3/5 Intriguing, dark, but good ending
  by Jeffrey J. Messenger (Connecticut, USA)
After reading the viewer reviews about this movie, I'm convinced that those attracted to despair, futility, and ruination have a love affair with this adventure. Pedaphiles, doggie killers, baby bombers... it's all a bit much! Some complained about the perceived "upbeat" end of the film, although I didn't see the ending as upbeat at all.

Spoiler Alert... Having the main character sacrifice the one relationship that meant the most to him...his true love, his childhood sweetheart... this is "upbeat?" Instead, it's bittersweet... he realizes that her life would be better if she wasn't close to him. Thus, this "good" ending has a sad twist, especially when he sees his true love on the street, but forces himself to keep walking away from her.

If the ending had him "reconnect" with his lost love, that would had been inconsistent with the rest of the film. But the sacrifice of this time traveling protagonist, as kept in the film, fits well.

The Director's cut has Kutcher's character strangle himself as a fetus? Please! I thought "Twelve Monkeys" was a depressing time travel film. If they kept this ending, Prozac could had officially sponsored the plunge into despair.



2/5 The Butterfly Effect... Can I Blame a Butterfly in China for this Film?
  by Julian Kennedy (St Pete Florida)
The Butterfly Effect: 4 out of 10: The first 40 minutes of The Butterfly Effect are tough sledding. It's not incompetent film-making mind you. If anything the film is simply too effective. Literally showing the world's worst childhood. It is so much of a downer with its child molestation, its baby killing and, most unforgivingly, its burning puppies; that it is almost a Stephen King parody rather than an actual science fiction drama.

I guess there is a reason we repress memories after all. I would repress this childhood as well.

The film to that point kind of reminded me of Sleepers in that it was so unpleasant to experience that it simply doesn't matter how good the movie really is. Then the movie takes a wild turn as Ashton Kutcher shows up as the adult version of our protagonist.. As easy a target as he is I hate to admit the second two-thirds of the film are really not his fault.

Some notes to writer/directors Eric Briss and J. Mackye Gruber. If your going to have scenes in a prison you might want to visit one first, or at least watch a documentary on the same. Speaking of documentaries "Revenge of the Nerds" and other eighties comedies are not a documentaries on college life. Sororities do not resemble the Playboy Mansion. And twenty-three year old crack whores often look bad, but they tend not to resemble a Dawn of the Dead extra.

If The Butterfly Effect didn't keep flashing back to the puppy and baby horrors, then the second two thirds would be a hoot. There is even a "hey there is a psycho chasing me lets take a walk in the dark woods" scene.

To add injury to insult, since Kutcher's time travel effects only his friends and family and nothing else at all. The Butterfly Effect inadvertently substantiates the reverse of the Butterfly theorem.

Needless to say the change in tone from the childhood scenes and adult scenes is jarring. Though most of the humor in the adult scenes is admittedly unintentional.

Kutcher travels back in time by staring at notebook paper. I tried the same technique staring at my screen. It didn't work I still lost two hours.



4/5 Deeply moving parable, fine dramatic debut for Ashton Kutcher
  by Libretio

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

(USA - 2003)

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtracks: Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS

A young man (Ashton Kutcher) is 'cursed' with an ability to travel back in time to a series of traumatic childhood incidents and change the course of history, but his thoughtless actions have far-reaching - and often painful - consequences...

Astonishing, complex film, distinguished by Kutcher's heartfelt performance as the haunted character whose attempts to rectify past transgressions meet with disaster at every turn. The emotional pay-off is quite profound (especially in the director's cut, much better than the theatrical edition), though viewers are advised that the material is often VERY heavy indeed - you have been warned! An unexpected masterpiece.

Followed by several in-name-only sequels, beginning with THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT 2 (2006).


5/5 butterfly effect
  by herb adams
i thought the delivery time was great i dident have to wait that long and i couldent get this at best buy so that was a pluse

1/5 Never received the DVD!!!!
  by Catherine A. Bacon
The DVD never made it here, so I really cannot rate it. This will be the last time I ever use Amazon.com. Obviously they can't be trusted to ship the items that cost more for shipping than the cost of the product.