[CraigD]

I recently watched a major 2006 sci-fi adventure movie, ”Deja Vu”, and was, to my surprise, impressed with the hardness of its science fiction.

*MINOR SPOILER ALERT*
Tied into a rather conventional “cop gets the bad guy, saves the world, gets the girl” plot, the science fictional element of this film involves a warehouse-size machine that allows a secret team of scientists and cops to see and hears events occurring 102 hours previously, from any point of view anywhere within its range, about the extent of greater New Orleans. A domestic terrorist has blown up a ferry, killing hundreds of people. Protagonist Doug Carlin, an experienced non-scientist BATF agent, is recruited to assist this team in using this machine to find the terrorist.

Initially, Doug is told that the machine assembles recorded data from 7 surveillance satellites to “digitally recreate” its view-from-any-perspective a/v image, the 4.25 day delay being required for a computer to process the data. He is almost immediately mistrustful of this explanation, due to inconsistencies in answers to his questions about the machine, such as its inability to replay scenes, from location/POV (which he’s told is because “there’s far to much data for any existing storage system”), the fixed 4.25 day delay (“it takes four and a half days to render this single, fluid shot”), how the machine provides audio (a question met simply with silence), and an intuitive impression that a person in the image (“the girl”, Clair Kuchever) is vaguely aware of being watched by the team from its vantage point 4.25 days in the future.

Doug confirms his suspicious by surreptitiously shining a laser pointer into the machine’s display screen, and noting that Clair sees and reacts to its projected red dot (moments later, the machine crashes). He confronts the team, who admit that the machine actually uses a wormhole, maneuverable in space and fixed 4.25 days in the past. It was discovered accidentally during experiments “attempting to use concentrated bursts of energy to enhance the sensitivity of optical telescopes”, a “fluke” that “everyone is terrified of screwing with it for fear of losing it, or suffering the consequences of God knows what”.

Doug convinces the team to send a message – a handwritten paper note reading “Terror Susect Surveilling Algiers Ferry Dock, Will Be There at 4:40 AM” – to him in the past (causing a power blackout of the city of New Orleans). However, the note is found by another BATF agent, Doug’s partner Larry Minuti, who goes to the dock and is killed by the bomber. Witnessing this (which requires a very peculiar car chase), the team is able to identify the bomber, Carroll Oerstadt, leading to his prompt arrest (and subsequent confession) in present time, 3 days after the bombing.

Having solved the crime as intended, the authorities in charge of the machine refuse to allow continued use of the machine. Disobeying orders, the team’s lead scientist Alexander Denny sends Doug back in time (to a hospital emergency room, with “revive me” written in white marker on his chest, as being sent through the wormhole arrests his heart and causes convulsions) in another attempt to save Clair and the 500+ victims of the bombing by preventing the bombing (causing yet another blackout). Doug rescues Clair, and together they kill Oerstadt and prevent all but a couple of lost lives on the ferry, although Doug is killed in the bomb blast. Just before the end of the movie, Clair meets the 4-day-younger version of Doug, who has arrived to take her into custody as a witness.
*END SPOILERS*

Although rife with scientific and plot inaccuracies and inconsistencies, I found “Deja Vu" a rare example of a recent science fiction action movie that neither insults the intelligence of its audience, nor obscures itself in supernaturalism and mystery, while avoiding also many of the shoot-em-up cliches of its genre. Though none of it’s dramatic or science fiction elements are unprecedented, I found them well-done, and enthusiastically recommend the movie.

As with nearly all mainstream sci-fi movies, finding and discussing its inaccuracies and inconsistencies is, for me and mine, a large part of fun.

Has anyone else seen this movie? Please share your opinions.

[Pyrotex]

Yeah! My wife and I rented it about a month ago. We were very, very favorably impressed and may purchase the DVD. We both love SF, even the Harry Potter and Ring Trilogy stuff. But for "real" SF, we both demand a certain level of intelligence. Scary monsters and slime alone just don't make it with us.

Deja Vu was great. Denz Wash was great. Recommended.

[Boerseun]

Yep! Same here. Was impressed with it, and I have to agree with Pyro; monsters palmed off as Sci-Fi blows. This one had some sort of brain behind it, although the laser pointing through a plasma screen was a bit of a dodgy proposition seeing as it didn't go through the little time-machine thingy they put the paper (and later the lead actor) through - although a necessary plot device. There are a few little discrepancies like this, but should be overlooked. It's a great movie, all in all - the car chase was a mind-blower!

Get the DVD and watch the Director's Cut - there are quite a few scenes cut out because the "General Audience Don't Care For Too Much Science".

[Tormod]

Thanks for the tip! Will get this movie ASAP.