Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) returns home with her husband, Dan (Brian Boland) after giving birth to their son, Hunter. A series of strange paranormal occurrences disrupts the family’s peaceful and carefree lives. Kristi, Hunter, Dan, and Dan’s daughter, Ali (Molly Ephraim) are all targeted by a vicious entity. 

Kristi’s sister, Katie (Katie Featherston) warns her about the dangers of interacting with the entity, and the nanny, Martine (Vivis  Cortez) offers her help with unconventional methods. But one thing is clear, blissful ignorance is not an option, as the disturbances escalate and Hunter becomes the primary target for the entity.

My Thoughts- It’s easy to feel sympathy for Kristi, Dan, Ali, and Hunter. They’re a wholesome all-American family. Kristi’s is a caring stay-at-home mom. Dan is the leader of the household with a healthy sense of humor, and Ali fills the role of the happy and sometimes bratty teenager. 

Paranormal Activity 2 is the first film in the series that starts off the security camera, or cameras set up all around the house era in the series. I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the nighttime recorded footage looks great. Similar to the bedroom scenes in the original Paranormal Activity, there’s a spookiness to the security camera scenes at night. Just watching everything unfold, you know there’s always a good chance something serious is going to happen.

The downside? Watching security camera footage gets kind of boring and tedious after a while. I get the whole point of building the anticipation, showing how the entity is toying with, taunting, and in some cases attacking members of the Rey family. It’s all important footage that proves an evil supernatural force is the culprit. Still, so many scenes featuring ordinary footage of the pool or outside the front door in the middle of the night kills the momentum. It’s more of a bummer, if you’re hoping or waiting for something to happen……and nothing happens. 

Paranormal Activity 2 shows a lot of visual clues that put the pieces of the puzzle together. Notice how after the supposed break-in Hunter’s room is the only room in the house that was left untouched. The shadow of the entity looming over Ali, while she’s taking a nap, or Hunter levitating in his crib. The scratches and blood stains on the basement door, the sudden spike in activity on the baby monitor, the bite mark on Kristi’s thigh that’s similar to Katie’s bite mark in the previous film. One thing is clear, the entity is carefully choosing who it attacks, and who is spared or used for bigger plans. 

A new born baby and an evil entity? TWO good reasons to record! As the story progresses, there’s a noticeable transition from recording Hunter and just having fun to recording all the strange events connected to the entity. Evidence is necessary to try and understand what’s going on, especially Ali urging a stubborn Dan to watch the tapes, because he doesn’t believe in “haunted house crap.” And when the time comes, the night vision POV is crucial for survival. 

We’re introduced to a fresh set of new characters in Paranormal Activity 2. Kristi, Hunter, Ali, Dan, Ali’s boyfriend, Brad (Seth Ginsberg), and Martine. Hunter is the first born male in Kristi and Katie’s family since the 1930’s. Through Ali’s research with Brad’s help, it’s revealed Katie and Kristi’s great grandmother possibly made a satanic pact to exchange riches and prosperity for Hunter’s soul. And of course, there’s no happy ending if the pact is tampered with or broken for any reason. 

Paranormal Activity 2 moves the story forward using a clever prequel/sequel hybrid approach, with a smooth transition into the current timeline for a strong finale. Keep in mind that Kristi’s story takes place in Carlsbad, California, while Katie’s story simultaneously takes place in San Diego. 

Some questions are answered. We know why Katie’s childhood picture was set on fire around the edges, and on a lighter note, we can see why Micah (Micah Sloat) was so obsessed with owning his own video camera. Katie and Kristi have some uneasy conversations about the evil force that disrupted their lives, when they were kids. The Ouija board returns, but it’s only used in one scene with Ali and Brad. It’s also nice to see the continued effort to maintain realism. No intro, no opening credits, and a message thanking the Carlsbad Police Department. 

Paranormal Activity 2 has its problems, but it’s still a solid follow up to the original. Some spooky and tense scenes, and the jump scares worked (the kitchen cabinets bursting open on an unsuspecting Kristi is a good one). Only three scenes stick out for brutality, but they’re still impactful scenes. The entity snatching and maiming Abby (the family dog) off-screen implies whatever it did to Abby must’ve been too horrible to witness. 

The second film in any kind of franchise is always crucial. It’s a measuring stick to see if there’s any potential, if there’s truly a reason to keep going with the story, without making more sequels for the sake of making more sequels. Paranormal Activity 2 does more than enough to justify another film, featuring a shocking cliffhanger that’s loaded with a lot of possibilities.

Rating- 6/10

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)(Spoiler Review)

 **This post contains spoilers, including thoughts on the extended version**

The Story- Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) returns home with her husband, Dan (Brian Boland) after giving birth to their son, Hunter. A series of strange paranormal occurrences disrupts the family’s peaceful and carefree lives. Kristi, Hunter, Dan, and Dan’s daughter, Ali (Molly Ephraim) are all targeted by a vicious entity. 

Kristi’s sister, Katie (Katie Featherston) warns her about the dangers of interacting with the entity, and the nanny, Martine (Vivis  Cortez) offers her help with unconventional methods. But one thing is clear, blissful ignorance is not an option, as the disturbances escalate and Hunter becomes the primary target for the entity.

My Thoughts- It’s easy to feel sympathy for Kristi, Dan, Ali, and Hunter. They’re a wholesome all-American family. Kristi’s is a caring stay-at-home mom. Dan is the leader of the household with a healthy sense of humor, and Ali fills the role of the happy and sometimes bratty teenager. 

Paranormal Activity 2 is the first film in the series that starts off the security camera, or cameras set up all around the house era in the series. I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the nighttime recorded footage looks great. Similar to the bedroom scenes in the original Paranormal Activity, there’s a spookiness to the security camera scenes at night. Just watching everything unfold, you know there’s always a good chance something serious is going to happen.

The downside? Watching security camera footage gets kind of boring and tedious after a while. I get the whole point of building the anticipation, showing how the entity is toying with, taunting, and in some cases attacking members of the Rey family. It’s all important footage that proves an evil supernatural force is the culprit. Still, so many scenes featuring ordinary footage of the pool or outside the front door in the middle of the night kills the momentum. It’s more of a bummer, if you’re hoping or waiting for something to happen……and nothing happens.

Paranormal Activity 2 shows a lot of visual clues that put the pieces of the puzzle together. Notice how after the supposed break-in Hunter’s room is the only room in the house that was left untouched. The shadow of the entity looming over Ali, while she’s taking a nap, or Hunter levitating in his crib. The scratches and blood stains on the basement door, the sudden spike in activity on the baby monitor, the bite mark on Kristi’s thigh that’s similar to Katie’s bite mark in the previous film. One thing is clear, the entity is carefully choosing who it attacks, and who is spared or used for bigger plans. 

A new born baby and an evil entity? TWO good reasons to record! As the story progresses, there’s a noticeable transition from recording Hunter and just having fun to recording all the strange events connected to the entity. Evidence is necessary to try and understand what’s going on, especially Ali urging a stubborn Dan to watch the tapes, because he doesn’t believe in “haunted house crap.” And when the time comes, the night vision POV is crucial for survival. 

Katie kills Kristi and abducts Hunter! The cleansing ritual, led by Martine, to save a clearly possessed Kristi was a success, and Hunter is safe. But there’s one big problem: The entity passed to and possessed Katie. 

Not only does the ending tie into Katie’s whereabouts after the ending in the original, the home stretch for PA 2 was well executed. After the intense ritual that saved Kristi, there’s a calming sense of peace throughout the house, and bam! Katie shows up. She brutally murders Dan and Kristi, kidnaps Hunter, and disappears. 

After the original, you already knew Katie was possessed. It’s not too hard to predict that she might show up at Kristi’s house, but it’s still a good shocker, considering what she did and how she did it. The sound of that snap, when Katie broke Dan’s neck was NASTY. 

Dan had to make a hard decision. The entity could only be passed on to a blood relative. He knowingly doomed Katie, but Dan is the leader of his household. A short, short list of options to try and save Kristi and Hunter. 

We’re introduced to a fresh set of new characters in Paranormal Activity 2. Kristi, Hunter, Ali, Dan, Ali’s boyfriend, Brad (Seth Ginsberg), and Martine. Hunter is the first born male in Kristi and Katie’s family since the 1930’s. Through Ali’s research with Brad’s help, it’s revealed Katie and Kristi’s great grandmother possibly made a satanic pact to exchange riches and prosperity for Hunter’s soul. And of course, there’s no happy ending if the pact is tampered with or broken for any reason. 

Paranormal Activity 2 moves the story forward using a clever prequel/sequel hybrid approach, with a smooth transition into the current timeline for a strong finale. Keep in mind that Kristi’s story takes place in Carlsbad, California, while Katie’s story simultaneously takes place in San Diego. 

Some questions are answered. We know why Katie’s childhood picture was set on fire around the edges, and on a lighter note, we can see why Micah (Micah Sloat) was so obsessed with owning his own video camera. Katie and Kristi have some uneasy conversations about the evil force that disrupted their lives, when they were kids. The Ouija board returns, but it’s only used in one scene with Ali and Brad. It’s also nice to see the continued effort to maintain realism. No intro, no opening credits, and a message thanking the Carlsbad Police Department. 

Nothing in the extended version changes the direction of the story, or has any kind of meaningful impact on the ending. Night #4 and Night #11 from the security camera footage are exclusive to the extended version, or you can also call it the director’s cut. Overall, there’s nothing too special about the extended version. You’ll see more scenes with mind games and taunting from the entity, including Dan rushing to throw a flaming pan in the pool. There’s also a scene, where Dan jumps into the boiling hot whirlpool, and the hilarious aftermath with Dan needing a bag of frozen peas to nurse his wounds. 

Paranormal Activity 2 has its problems, but it’s still a solid follow up to the original. Some spooky and tense scenes, and the jump scares worked (the kitchen cabinets bursting open on an unsuspecting Kristi is a good one). Only three scenes stick out for brutality, but they’re still impactful scenes. The entity snatching and maiming Abby (the family dog) off-screen implies whatever it did to Abby must’ve been too horrible to witness. 

The second film in any kind of franchise is always crucial. It’s a measuring stick to see if there’s any potential, if there’s truly a reason to keep going with the story, without making more sequels for the sake of making more sequels. Paranormal Activity 2 does more than enough to justify another film, featuring a shocking cliffhanger that’s loaded with a lot of possibilities.

Rating- 6/10

Paranormal Activity (2007)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- In 2006, Katie (Katie Featherston), and her boyfriend, Micah (Micah Sloat) experience strange paranormal occurrences in their home. Katie turns to a psychic named Dr. Fredrichs (Mark Fredrichs) for help. 

Fredrichs gives the couple a stern warning about the malevolent entity lurking in their home. Katie panics, while Micah uses a series of unusual methods to uncover the truth. Katie is forced to relive dark moments from her childhood, as the entity becomes more aggressive, while Fredichs considers his limited options to solve the problem. Will Katie and Micah figure out a solution before it’s too late?

My Thoughts- We’ll just leave the house, run away, and everything will be okay! Wait, leaving the house won’t work? I’m glad they established leaving the house is not on the table for solutions early on in the movie through Dr. Fredrichs explanation about demons, and the differences between hauntings and possessions. Katie and Micah can’t run or hide. Moving to a different house or a different state won’t magically make the entity disappear. No, the entity is specifically attached to Katie. That’s truly frightening, because when you look at the big picture, Katie and Micah really don’t have a safety net.

Micah is kind of a goofball. His heart is in the right place, and he’s a good guy, but there’s no denying he makes a handful of the usual stupid horror movie mistakes here. Micah Constantly antagonizes the entity. Dr. Fredrichs and Katie explicitly warned him to avoid any attempts to contact, or basically extend an invitation to the entity. So what does Micah do? He brings an Ouija board into the house.

Is there a legitimate reason to record any of this? That’s always the big question for found-footage films. Micah is happy and obsessed with his new camera, but is that really a good enough reason to record everything? It gets to the point, where it’s basically a running joke, with Katie scolding Micah for recording. Although, considering Katie and Micah’s unusual dilemma, you could say recording is necessary for proof, while documenting a series of strange events. 

I’ve always believed the original Paranormal Activity would’ve benefited from a mockumentary found-footage format that’s similar to Lake Mungo or The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Paranormal Activity has too many dull stretches, and the scares are inconsistent. Breaking up the monotony of entity attacks, or does something to toy with Katie and Micah, Katie and Micah argue, something strange happens, rinse and repeat, with interviews from experts, the police, or family and friends would’ve fit perfectly with the “real footage” shown here. 

A good amount of unanswered questions after this one. Who is the entity? What happened during Katie’s childhood? Who tried to burn a picture of Katie as a child? What role does Katie’s sister, Kristi play in all of this? It’s easy to see why this one opened the door for so many sequels, because there’s still a lot of material to work with to build a franchise. 

Paranormal Activity takes a serious and dedicated approach to realism. No opening credits, just a message thanking the San Diego police department and Micah and Katie’s families. Micah and Katie use their real names. As far as the overall presentation goes, Paranormal Activity doesn’t look too polished. You really get the feeling you’re watching actual footage of two people suffering through a bizarre and dangerous situation. And all of the bedroom footage is catalogued with dates and different numbers, showing the downward spiral for the entity’s attacks night after night. 

The nighttime bedroom scenes are genuinely eerie and spooky. The amateurish camerawork adds another layer of realism to the movie. Micah is not a professional cameraman. You can constantly see how he’s trying to get the hang of things, when he’s recording around the house, and I’m glad they didn’t feel the need to rely on excessive shaky cam stuff. 

Paranormal Activity 2007 is an effective found-footage horror film. Micah Sloat plays his role well. Katie Featherston delivers a solid performance, and she is truly a SCREAM queen. The scene, where Katie is laying in bed, when she tells Micah she wants to stay in the house is so good. As soon as you see that relaxed facial expression and that calm smile on her face, you just know something bad is about to happen. 

Sloat and Featherston basically carried the movie by themselves. Dr. Fredrichs and Katie’s friend, Amber (Amber Armstrong) are the only other two people, who make appearances throughout the movie, and when you compare things to Micah and Katie, their screen time is very limited.

Paranormal Activity features a handful of creepy moments and scenes. The Ouija board catching fire, the entity dragging Katie out of the bed, and the entity breathing on Katie’s neck are some of my top picks. It’s also impressive how Oren Peli managed to create a cohesive film that’s contained to one setting. You’ll only see one shot outside shot of Micah’s neighborhood, and the scene with Katie on the back porch. But the vast majority of the movie takes place inside Micah’s house.

When you strip Paranormal Activity down to its core, it’s a movie about an evil force destroying a hopeful couple’s lives, a story that doesn’t have a happy ending. Looking back, it’s wild to think about how a low budget found-footage film laid the first brick for one of the more notable horror franchises. Love it or hate it, Paranormal Activity 2007 is definitely one to remember. 

Rating - 7/10 

Paranormal Activity (2007)(Spoiler Review)

 

**This post contains spoilers, including thoughts on all three endings**

The Story- In 2006, Katie (Katie Featherston), and her boyfriend, Micah (Micah Sloat) experience strange paranormal occurrences in their home. Katie turns to a psychic named Dr. Fredrichs (Mark Fredrichs) for help. 

Fredrichs gives the couple a stern warning about the malevolent entity lurking in their home. Katie panics, while Micah uses a series of unusual methods to uncover the truth. Katie is forced to relive dark moments from her childhood, as the entity becomes more aggressive, while Fredichs considers his limited options to solve the problem. Will Katie and Micah figure out a solution before it’s too late?

My Thoughts- We’ll just leave the house, run away, and everything will be okay! Wait, leaving the house won’t work? I’m glad they established leaving the house is not on the table for solutions early on in the movie through Dr. Fredrichs explanation about demons, and the differences between hauntings and possessions. Katie and Micah can’t run or hide. Moving to a different house or a different state won’t magically make the entity disappear. No, the entity is specifically attached to Katie. That’s truly frightening, because when you look at the big picture, Katie and Micah really don’t have a safety net.

Micah is kind of a goofball. His heart is in the right place, and he’s a good guy, but there’s no denying he makes a handful of the usual stupid horror movie mistakes here. Micah Constantly antagonizes the entity. Dr. Fredrichs and Katie explicitly warned him to avoid any attempts to contact, or basically extend an invitation to the entity. So what does Micah do? He brings an Ouija board into the house.

Is there a legitimate reason to record any of this? That’s always the big question for found-footage films. Micah is happy and obsessed with his new camera, but is that really a good enough reason to record everything? It gets to the point, where it’s basically a running joke, with Katie scolding Micah for recording. Although, considering Katie and Micah’s unusual dilemma, you could say recording is necessary for proof, while documenting a series of strange events. 

The alternate ending? It’s a dud. Katie kills Micah, followed by Katie (now clearly possessed) slitting her throat, killing herself in front of the camera and that’s it? For me, it’s an ending that just doesn’t hit hard enough, after all the teasing and calculated attacks from the entity.

The 2007 Screamfest Film Festival ending concludes, with Katie being shot to death by police, and the movie is dedicated to Micah and Katie, featuring a happy picture of them together. Amber (Amber Armstrong), Katie’s friend, plays a part in this ending, because she’s the one, who discovered Micah’s body downstairs. 

The Screamfest ending (or the original ending) is decent enough. A clearly traumatized Katie rocking back and forth, and sitting at the side the bed was a nice touch. It’s also a more somber ending. You can tell Katie wasn’t fully possessed yet in this ending. She sounded like her normal self, when the police arrived, and she was clearly devastated about killing Micah. Check it out below!

The theatrical ending is easily the best ending. Katie’s horrifying screams (something that happens in all three endings) from downstairs, the sight of Micah’s corpse flying at the camera, and a fully possessed Katie lunging at the screen. It all happens so fast. There’s barely any time to process the final shocking moments. Everything blends together perfectly, including a zombified Katie with her blood stained shirt, and Katie hovering over Micah’s body like a feral animal. 

I’ve always believed the original Paranormal Activity would’ve benefited from a mockumentary found-footage format that’s similar to Lake Mungo or The Poughkeepsie Tapes. Paranormal Activity has too many dull stretches, and the scares are inconsistent. Breaking up the monotony of entity attacks, or does something to toy with Katie and Micah, Katie and Micah argue, something strange happens, rinse and repeat, with interviews from experts, the police, or family and friends would’ve fit perfectly with the “real footage” shown here. 

A good amount of unanswered questions after this one. Who is the entity? What happened during Katie’s childhood? Who tried to burn a picture of Katie as a child? What role does Katie’s sister, Kristi play in all of this? It’s easy to see why this one opened the door for so many sequels, because there’s still a lot of material to work with to build a franchise. 

Paranormal Activity takes a serious and dedicated approach to realism. No opening credits, just a message thanking the San Diego police department and Micah and Katie’s families. Micah and Katie use their real names. As far as the overall presentation goes, Paranormal Activity doesn’t look too polished. You really get the feeling you’re watching actual footage of two people suffering through a bizarre and dangerous situation. And all of the bedroom footage is catalogued with dates and different numbers, showing the downward spiral for the entity’s attacks night after night. 

The nighttime bedroom scenes are genuinely eerie and spooky. The amateurish camerawork adds another layer of realism to the movie. Micah is not a professional cameraman. You can constantly see how he’s trying to get the hang of things, when he’s recording around the house, and I’m glad they didn’t feel the need to rely on excessive shaky cam stuff. 

Paranormal Activity 2007 is an effective found-footage horror film. Micah Sloat plays his role well. Katie Featherston delivers a solid performance, and she is truly a SCREAM queen. The scene, where Katie is laying in bed, when she tells Micah she wants to stay in the house is so good. As soon as you see that relaxed facial expression and that calm smile on her face, you just know something bad is about to happen. 

Sloat and Featherston basically carried the movie by themselves. Dr. Fredrichs and Katie’s friend, Amber (Amber Armstrong) are the only other two people, who make appearances throughout the movie, and when you compare things to Micah and Katie, their screen time is very limited.

Paranormal Activity features a handful of creepy moments and scenes. The Ouija board catching fire, the entity dragging Katie out of the bed, and the entity breathing on Katie’s neck are some of my top picks. It’s also impressive how Oren Peli managed to create a cohesive film that’s contained to one setting. You’ll only see one shot outside shot of Micah’s neighborhood, and the scene with Katie on the back porch. But the vast majority of the movie takes place inside Micah’s house.

When you strip Paranormal Activity down to its core, it’s a movie about an evil force destroying a hopeful couple’s lives, a story that doesn’t have a happy ending. Looking back, it’s wild to think about how a low budget found-footage film laid the first brick for one of the more notable horror franchises. Love it or hate it, Paranormal Activity 2007 is definitely one to remember. 

Rating- 7/10

Coming Attractions- V/H/S Beyond (2024)

 

Directors & Writers- Jordan Downey, Kevin Stewart, Christian Long, Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Ben Turner, Virat Pal, Evan Dickson, Kate Siegel, Mike Flanagan, Jay Cheel

Release Date- October 4, 2024 (exclusively on Shudder)

You know it’s Halloween season, when another V/H/S film is right around the corner! One thing I’ve always loved about the V/H/S films is, you can always count on them to consistently deliver pure chaos. V/H/S 2 is still my pick for the best film in the series. Safe Haven was completely bonkers and shocking, and A Ride In The Park was a good zombie short, featuring an unexpected emotional ending. 

V/H/S: Viral and V/H/S 99 were a bit too hit and miss for me. V/H/S 94 was a solid rebound film after Viral. The weirdness during Storm Drain (hail Raatma!) was something to remember, and V/H/S 85 cleverly connected No Wake and Ambrosia, two of the best shorts in the entire franchise. 

Looking at the trailer, V/H/S Beyond will feature a decent amount of storylines revolving around UFOs and alien invasions. A good gritty and intense trailer, and I hope they keep churning out V/H/S films, because they’ll always have a chance to create a variety of fresh stories using the anthology format. 

Deja Vu (2006)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- ATF Special Agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) risks his career and his life to stop a ferry bombing on Fat Tuesday, while simultaneously attempting to rescue Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton). Under the false pretenses of buying her car, a terrorist named Carroll Oerstadt (Jim Caviezel) kidnaps Claire and plans to use her vehicle to house a bomb intended to destroy the ferry.

After the tragic explosion on the ferry and Claire’s death, FBI Special Agent Paul Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) recruits Doug to join his team. Doug receives help from Paul, Dr. Alexander Denny (Adam Goldberg), Gunnars (Elden Henson), and Shanti (Erika Alexander) through Snow White, a complex surveillance system that’s capable of capturing past events and time travel.

Defying stern orders from  FBI Special Agent Jack McCready (Bruce Greenwood), Doug travels to the past with Denny’s help to stop the ferry bombing and save Claire. But a few unexpected developments complicates Doug’s plans.

My Thoughts- Doug Carlin is a rebel with a big heart. His partner, Larry Minuti (Matt Craven), Claire, Claire’s father (Enrique Castillo), and everyone on the ferry boat. There’s no denying that Carlin has fierce levels of compassion for helping others. 

Denzel brings the intensity to Carlin, when it’s necessary or the genuine emotional reactions for Claire and Larry. It’s heavily implied Larry would still be alive, if he didn’t chase after Oerstadt as a direct result of Doug sending a note to the past. Doug is someone, who comes off as a down to earth guy, with some unusual methods and habits, and Denzel easily delivers another good performance in the leading role here.

Jim Caviezel’s Carroll Oerstadt is everything a villain is supposed to be. I’ve always loved the interrogation scene with Denzel. That cold blank stare on Caviezel’s face, and the cocky smirk, when he tells Doug he’s determined to win. And notice how Oerstadt pulls the tape recorder closer to him, when he details how he murdered Claire. Oerstadt realized Doug deeply cared about Claire and the victims. He wanted to twist the knife by moving the tape recorder closer, while making sure to maintain eye contact with Doug. 

What’s scary about Oerstadt is, he truly believes he’s doing the right thing, motivated by “destiny.”  Oerstadt is obviously still bitter about being rejected by the Army and the Marines. He believes he’s a patriot, but in reality, he’s a coward and a hypocrite, who doesn’t have the guts to make the sacrifices he rambles on about. Carroll is completely nuts and delusional, but he’s also a cerebral antagonist. Truly a good performance from Jim Caviezel, because it’s easy to believe Carroll Oerstadt is a sadistic and deeply disturbed man.

Time travel films are tricky. You’ll always run the risk of the story becoming too wonky, if you constantly jump back and forth between timelines too much, but Deja Vu only has ONE time travel scene. 

Deja Vu is one of the few films I can think of, where time travel is presented as something that could be realistic. It’s not as simple as just punching in numbers on a computer, and bam! You’re almost instantly transported to your destination in time. Denny stresses the risks and dangers of time travel, including the possibility of death. Time travel also requires a lot of power, whether it’s just a note, or an actual human being (Doug) in the machine, so the scenes showing an entire grid losing power helps to add a tad bit of realism to the movie.

Deja vu and time travel are two elements that go hand in hand. Deja vu would explain why Doug has an obsession with saving Claire. You have to believe Doug traveled through time more than once to try and save Claire and foil Oerstadt’s plans. The evidence is all over Claire’s apartment, and Doug just can’t shake the feeling of knowing or having a connection with Claire in the past. 

The clever chase scene, where Doug is trying to track down Oerstadt’s hideout and hopefully save Larry is one of the big highlights of the movie. Weaving in and out of the past and present, while Doug follows Oerstadt using the Goggle Rig works as a unique chase sequence, and a refreshing spin on how time travel can be used with different methods.

The ending? I have to admit I’ve never been too crazy about Doug emerging to ride off with Claire after the bomb explodes underwater. I can understand why they wanted to go for the big happy ending, and it ties in with the deja vu theme throughout the movie. But Doug from the previous timeline dying without the appearance of another Doug would’ve had a stronger emotional impact. Doug successfully saved Claire, everyone on the ferry, and he killed Oerstadt, so mission accomplished, right?

But this is a time travel movie, so of course that means more opportunities for a number of scenarios and possibilities. I’m not a big fan of the ending, but I also wouldn’t call it a plot hole. Just going off of Denny’s explanations about time travel, it’s possible Doug finally closed some kind of loop, when he killed Oerstadt and saved the ferry. Everything reset to normal, so that would explain why the final version of Doug during the closing moments of the movie wasn’t familiar with Claire, and he genuinely had no idea who she was.

Certain events and moments in Deja Vu are a bit too convenient. After he travels to the past, Doug lands in a hospital right next to a group of surgeons, who are seemingly in the middle of open heart surgery? And Doug arrives in the ambulance moments before Oerstadt is about to cut off Claire’s fingers. 

Deja Vu is predictable, but it’s still an entertaining sci-fi action film. It’s heavy on the action, and Deja Vu delivers its fare share of thrills. Denzel Washington brings his usual commanding presence to this one. A solid supporting cast with noteworthy performances from Val Kilmer, Bruce Greenwood, and Adam Goldberg. There’s also some good humor here, especially the banter between Golderg, Henson, Alexander, Doug, and Doug’s K-Y Jelly line and Oerstadt’s reaction to it. And she’s basically limited to a damsel in distress role, but Paula Patton still manages to make the most of her appearances throughout the movie. 

Deja Vu is set during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. There’s a nice encouraging message for the people of New Orleans before the credits start rolling. There’s also a noticeable effort to showcase the customs and lifestyle in New Orleans. Doug riding a streetcar as a means of helping with his process to solve crimes, and Claire’s jazz inspired funeral are two good examples.

The opening scene of the movie does a great job of building sympathy for the ferry victims. The little girl dropping her doll in the water, the happy Navy sailors enjoying themselves, and it’s easy to see and feel the overall joyous mood on the ferry. It’s all snatched away from them in an instant, when the explosion happens. No time to react, no time to run for safety, or say any goodbyes.

Rating- 7/10

Coming Attractions- Joker: Folie A Deux (2024)

 

Director- Todd Phillips

Cast- Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Harry Lawtey, Zazie Beetz, Brendan  Gleeson, Leigh Gill, Ken Leung, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, Jacob Lofland, Sharon Washington

Release Date- October 4, 2024

Joker 2019 really worked as a more serious and dark origin story about Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix was fantastic. Going by the trailer, Lady Gaga’s version of Harley Quinn probably won’t be too over the top, but you can already see signs of loyalty to Mr. J. It looks like we’ll finally get a more fleshed out version of Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship in a live action film, especially if we’re comparing Folie A Deux to Jared Leto and Margot Robbie’s limited interactions.

I’m also wondering how much of everything we’re shown throughout the trailer is actually happening. Arthur daydreaming and imagining scenarios was a frequent occurrence in the 2019 film, including his relationship with Zazie Beetz and a joyous appearance on Murray Franklin’s show. 

However things play out, I’m glad they’re keeping Phoenix’s Joker in his own world for now. Introducing Batman would brings tons of hype and anticipation, but it’s not necessary. Tod Phillips and Phoenix have proven they’re more than capable of operating in a universe, that can firmly stand on its own two legs without The Caped Crusader.