Saw the trailers on TV a few months back and didn’t have much interest. Looked like a typical Denzel Washington movie, along the lines of ‘The Siege’ or ‘John Q’ — two flicks that didn’t register too highly on my must-see scale. However, I’ve enjoyed Denzel in the likes of, ‘Man on Fire,’ ‘Inside Man,’ and even as far back as ‘Crimson Tide’ — a completely underrated movie, in my opinion.
However, after a nudge from a trusted source, I borrowed ‘Deja Vu’ and was quickly surprised by the ride. With mostly solid actors (with one notable exception), a great backdrop, under the trusted umbrella of Scott Free Productions (a Ridley Scott company), Deja Vu grabs you quickly, and doesn’t let go until late.
Denzel plays an AFT agent who is thrust into a domestic terrorist investigation after a New Orleans ferry is bombed and over 500 victims float to shore. Denzel begins turning over a few rocks, but finds himself hand-picked to join an elite team of investigators — with a twist. They employ unique technology that takes the plot on a hard left-turn and, as long as you keep up, things continue to keep you interested as that very same technology almost becomes one of the protagonists in the movie. However, what starts off and runs well, tends to lose steam toward the back end of the two-plus hours, and, unfortunately, becomes a lesson in what not to do to avoid predictability.
Despite the ending, Deja Vu is interesting, curious, edgy, and probably worth the price of admission — as long as you have a coupon from Blockbuster or Netflix. I rate this movie a Strong Six out of Ten — “Worth a coupon rental, not worth buying on DVD.“