The Butterfly Effect

There is a link at the bottom of this review that has some theories about the film, along with some spoilers. You have been warned! I can’t decide yet if this is the most intelligent film I’ve seen in years, or perhaps just another mistake that shouldn’t have been produced. The Butterfly Effect is the story of a young man, Evan Treborn, played by Ashton Kutcher, who has difficulties dealing with troubling memories from his childhood. He learns to jump back in time to change things. There is a catch. Every time he jumps back in time to change something, things are different when he jumps back into the present. Amy Smart plays his young flame that in some realities is his girlfriend, whilst in other, she’s a wreck. She commits suicide, supposedly because of him, and this is when he learns to jump back in time and confront his demons. Writer and Directors Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber (Final Destination 2) do an excellent job at keeping the flow of the plot from getting too confused, a common problem with time travel films. On the surface, The Butterfly Effect is a simple time-travelling story (if you can have a simple time travel story). It flows well, with well-placed special effects and great casting. Although I have a hard time believing that Kutcher is acting, his role is well cast to fit his young-n-dumb forte. In the end, the movie is enjoyable and entertaining. The characters are well cast, and the story line is believable if you suspend enough disbelief. And now, cllck here for the real story!