A total mind blower., January 2, 2004

Because most of the critics slammed this movie, I went to see it expecting a lot less than I got. I thought the movie was fine: rich plot, good pacing, intense drama, and solid performances by all of the actors. Ashton Kutcher, who has a great screen presence (I've never seen him before; don't watch much TV) played the role with just the right degrees of intensity, bewiderment, and desperation. Amy Smart's performance fluctuated convincingly from loyal lover, to air-headed ingenue, to hardened prostitute, etc. And I loved the way the other supporting characters changed personalities with time shifts.

While "The Butterfly Effect" wasn't critically acclaimed or well loved by everyone, I thought it was a pretty good movie when I first saw it at the theatres. It was a dark and completely disturbing film that made me want to look away at times, but at the same time I was very intrigued. My only problem was the ending. I thought it really contradicted the whole theme of the movie, but I always suspected that the so-called "happy ending" was forced upon since the movie is so dark and hard to watch that they thought there was no way people would like it if a more darker and depressing ending were added. Well, now you get to see the director's cut of the film that's on this very DVD, which offers the superior ending.

I saw a screening of this movie and as much as I expected to be non-plussed at best, it was amazing. Like a cross between Memento and a dark It's A Wonderful Life, the movie plays with time, reality, and the greatest "What if?" that there's ever been.