Customer Reviews

BUTTERFLY EFFECT 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Butterfly Effect is a pretty cerebral science fiction movie that seems like it's pretending to be one of those trendy MTV-styled thrillers. On the surface you have Ashton Kutcher and other good looking kids going from scene to scene with cool music in the background and such... which is fine for bringing in that crowd. What I really liked about the movie were the questions that it was raising about Ashton's character and what he can do: if you can go back and change your past what implications would come of it? The Butterfly Effect pulls this off almost perfectly.

The movie spends a fair amount of time in the beginning establishing Evan's (Ashton) life as a youth and all of the serious problems he faced. This is some intense stuff. You really get pulled down in the mud in these scenes and get a good idea of how messed up Evan's life was and how much he had to overcome to get to Ashton's age. By then his need to change his past, along with his ability to, gets the movie started to the point. Is this beginning long and drawn out? Does it pull you too far from the direction the movie ultimately goes? No way. While it does go off on a tangent of sorts that's exactly what you need.

The rest of the film deals with his jumping back and forth to his past, trying to change it for the better, and having to deal with the results. This is the meat of the movie and this is where you see the complications between dealing with a traumatic past and how much worse it can be trying to fix it. Ashton didn't get a lot of praise for his performance in this movie, which is sad. Although his face is unforgettable from his past exploits he didn't come off as That 70's Show's Kelso or the host of MTV's Punk'd in any way. He really showed his acting chops in this movie.

The special effects on this movie played well with things like its time/space warping scenes. Cinematography is worth noting too. Different eras of Evan's life seem to be depicted with different lens filters and other camera tricks that give the scenes a very signature look. All in all a very solid production.

Now the theatrical release has an ending different from the director's original vision. If you ask me they made a good choice with the theatrical ending. It makes more sense and it fits better in the overall theme of the movie. The alternate ending goes way out there on left field, even with the director's cut filling in little scenes that are supposed give foreshadowing for that ending. It's just a lame ending in my opinion. There are lot of people who say they prefer the alternate ending and I can only think they do because it's such a radical departure from conventional endings.

Now this Blu-Ray release is actually an import and doesn't come with any special features and whatnot other than enhanced picture. As a matter of fact this release will only have the director's cut of the movie and the theatrical release is not there at all. That includes the director's "alternate ending". This sucks for people who want to compare between the theatrical and director's cut as they are pretty different on how they end (and believe me that makes all the difference).

The Butterfly Effect is a great movie, but this Blu-Ray release isn't. No extra features. No commentary. No both versions of the movie. It's better to wait for a better release or just get the Infinifilm edition DVD, which has both versions, deleted scenes, documentaries and more.

I had high hopes when this movie was released for Blu-Ray. However, I found the results to be quite disappointing. First thing is first. This is an IMPORT. This was never officially released in the U.S on BR. It has only been available on DVD. Anyway, I was initially surprised that there were no special features of any kind. But the real shock is the movie itself. The BR version ONLY has the director's cut. The theatrical version is not available. For those that don't know, the ending of each is dramatically different from the other. This definitely affects the appeal of the film. Also, there does not seem to be any upgrade in quality from the DVD version.

Overall, I recommend avoiding this and getting the DVD. It is cheaper. The quality is the same. There are special features. And most importantly, you have the option to choose between watching the theatrical version (the best one in my opinion) or the director's cut.

I saw this film in the theater and absolutely freaked over it. I bought the DVD just to see the director's cut and it blew my mind. I like the theatrical ending, but if you've already seen the film, the Director's Cut ties the movie together so brilliantly that you really understand what the writers were going for the whole time.

The Hi-Def Transfer looks amazing. The Director used every film stock and camera lens to alter "reality" as the main character's universe kept taking different turns. In one section of the movie, the colors burst from the screen in a way that film itself cannot achieve, but with digital technology, the tone and image of the film look better than I'd ever expected. A must buy, I just wish there were more extras.

Ashton Kutcher plays young man who had blackouts as a child. Upon waking up, he could never remember what happened during the blackouts. His mom took him to a specialist as a child who recommended he start writing in journal. As an adult, when reading the journal, what happened during the blackouts would come back to him. He also realized he could change his past. But, every time he chaged his past he would screw something else up. This movie is awesome! watch it!

I've heard bad reviews about this movie but their all wrong!!! Trust me!This is one of my favorites.

I didn't realize it was Blu-Ray so I can't watch it. If I had a blu ray player I'm sure it would have been a great movie.