The Butterfly Effect - Director's Cut [DVD] [2004]

 

 

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This is an extremely clever, moving and well acted film, and a good antidote to the type of film in which changing the past is made to appear relatively straightforward. But it packs a major sting in the tail and is not one to watch if you want to be cheered up.

The title "The Butterfly effect" is a reference to the behaviour of sensitive systems under chaos theory, and the film starts with the famous quote about how the flap of a butterfly's wings can cause a tornado on the other side of the world six months later. The film could almost have been subtitled "Or: The Law of Unintended Consequences."

The central character is Evan, a boy whose father and grandfather died in mental hospitals and who appears to have inherited a strange condition from them. Evan is portrayed brilliantly as a young adult by Ashton Kutcher, as a 7-year old by Logan Lerman, and as a teenager by John Patrick Amedori.

As a boy Evan has blackouts at times of extreme stress when he does things which can be very strange and scary, and then has no memory of them. To try to help with this, his mother (Melora Walters) encourages him to keep a daily journal.

Evan grows up to become a brilliant student, and then discovers than by reading his diaries and concentrating he can send his consciousness, including his adult memories, back to the time he was reading about. The viewer eventually realises that the blackouts are the times he sent his mind back to.

After the suicide of his childhood friend Kayleigh (played as an adult by Amy Smart) Evan sends his mind back to one of the first traumatic events, which he correctly identifies as the start of the process which put Kayleigh on the path to despair and premature death. At first it appears that he has succeeded in transforming her life for the better - but then a side effect of his actions causes something else to go horribly wrong.

Each time Evan tries to go back to undo either one of the original mistakes of his life or the harmful results of his previous meddling, the butterfly effect - and the law of unintended consequences - means that a fresh disaster occurs. Evan does sometimes succeed in saving someone's life or happiness, but only at the price of devastating repercussions for someone else.

All three actors who play Evan bring him to life brilliantly, and the acting of the rest of the cast is also excellent. Direction, action and special events are first rate and the pace works very well: there is inevitably quite a lot of repetition but it doesn't make the film boring because you're looking out for the changes or the explanation. And this film is so much more plausible and grown-up than most time-travel movies. But it really does deliver a kick at the end.

There was a "sequel" made a couple of years later called "The Butterfly effect 2" with a different cast of characters, and in which the central character has a very similar condition to Evan. However, everyone I know who has watched them both says that the sequel is not nearly as good.

Some great extras on the disc, particularly to sequences in which academics and film makers are interviewed about Chaos theory and about why we are fascinated by time travel stories.

I can strongly recommend this as long as you're not looking for something sweet and cheerful.

I expected little of this film, only watching it out of a vague interest in its premise and was very pleasantly surprised. There is quite a lot of violence but it is a far from gory film in my eyes and it adds to, rather than detracts from the storyline. The use of violence is necessary to make the dramatic effects these events have on the character's lives plausible. It raises interesting questions about momentary events from our past which ultimely shape us and decide the entire course of our lives.

The many alternate realities 'Evan' (Ashton Kutcher) experiences are fascinating and the viewer is also completely drawn into the series of highly interesting twists. Whilst watching this film I could imagine no other reality than the one presented before me, there was little room for criticism which is why I am so surprised this film received some quite bad reviews elsewhere. Do not believe them, this film is a definite must-see. Other reviewers have commented on the depressing ending but I did not feel let down by it in any way and Evan's 'final solution' is the only one he could have reached. It is a very satisfying finish with none of the cliches of a traditional Hollywood ending.

This film is very Donnie Darko-esque, but although it deals with dark issues such as paedophilia it lacks the very depressing atmosphere of Donnie Darko. Without this heavy atmosphere it takes the transition from the possible horror movie (as some would call Donnie Darko) to a very rare find indeed-a film which does not depress but still evokes powerful emotions and deep thought. An excellent film.

I have purchased this film and seen the original version in the cinema. Part of the DVD extras is a set of alternative ednings to this film, of which - the original ending isn't one of them!!! In the uk we saw a different cut of the film then our american counterparts... but alas this ending(and i might add the best of all the alternatives offered) is nowhere to be seen. It's a shame, as this is an outstanding film.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Weird film.
A very odd film with a very original take on the consequences of time-travel done in a very non-sci-fi way. Read more

Published 15 hours ago by Mr. Martin Jury

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow what a film
I really didn't expect much from it but it is absolute class, the storyline is amazing, it's quite a sad film, one of the best films i've seen in months i'd say!

Published 24 days ago by Mr. C. J. Davies

5.0 out of 5 stars REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
The Butterfly Effect most certainly caught me off guard,here i was replete with snobbish indifference{it stars Ashton Demi Kutcher} expecting some moronic supernatural bag of air... Read more

Published 26 days ago by mister joe

4.0 out of 5 stars Every action has a positive and negative reaction.
Ashton Kutcher, what, that's the guy off that series of unfunny rom-coms, right, and Punk'd cr*p, right? Read more

Published 1 month ago by Bilbo Biggins

4.0 out of 5 stars "We're all in the same time zone here".
Young Evan is a cause for concern, finding himself involved with violent happenings and seemingly entering altered states of mind where he has on control of his actions. Read more

Published 2 months ago by GeekZilla

4.0 out of 5 stars A very watchable film
This is an excellent sci-fi film. I enjoyed it more because it didn't rely too much on spcial affects. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Mr. Robin Hume

5.0 out of 5 stars Butterfly Effect
Prompt delivery and in excellent condition - no complaints at all. All as it said on the tin which was superb

Published 4 months ago by mosquito99

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
This is one of the best films I've ever seen and one of Ashton's finest preformances, i've watched it atleast 10 times already it's so good. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Aaron Thomas

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice
Hard not to get drawn into this multi-faceted yarn of intertwined realities.
A great story aided by a restrained screenplay. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Observer

5.0 out of 5 stars Different
I like something that's different and weird and this certainly fits the bill. Romantic, horror and sci-fi all in one, I love it. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Erin

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