Deja Vu
Touchstone Home Entertainment
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Everyone has experienced the unsettling mystery of Deja vu--that flash of memory when you meet someone new you feel you've known all your life or recognize a place even though you've never been there before. But what if the feelings were actually warnings sent from the past or clues to the future? It is Deja vu that unexpectedly guides ATF agent Doug Carlin through an investigation into a shattering crime. Called in to recover evidence after a bomb sets off a cataclysmic explosion on a New Orleans Ferry, Carlin is about to discover that what most people believe "is only in their heads" is actually something far more powerful--and will lead him on a mind-bending race to save hundreds of innocent people.

 With Tony Scott you can get something that's really great or something that's pretty crappy. No matter the case, it's almost guaranteed to be infused with more style and flash than the latest trendy city club the underage crowd is flashing their fake IDs at these days. Although not as good as his last teaming with Denzel Washington, Man on Fire, Scott's Deja Vu is nonetheless a very intriguing film.

Combining the genres of crime thriller, time travel and a dash of romantic tension, Deja Vu is definitely smarter than most Scott films. It maintains the pizzazz but even that's toned down to a certain extent. The premise of the movie is pretty complex and it takes a bit to get your mind around it but Scott's visuals do a great job in doing so. Amazingly, it even feels like he showed a little bit of restraint.

The build up in Deja Vu is much better than the unraveling. Towards the end it gets a little tiresome and hokey. But the ride of the first two-thirds is well worth the journey.

Video: How's it look?
The enhanced widescreen picture (2.35:1 aspect ratio) is exactly what you'd expect from a Tony Scott film: sharp and bright. Colour plays an important role in setting the film's style and the DVD transfer looks to recreate it very well.

Audio: How's it sound?
The sounds of the big city come alive with the superb Dolby 5.1 Surround soundtrack. French and Spanish dubbed tracks are also included.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• "The Surveillance Window" is a nearly 40-minute making-of featurette that is mixed with an audio commentary. The making-of bits are integrated right into the film through seamless branching. In between are conversations with director Tony Scott, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Bill Marsilii. This is a novel approach that really gives the behind-the-scenes bits much more context and meaning.
• Five deleted scenes and three extended scenes with optional commentary from Tony Scott.
• Trailers and previews for Kyle XY: Season One and The Queen.
• French and Spanish subtitles.

Closing Thoughts
Deja Vu is a toned down change of pace for Tony Scott. I welcome it but I also hope he still has a little bang left in him. The different approach taken on the features is a great idea I hope to see used more often in the future on other discs. This is definitely a DVD that's worth checking out.

Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com