gear. The first half-hour focuses on the lead character and the team establishing an investigation on the terrorist responsible for the bombing, while introducing their groundbreaking technology that allows them to seek answers with powerful ability. This entire segment is driven with pulse-pounding mystery that opens doors for a suspenseful atmosphere. When the action, consisting of car chases through a moderately congested highway and gun shootouts that end in explosive chaos, arrives, the thrills begin to fly. Shot with slick cinematography, Scott captures the intense heat of the action with effectiveness, particularly the jarring opening explosion sequence, and the results are solid. As for Denzel Washington, this actor, who has reunited with Scott after 'Crimson Tide', plays the lead role with versatility and grit. Washington leads a supporting cast of Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Kim Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, and Bruce Greenword -- all of whom are given only little time to show off their acting chops. However, none of them giving anything that allows them to standout among one another. Deja Vu is a slick, entertaining science-action thrill ride blossomed by the hands of director Tony Scott. Blending solid action set pieces with pulse-pounding mystery, this film offers a decently crafted rendition on time travel for those hungry for some adrenaline-fueled action and creativity. But do not go in expecting anything groundbreaking.

Sriram Chandrasekaran This movie makes absolutely zero sense. If the intention was to amaze the viewer with some Big Science, the makers utterly failed. Instead, you have several moments in the movie that just befuddle you. Don't get me wrong. I'm all in for concepts that push the boundaries of human experience, but this movie is not what you're looking for if you're looking for anything exciting. They have thrown in a jumble of ideas hoping it would work out all on its own.How can someone just vanish in and out of existence the way the hero does? Why is this supposedly Sherlock Holmes-like character that can imagine everything from a mere speck of dust not have the common sense to call the other cops when he is chasing the dreaded terrorist so he can prevent this awful terrorist attack? And the scene where we are supposed to feel sad for the hero dying is also ridiculous. This guy that can take in bullets everywhere and not as much as limp doesn't know his way out of a car? That's just lazy writing and an insult to the viewer's already numbed sense of intelligence.Good visuals and technology do not a good movie make. And this is another example of it. Sorely disappointed. 2 out of 10 just for the concept.