Déjà Vu - Wettlauf gegen die Zeit

Die alten Meister Jerry Bruckheimer und Tony Scott kombinieren Van Dammes Timecop und Gilliams 12 Monkeys. Der ausgezeichnete Denzel Washington schießt sich heldenhaft den Weg durch die Filmemacher-Präzision frei, die einerseits viele gute Drehbuchideen, andererseits aber auch logische Lücken hat. Dazu gehört auch die größte logische Lücke, die mit dem romantischen (aber emotional angenehmen) Happyend zusammenhängt. Ein angenehmer Film zu Entspannen, bei dem man lieber nicht nachdenken sollte. (17.06.2007)

Tony Scott abandoned his epileptic camera manias that bogged down the otherwise impeccable Domino and took on a script that may look original, but some of us have had the privilege before, including bending paper to explain a space-time jump (remember Event Horizon?). Some may legitimately find the whole plot terribly wacky, others may not like the incongruous combination of crime and sci-fi, but in any case Scott has made an easily digestible flick that is nice to watch, good for eating popcorn and out of your head before you can say "deja-vu". And it's a pity that, given the development of the plot, I had already figured out the only possible resolution half an hour before the end. (09.04.2007)

Déjà Vu was a very pleasant surprise. At first I was actually thrilled with the idea and the way it’s executed. By the middle, however, the script takes a turn to Hollywood mainstream, the logic gets lost and my enthusiasm waned. When it comes to time travel, it prefers a “whatever happened happened” approach to a “you can change everything” one, but I still think it’s a very well made film that’s worth watching. (29.08.2010)

I won't argue with anyone that the script is total phantasmagoria, but no one can tell me that Tony Scott has no competition in the field of "high-speed". Such visual lipstick, which he paints with cinematographer Paul Cameron, would be the envy of the entire cosmetics industry. The plot moves along briskly and, aware of its simplicity, at times goes so far that you wait for Denzel Washington to wink lasciviously not only at his colleagues but also at the viewer through the camera. The only problem may seem to be the ending, but the way the screenwriter duo navigates the trade-off between choosing between fate and pandering to an audience hungry for uniform outcomes is actually to be applauded. This is a twisted and funnier variation on Minority Report, which wins points over Spielberg for me. (26.01.2009)

Aber ja, Scott vermag es, einen modernen sexy Thriller zu drehen und sowohl die Kameraführung als auch der Regiestil treiben diesen Film recht scharf ins Finale. Trotz der Tatsache, dass das Thema auch eine ziemlich interessante Vorstellung von Parallelwelten beinhaltet, ist die Ausführung sehr unauffällig und vorhersehbar. Déjà Vu - Wettlauf gegen die Zeit ist vermutlich bis zur Stelle, wo die Helden mittels Gerätschaften durch die Zeit blicken und ihre Schatten in der Gegenwart beobachten, ein sehr gut angekickter und elektrisierender Thriller mit einem Science-Fiction-Element, aber der letzte Zeitsprung macht meines Erachtens einen zu billigen und verflachten Eindruck. Es ist sinnlos, hinter alledem nach einer ethischen Tiefe zu suchen, welche der Minority Report in sich birgt, weil es so etwas nicht gibt. Es ist lediglich ein dynamisches Action Ereignis mit einem erfrischenden Science-Fiction-Motiv, welches allerdings aus Déjà Vu - Wettlauf gegen die Zeit kaum mehr als ein im Genre überdurchschnittlich gelungenen Streifen macht. Das ist recht schade. (25.02.2008)

The first two thirds of this picture are outstanding in all respects, but the nearer it draws toward the ending, the more Déjà Vu suffers from its miserable screenplay which tries to convince you that there is more to it than you think. The subject matter isn’t bad, has considerable potential, even working excellently for quite a while, but the ending trips the whole thing up. Even so, the initial idea could be the makings of a pretty good story perhaps for a series like CSI. What makes it even more of a shame is that otherwise this Tony Scott / Denzel Washington duo collaboration worked out well... Well, almost. This time Scott seems to have taken sedatives and although the directing doubtlessly does have his characteristic idiosyncrasies, compared to his recent movies, you can watch this without risking an epileptic fit. This walks in the footsteps of techno-thrillers such as Enemy of the State, but this has a taste of sci-fi in it and almost zero humor. It’s certainly worth watching, but it might be worth leaving the movie theater when the “operation is called off as successfully solved". That way Déjà Vu could aspire to achieving much higher quality levels and you wouldn’t be left with the feeling that somebody missed a big chance. (23.12.2006)

What is interesting about Déjà Vu is primarily how its screenplay provides the ideal framework for director Tony Scott’s stylistic development. After the extravagant Domino, in which the unreliable narrator gave space to spectacular formal flamboyance, Scott’s upcoming project gives the impression of being a sort of calming. However, by combining various cameras, materials, shooting speeds and post-production processes, the director found an ideal application for playing with the impression of the moment in Déjà Vu’s narrative, which in the essential middle part works with the possibility of looking into time running in the past while changing points of view. In its peak scenes, the film brings a wildly fragmented view of two different time planes running concurrently, but thanks to the visual stylisation, the viewer never gets lost even for a moment. Domino and Déjà Vu together represent the two highlights of Scott’s late-period filmography, where in the respective screenplays he had the ideal framework for his formal experiments – in one case, unbridled wildness in the interest of increasing the expressiveness and delirium of the narrative and, in the other case, the paradoxical use of those elements for maximum clarity and a credible display of the fantastical aspects of intersecting time planes. (17.11.2020)

I was beginning to worry that Tony would never shoot anything in “ordinary" style, but in Déja Vu we are back on the level of let’s say Enemy of the State. The screenplay manages to keep the viewer glued to the screen and even though it looks complicated, it is quite simple, fortunately lacking the nowadays-so-common glitches. Although Denzel Washington is playing the role of a cop again, I must say he is still fine here, just cool in different way. I must say the film has really good vibes and I would gladly watch it again sometime. Mainly the time travel chase in the souped up Humvee is a work of a genius :). (05.06.2007)

An incredibly gripping masterpiece in a stylish sci-fi guise that is not marred by the understandably convoluted plot involving time travel. Tony Scott has cut down with the epileptic editing, tamed the frantic camera, and now there is something to watch again. After the visually stunning but narratively unexciting Domino, the technical genius brings us a thrilling story that speaks much more to a wider audience. Even though it’s less action-packed, it’s far more thrilling and dynamic, and above all, there are a lot more emotions, like, simple looks into the eyes. There are a few flaws and the aforementioned narrative tricks and crutches, but they couldn't be avoided. Also, the motive of the killer is somehow bland and unsatisfying. But that does not change the fact that Scott is currently an absolute number one in terms of audiovisuals, and with a skillful screenwriter, it usually results in an interesting cinematic addition. (03.01.2008)

Trotz des unschön märchenhaften Finales überwiegen die positiven Seiten. Der ultrasympathische Denzel Washington, der so schlau wie alle CSI-Mitglieder zusammen ist, der tolle James Caviezel, sympathische und witzige Wissenschaftler… Und vor allem die einzigartige und bombastische Regie von Tony Scott. Die Szene, in welcher die Person im Auto das Fahrzeug beobachtet, das auf der gleichen Straße vier Tage früher fährt (gefahren ist), ist klasse. Und der Anfang natürlich auch. Ich habe mich köstlich amüsiert. Deshalb runde ich meine dreieinhalb Sterne auf. (25.09.2012)

Déja Vu is exactly my favourite kind of action film. There's no thinking, not much talking, but a hell of a lot to look at. A well-developed plot, stylish action scenes and Denzel Washington, who has charisma to spare... What more could you ask for? (09.07.2012)

I admit that based on the poster, I thought that "Déjà Vu" would be a film that would not be far from films like "Training Day" or rather "Man on Fire". However, I have to lean towards the fact that "Déjà Vu" is a film that is closer to "Training Day". Well, to be precise, it is something in between. What I must highlight first is the sci-fi element, which I simply did not expect. I'm watching the film and suddenly I'm thinking, what the hell are they talking about? This is not usually a classic element of action thrillers, but here we have something that we definitely have to call a sci-fi element, because the viewing of the past, literally projecting with the ability to insert something into the past, is there. Imagine that you are solving a very serious case, as the film's introduction presents to us in all its beauty. But you don't have enough evidence to find out what really happened. However, there is a very special method. Denzel Washington, whose character is named Doug Carlin and is an agent of the anti-terrorist unit, is about to familiarize himself with it. Denzel is such an experienced actor who knows how to play incredibly pleasantly, that he simply fits into this film. Whether you have any racial biases or not, Denzel simply plays in a way that his character is simply positive. Perhaps too much, although he still tries to be a little rough here and there. Nevertheless, he does nothing that would in any way take him out of the box of "righteous men". More interesting are some supporting characters, especially the team that Carlin collaborates with. Val Kilmer hasn't gained so much weight yet, and Adam Goldberg is just a crazy likeable guy. The romance that appears here, especially at the end, is as unnecessary as the inscription "Christmas" above a decorated Christmas tree, but what else would you want. Tony Scott knew how to shoot a quite exciting film that not only has a good idea, but also has pace and good action. Jim Caviezel got the classic role of the villain, but someone had to do it. Actually, he is not the main focus of this film. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/11/deja-vu-fred-claus-oko-dravce-penelope.html (02.03.2013)

From the very beginning, Jerry Bruckheimer's handwriting is very identifiable – whether it's the colossally impressive camera filters, or Michael Bay-esque camera movements (the kind of cosmic/aerial ones that take in the characters from every possible angle), or the punchy piano tones in "escalated" situations, or the overall impression of pomposity. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, rather it's a kind of constant for which Jerry Bruckheimer's productions are fairly easily recognizable. You can't deny the technical precision, the brilliant editing, the awesome sound, and as I mentioned, the overall visuals are really polished to the last detail. Denzel Washington is great as always, Tony Scott adheres to his standard. It's far from being a classic, but shines as not completely stupid entertainment. (16.02.2013)