The Butterfly Effect (DVD, 2004, Infinifilm; Theatrical Release and Director's Cut)

Starting off with a poignant quote from the Chaos Theory relating how something as simple as the flutter of a butterfly can ripple into a typhoon, The Butterfly Effect is an interesting little thriller that takes a look at just how every action really does have an equal and sometimes very opposite reaction.

The filmmakers have also done a nice job with the look of the film. Where a lot of times CGI can really and truly suck, here it is used pretty effectively to emulate what Evan sees as he's going back in time. It works well without resorting to a cliché version of him seeing his life flash before his eyes or anything like that. Instead it's almost frightening in its intensity and from a purely visual standpoint, quite eye catching. There is one stand out moment the computer-generated effects are obvious, a scene where Evan wakes up and finds that he has physically changed, but aside from that, the movie looks very nice. The cinematography is slick and effective with plenty of interesting eye catching angles and colors used throughout, and the soundscape, which plays a pretty important part in the overall feel of the film, is well designed and atmospheric.

Both the 113-minute theatrical cut and the 119-minute director's cut are included on this DVD. The key difference between the two is the alternate ending that finds Tommy deducing that his relationship with Kayleigh isn't the problem after all, it is in fact something completely different. It is, in my opinion, a bleaker but better ending that suits the tone of the film better. There is also quite a bit of character development in the first third of the film that fleshes out the storyline quite a bit better. The key point though is the ending, which completely changes the tone of the film when compared to the rather syrupy theatrical ending that New Line chose to use instead. Six-minutes of running time may not seem like an awful lot of difference, but believe me, the ending is far more appropriate and changes what is basically an average quality film into a much better, albeit darker, thriller.

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There's nothing I like more than a movie that leaves you thinking long after it's over. Fight Club, American Beauty, and now The Butterfly Effect. What if you could go back and just change ONE thing? Well, the course of history could be changed for all you know and love if you change that little thing you did.

Ashton and Amy, along with the rest of the support cast, fit their roles very well. Aside from having a preconceived notion of Ashton that I felt would never allow me to take him seriously, he plays a convincing role.

Without giving away too much, Ashton's character finds a way he can go back in time and consciously change things he has done in his life - one thing leads to another, and suddenly he has more problems and experiences than one person should ever have to deal with.

Overall I give this movie an A. The plot is thick enough to interest anyone, it leaves you thinking long after it's over, and it will help you appreciate the magnitude of the small decisions you make every day.

The DVD is great - the director's cut ending is phenominal - the best in my opinion. Definitely worth a rent!

Forget the sequels. The original Butterfly Effect has Ashton Kutcher in a moving dramatic role. I wouldn't have believed it possible after seeing him play not-too-bright teens on That 70s Show and Dude Where's My Car?; but in an intlligent adult role, Kutcher proves he can really act. The film is not for young children as it features a child molester and several violent, troubled teens. When Kutcher remembers the traumatic events of his childhood, he strives to set them right by traveling back in time to prevent them from happening. But somehow, every change he makes only makes the present situation worse. Eventually he hits upon the right solution but it means sacrificing the one relationship that is most important to him. The DVD also offers an alternate ending, but it's predictable and sad. Had they gone with that one, the viewer would have seen it coming a mile away. The ending that they actually chose is unpredictable, poignant, yet still offers a ray of hope. This film is a favorite that I have watched again and again.

This movie is hard to explain, but it's intense. It has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Ashton Kutche plays a college student who has had blackouts and memory loss since he was young. Ashton's character has the ability to change what happened by reading his journals that he's kept through the years. But he realizes that changing history has caused unwanted results in other parts of his life. He has to decide which parts of his life are more important.

I like The Butterfly Effect because it's a very interesting look on the theory of time-rift and it stars Ashton Kutcher, one of my favorite actors, in a more serious role than he is usually in. I hope he does more movies like this and become a serious actor because he proved he can do it in this movie. However, if he does more comedies soon, that would be fine as well.

Lately he hasn't been in movies since he is busy with reality T.V. shows such as: Beauty And The Geek, Adventures In Hollyhood (Three 6 Mafia & Project Pat), Miss Guided, The Real Wedding Crashers, Room 401, and Pop Fiction.

However, Ashton Kutcher will be in 1 movie this year, What Happens In Vegas... (with Cameron Diaz, Queen Latifah & Dennis Miller) and 2 next year, Personal Effects and Spread.

The sequel, Butterfly Effect 2, doesn't come close to how great the original is. Partly because it's a new cast and there's not too many flashbacks to when the main character was younger. There is some interesting scenes such as a friend of his being put through a glass table but not much else. I think the same thing happened with the sequel to White Noise.

I recommend The Butterfly Effect, but not the sequel. The first one is 5-stars, the second is 2-3 stars.