[c]
The Butterfly Effect: Director’s Cut (UMD)
Region 1 • R • Dolby Digital • Available Now
[/c]
Yet another fantastic UMD release from New Line... it seems that their first wave of movies have been given quite the nice treatment for PSP.
Thoughts on the Movie
I have to say this movie was much better than I was expecting, since I missed it until now. I can’t believe the movie (when in theaters) ended with the deleted scene included on the UMD... had I watched it in theaters, it would have made me really angry. But the new ending in this director’s cut is...well...extremely clever and disappointing at the same time.
Let me back up. The story revolves around Evan (Ashton Kutcher, who does a very respectable job in this film) who might be developing the same symptoms his father had before going to the insane asylum. Soon, he is getting blackouts and writing journals about his everyday experiences...and then he realizes that by reading his entries, he can shift time at will.
The movie is on the same level of fantasy as, say, Frequency (which was a movie about a son and father communicating on a radio in real time, even though he lives in the 1990s, and his dad in the 1950s). But it was still interesting to see how Evan developed, how he was able to change things around him...and no matter what he did to help, things always seemed to get worse.
But this movie didn’t push hard enough. Consider when Evan changes time and goes back to the present day- everyone is perfect, except himself. Does he go back to change time to better himself? Doing so would be incredibly selfish...and yet, he cannot live the way he was left, could he? Instead of giving Evan an incredibly difficult choice to make, they give him a good reason to travel back aside from making his life better, which was just a cop out.
And then there’s the ending. The last 10 minutes of the film, I was wondering...was the film going to turn out like it was heading to? Was this really the way it ends? If so, it would have been predictable, yes, but still interesting and would have left the movie on a poignant note. Instead, they switch around the movie for the last 3 minutes, and something incredibly strange happens that totally makes sense and is ridiculous at the same time. I was bug eyed when the credits rolled, thinking...”Huh.”
While my feelings are mixed for whether or not I really liked the movie, I can say for sure that it was a hell of a ride up until the final moments. That's all I ask for in a thriller.
Video Quality
When the movie first started, I was pleased with the transfer (in its original 1.85 ratio). But then, when the flashback sequences and history changing montages came up, I was blown away. The vivid colors and sharp detail was just amazing during these scenes... man oh man, does this transfer look nice. My only problem is that the picture gets murky during very dark sequences, but this doesn’t happen often. The picture just looked better and better as the movie went along. Amazing work overall.
5/5
Audio Quality
The audio is nice and loud, and the commentary comes through clear and loud as well. When we go into Evan’s mind and his world shapes around him, the audio kicks into high gear and gets REALLY loud (which are really the only times the action heats up). I was very surprised by the dynamics of the audio, with a couple of fake surrounds thrown in for good measure.
5/5
Extras
Once again we get a nice amount of bonus features from New Line, with some great menus (and a scene selection).
First up are some
Deleted Scenes (5:08 total) that are bits and pieces taken out of the movie, with the original theatrical ending (which sucks immensely). You can also watch all the deleted scenes with
commentary by the filmmakers. Oddly, there is no play all option.
Next up is a full length
Feature Commentary with Filmmakers Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, which is really great and gets into the details behind the whole movie. We also get another montage of trailers in
More from New Line that has Freddy vs. Jason and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Overall I’m impressed at the bonus features, though I wish we had a tiny bit more from the DVD. But hey, what’s here is great, and that’s what matters.
4/5
Overall…
While I’m still undecided about my feelings towards the movie, I do know one thing: this UMD is great. Great price, excellent audio and video, and a nice selection of extras...awesome.
4.5/5
