


Tony Scott’s first collaboration with Denzel Washington was on Crimson Tide, the submarine war thriller that also starred Gene Hackman, Viggo Mortenson, and James Gandolfini. And the film wasn’t much of a failure at the box office, bringing in close to $200 million worldwide. Regardless, Déjà Vu is still a lot of fun. Scott even admitted as much, saying that if given more time, he probably could have made a better movie. However, Scott - who wasn’t really interested in the sci-fi angle - downplayed the time-travel angle in order to emphasize the action, resulting in a story that had plot-holes big enough to drive a truck through (much to the dismay of the film’s writers, Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii). Denzel Washington gives a dependably wonderful performance, and the rest of the cast - which included Val Kilmer, Jim Caviezel, Paula Patton, and Bruce Greenwood - give it their all. Much like Pelham 123, Déjà Vu has its fair share of positives: for starters, Scotts frantic directing style was a perfect fit for the pulpy material. During the time-bending investigation, Carlin develops a fascination - and soon an obsession - with Claire (Paula Patton), a woman who may be the key to altering the past and preventing the explosion from ever taking place. Carlin is invited to join a secretive new governmental unit to aid in the investigation, only to discover they’re using a futuristic surveillance program referred to as “Snow White,” which - in short - gives them the ability to go back in time. Tony Scott’s first and only foray into science-fiction was the 2006 time-travel thriller Déjà Vu.In the movie, Washington stars as Douglas Carlin, an ATF Special Agent tasked with investigating a domestic terrorist attack in New Orleans that resulted in the death of 543 people. In short, it just works a lot better compared to Scott’s hectic, glossy direction.

Given this is a remake, it’s impossible not to compare it to the original, which is brimming with grit and tough-guy actors, punctuated by an almost sinister score. While some may disagree, the reason why Pelham 123 doesn’t really work is because Scott’s typical over-the-top style seems at odds with the story’s seediness. Denzel Washington and John Travolta give good performances, but neither would probably list Pelham in their top five performances.
DENZEL WASHINGTON MOVIE TIME TRAVEL FULL
Scott’s style is on full display: the frenetic camera work, the stylized and rapid editing - it’s all there.

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a serviceable movie (if a tad underwhelming). Garber - who happens to be in the wrong place and the wrong time (or the right time, depending on how you look at it) - becomes the unofficial liaison-slash-negotiator between Ryder and the city of New York. He and his men have one demand: get them $10 million within the hour, or they’ll start shooting passengers. Meanwhile, a team of armed men - led by John Travolta’s Ryder - hijack a New York City subway train loaded with passengers. The movie stars Denzel Washington as Walter Garber, an MTA supervisor demoted to train dispatch following allegations of bribery. Tony Scott’s The Taking of Pelham 123- a remake of the gritty 1974 original - was the second-to-last film of Scott’s career. RELATED: Who Had the Better Career: Tony or Ridley Scott? Here is every Tony Scott film starring Denzel Washington, ranked. Not only were their collaborations lucrative, they were varied: a crackling war drama, a gritty revenge flick, a sci-fi actioner, and - oddly enough - two (!) pulse-pounding thrillers involving rogue trains.Īlthough some are better than others, there isn’t a bad flick in this bunch. Their movies grossed just under $800 million at the worldwide box office (and you can bump that number up to a billion when you account for physical media sales, too). In a 2010 interview with The LA Times, Scott explained why he loved working with the actor so much: “He always manages to pull out a different aspect of ‘Denzel’.he’s able to never repeat himself.”įrom 1995 to 2010, Washington and Scott worked together five times, which accounts for nearly one-third of the director’s entire filmography. Washington’s talents are undeniable he’s probably one of the most charismatic and versatile movie stars working today (and his roles in films like Training Day and American Gangster prove as much).
