RUTHERFORD ON FILM: ‘Déjà Vu’: Let Them Change the Past by Slipping Down a Worm Hole!
By Tony RutherfordHuntington News Network Critic
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Any lover of science-fiction has contemplated and read stories about time travel with H. G. Wells, “The Time Machine” serving as the inaugural piece. Since his era, television has given us the government experiment observers overlooking travelers in the past and future, such as “The Time Tunnel.” More futuristic and special effects laden voyages have borne the name “Stargate” and numerous spin offs.
Ultimately, the advantage of seeing the future becomes altering the past; yet, this is a cardinal rule of the genre: You can’t change the past, as it might set off chaos.
“Déjà Vu” opens with the detonation of a terrorist’s bomb on board a New Orleans ferry which dooms over 500 souls. Across the river, a partly burned body of a beautiful woman washes ashore, only she’s a victim of the terrorist but not of the bomb.
ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) knows that Claire (Paula Patton) holds the key to breaking the case. Then, he seized and recruited by a special surveillance unit that has advanced Google map technology and a worm hole to the past.
Despite the now standard scientists seated around a giant screen manipulating images (a.k.a. “Time Tunnel,” “Stargate”), the story has tension aplenty as empathy rises for this yet to meet, but already loving couple.
Action thriller king, Jerry Bruckheimer combines forces with his favorite director Tony (“Crimson Tide,” “Top Gun,” “Man on Fire”) Scott who delicately accomplishes what a murder victim’s dad told Carlin -- “I want her to matter to you.” He accomplishes this in the midst of an opening sea vessel explosion that’s later complimented by rolling cars, a highway race (but no “French Connection”) and, of course, more explosions.
Washington carries the production both through investigative skills and his character’s grilling of the “scientists” which thrusts all those tricky time warping issues in the ears of viewers instead of letting them watch in bewilderment. Without becoming too technical and spoiler spreading, the “suspension of disbelief” quotient stays tolerable mostly due to rooting for the mission’s success which theoretically could save the lives of sailors and civilians in the opening terrorist act.
Depending on its success, I can envision a potential franchise or TV series based on sending the hero back in time to alter certain near future events, particularly if they retain the limited time window concept which would prevent colliding with the “changing history” domino taboo. They would be altering the present before too many collateral events complicate a minor reality adjustment.
Shot in post Katrina New Orleans, you can see a portion of the on-going wreckage and stalled re-construction, particularly when a crucial house happens to be one that was partially destroyed in the storm and shares a side or two with several adjoining structures.
For a quick couple hours releasing your tightly stressed brain to twisty tricks and heroic hopes, “Déjà Vu” will score, as an eavesdropper on the departing audience can hear numerous “pretty goods” upon exiting.