Goldberg practically steals the show, however, as the head FBI geek-speaker, who’s still hip enough to throw in a reference to the old SNL “more cowbell” sketch. Another triumphant episode is the film’s climactic car chase, which occurs in both the past and the present – and at 100 mph, who’s stopping to ask questions? Washington helps foster the film’s believability with his smart detective work and somewhat incredulous demeanor, while Kilmer walks through a thankless role as the chief FBI agent, and Caveziel has gone from playing Jesus Christ to homegrown terrorist. The first 10 or so minutes of the film, which detail the preliminaries before the blast, make up a terrific bit of filmmaking, layering on elements one by one and culminating in a camera-ready inferno. They take into their confidence ATF agent Doug Carlin (Washington), who is investigating the home-grown terrorist explosion of a ferry boat in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. And so it goes in Déjà Vu, where a group of FBI scientists has accidentally discovered a passageway through wormholes and some such that allows them to see four days and six hours into the past. We’ve grown used to only sort of understanding the science in Bruckheimer’s new age of police procedurals: As long as we can be dazzled by viewing biochemical reactions and computer enhancements in seconds rather than the days, weeks, and months they would take in reality, we grow content to privilege the fiction over the science. The film’s science has more in common with the kind seen on Bruckheimer’s ever-popular, ever-metastasizing CSI TV programs in which reality takes a back seat to gee-whiz effects and gizmos that often substitute flash for logic. If the science fiction in Déjà Vu has more to do with fiction than science, it’s not as though the movie ever pauses long enough for that realization to fully take hold. It’s a story that links up time travel, explosive terrorist actions, and solid detective work with rapid-fire techno-jargon, dexterous visual displays, and the anchoring prowess of leading man Washington. There is some mild language ("b**ch", "a*s", "d**n") and one scene shows a split second view of the side of a female character's breast as she steps into the shower.Pairing on their third project (following Crimson Tide and Man on Fire), director Scott and producer Bruckheimer have created a movie that gives the illusion of being an action/science-fiction movie for the thinking person. Though the villain is obviously a poor role model, the two main characters sacrifice their well-being and possibly their lives to do what they think is right. The whole plot is too mature for kids, and deals with themes like vigilantism and terrorism. Also, a man explodes with a car bomb underwater, a second man is shot in the head (not graphic), and we see several bloody scratches and wounds on people. We hear a verbal description of her murder (she was killed similarly to the man I mentioned before). ![]() We also see the badly burned body of the main female character, missing a few fingers on one hand. We see scorched bodies in the water, and greiving family members. ![]() The film opens with a ferry containing 500+ soldiers and their families (the camera focuses on children) explodes, killing everyone. One scene where a man is covered in oil, shot through the head, and then set on fire seems pretty harsh for a PG-13 rating. ![]() The film has a very gritty feel to it, and though the violence isn't particularly graphic, it is very harrowing to watch. It's fine for most kids 15 and up, but intense violence makes it unsuitable for most kids who will want to see it. Just to head this review off, I think that DEJA VU should have been rated R.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |