The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Despite box-office dominance during its opening weekend, The Butterfly Effect is better suited to guilty-pleasure viewing at home. When writer-directors Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber (who penned Final Destination 2) aren't breaking their own haphazard rules of logic, they're filling this sordid thriller with enough unpleasantness to make eternal damnation seem like an attractive alternative. In a role-reversal from his That '70s Show persona, Ashton Kutcher plays a college-age psychology student who discovers, by re-reading his childhood journals, that he can revisit his past and alter traumatic events, hoping to improve their previously unfortunate outcomes. Instead, this foolhardy experiment in chaos theory (the titular "butterfly effect," popularized by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park) results in a variety of nightmarish permutations, each having dire consequences for him and/or his friends. This intriguing premise is explored with a few interesting twists and turns, but with subplots involving child pornography, animal cruelty, and profanely violent children, it's a stretch to call it entertainment. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Poorly Executed, But Still Worth Watching

Overall, I liked The Butterfly Effect, but it feels poorly executed. Until the movie started really getting interesting, it felt cliche, had a knack for getting under my skin, and was laughable at the same time. I never really connected with it, like 12 Monkeys. It twisted and turned all over the place too, yet becomes the exact opposite, very predictable, once it starts getting better. There is just something missing in the beginning... I don't really know what it is, but even though the movie gets much better later on, it can't make up for it. On the positive side though, the plot line and ideas were really good. I love alternate realities, time travel, and memory, and the story connects them all without being too out there or unrealistic. It reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, same with it's special effects as well. Ashton Kutcher, and many of the actors, weren't bad either, but nobody really blew me away. I'm not sure if I would recommend the movie. If you want a trip, then yes, see it. Or if you're into dark movies, I would recommend it too. It's really depressing, and of an existential manor. That is both a good and bad quality. Just seeing how everything gets rearranged with disastrous results can make anyone question their lives and "What if?". The Director's Cut ending follows suit too, but it wipes the floor with the original theatrical ending. Whether you like it or not, it fits perfectly with the overall theme of the movie. August 26, 2008

Good value, good movie

$8.99 is an excellent deal for this movie. It's very original, and Kutcher and Smart play their parts perfectly. If you liked this movie in theaters then definitely buy this because it's a classic movie to add to your collection. And it's nice to have all the Infinifilm bonus features. August 1, 2008

Wonderful

This movie is a really good! I recommend everyone to watch it. It had me do a lot of thinking like, "What if I were him?" I've watched it so many times. BUY THE DVD. You won't be disappointed. July 30, 2008

Psychological time travel

What if you could change your past:
remove that very bad thing that happened to you
or your friends when you were young and foolish?
The journals that he started when the blackouts began
serve as 'memory' devices that allow his mind to travel in time.
Each time he changes thing they get progressively worse:
somebody dies or goes crazy or ends up without arms.
He finally solves the riddle of their lives, but loses
his true love in the process! June 30, 2008

What a Trip

Asthon Kutcher gives the performace of a lifetime in this supernaturally charged thriller! It is very intense and dramatic and at times incredibley dark and disturbing. The script was intelligent and well written and all of the cast could not have done better in their roles. I am going to say right now that this film is not for everyone because as I said ealier it is very disturbing but I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone that could stomach it. The DVD played superbly and the sound and picture were all great also came with some very interesting and informative special features! April 10, 2008

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