DVD Review HTF REVIEW: The Butterfly Effect (1 Viewer)

[George_W_K]

I have just finished watching this movie. When I saw the trailer in the theater, I was turned off by seeing Ashton in it. I figured the movie would suck. I sure missed out as this was a very enjoyable movie. He definitely surprised me in the way he acted the part.

I prefer the director's cut ending and I think that NL should have gone with it for the theatrical cut. I didn't like the original cut's ending at all. But, thank God for DVDs!

I'll probably end up buying this one.

 

[dan fritzen]

I am torn as to which ending is better, obviously the paradox the Director's cut creates is interesting but at the same time I liked the straightforwardness of the Theatrical.

Somehow seeing him as a child telling her "I hate you" has a more emotional impact than him commiting suicide in the womb and then creating a cycle with a fourth pregnancy.

 

[JonZ]

This movie hit a nerve with me.

I think the Dir Cut ending is MUCH better. Damn studios and their happy endings.

ending is:

Spoiler:
"Going back in the film, this is where the mother said she had two kids die before Evan was born and then the psychic told him that he had no life line and wasn't meant to be born."

Which makes u think the other children may have gone thru the same ordeal and realized their own death was the only was to prevent what would happen


"but was disappointed that an actor as poor as Ashton Kutcher was in it. My curiousity got the better of me and I saw it in the theater and was amazed at how well he performed."

Ive only seen That 70s Show a couple times and havent seen any of his other movies so I saw this without any Ashton baggage.

Big

 

[TonyDale]

I was incredibly moved by this movie. It did kind of sneak up on me, building gradually and carefully, to a conclusion which was not only CORRECT, but (IMHO) the only possible way to end.
I was looking forward to seeing Ashton in a different type of role, though, I think with stronger hands helming the picture, he might have been a helluva lot better than he is. NOT that he is bad, I think he has many excellent moments, in a very tricky script, yet. . .he doesn't seem grounded in the character. He may yet to prove himself a capable dramatic actor, sadly, this is not the role which will prove it.
On the other hand, the script is daring and successful, proving that after seven years of it, "their hard work hasn't been in vain for nothing."
It is a film which I will return to.

Now that I've seen it, it's time to read the review.

 

[JonZ]

"NOT that he is bad, I think he has many excellent moments, in a very tricky script, yet. . .he doesn't seem grounded in the character."

I thought he was great. I almost (almost) got teary when he was talking to the drug addict Kayleigh in the diner booth

I cant even remember the last time a movie choked me up.Probally the eulogy in Malcolm X

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Okay just watched it, and I'm absolutely floored. This is a great, great film. Ashton is terrific in it.

~ I agree about getting choked up. I never cry during movies, but there were times when i almost did during this film. VERY powerful. ~

As for the endings, I watched the directors cut first, and the theatrical later. I can understand why the T. was put in, it's a much more public friendly ending. Personally .. I loved the Directors Cut ending. It just made so much more sense to me I guess.

Hopefully this dvd will raise awareness for a truly great film, and one that definitely had an impact upon me.

Mike

 

[Michael Elliott]

I think we have a cult following starting.

I glad so many people are liking the film. I went back and watched the theatrical cut and it just didn't sit well with me. "Happy" might not be the correct word but it was clearly added so that the shock value of the D.C. ending wouldn't be thrown on the public.

Again, I think New Line had a lot of guts making the film even with the T.C. ending. I normally don't buy DVDs that I review yet I bought three copies today just to pass out to friends.

 

[Justin_S]

I just watched the director's cut, and I liked most of the new scenes, but the ending just wasn't that great to me. I love downer endings, so it has nothing to do with that. I just don't like the direction it takes things as opposed to the theatrical ending, which by the way, I don't consider happy either. The voiceovers as Evan strangles himself were uneeded too IMO, and lessened the scene's effect for me.
The DC ending is okay, and may grow on me, but I just prefer the theatrical one and think its more fitting personally. Either way, as I said earlier in this thread, this film is one of my new all time favorites, and I am very happy to finally have the DVD. The wait was killing me.

On another not, the film chokes me up too at certain points, and that hardly ever happens to me. Its always a welcome thing for me. Anyways, every time I watch this masterwork, I'll switch out, watching one version, then the other the next time, and so on.

 

[PhilipG]

Because I am distracted by the quick animation, and the rollover sound makes me want to turn my speakers off. I have no problem with a static ad, or a reasonably slow animated gif. Also Flash has a tendancy to crash my computer at times (unfortunately there's no selective disable). Ah well, as soon as I finish programming my web browser, such ads will be a thing of the past!

 

[Dene]

A good movie which hopefully will become better regarded as time goes by, since it seems to have an undeserved rep for being a bit of a stinker at the moment.

Regarding the ending:
I think the Director's Cut end is a bit better than the Theatrical version, but still problematic. I could see the concept of a baby deliberately strangling itself in the womb getting more than a few laughs in a cinema auditorium.

Although the writer-directors don't mention this, I wonder if any drafts of the script ended with the whole thing being just his imagination, as it seems to be when he 'wakes up' in the institution? This would've been a very brave conclusion -- although perhaps a bit of a cheat after a 2-hour mainstream movie.
Anyway, both the movie and DVD are terrific and a worthwhile purchase I think.

BTW, a plot point that someone mentioned on another message board, although it hadn't occurred to me I think they're right:
When he 'goes back' whilst in prison and puts his palms through the spikes, why does his cellmate 'suddenly' see the healed wounds -- wouldn't everything change around them meaning Kutcher's character had always had them?

 

[PaulP]

I'm glad there's so much positive feedback regarding this film. I saw it in theaters not expecting much and was totally blown away and couldn't wait for the DVD. My package should be arriving today, thankfully. This is a very, very good film. I'll dare and say it's definitely one of the best of 2004, but of course it won't win any awards come Oscar time. This is to me in the same league as Donnie Darko, Memento, et al. - hugely popular cult films that only got their due on DVD.

 

[Daniel`D]

I got this yesterday but it only played half the movie then it just stopped, so I returned it and got a new copy and when I put it in, it has a differnt menu! Then I noticed that there are afew different menus each time you put in the dvd.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Dan's spoiler:

Somehow seeing him as a child telling her "I hate you" has a more emotional impact than him commiting suicide in the womb and then creating a cycle with a fourth pregnancy.


Mine:

But there won't be another cycle - the "disease" only affects males, and Evan's mom finally has a female in the DC ending.

 

[Jordan_E]

I thought, from reading the director's ending here, that it would look totally stupid, but it worked for me. Then I watched the theatrical ending and had less an impact. But, GOD, those sound effects practically had me jumping out of my skin early on!

 

[qualen]

I had to turn it down 8dB from my normal level!!! My wife didn't have to say a word. lol I also vote for the DC ending.

 

[Justin_S]

To expand on why I prefer the theatrical ending, I love the direction the it takes the film in, and just the feel of it. I love how Lenny doesn't even know who Kayleigh was, and I also think its much more powerful as it shows Kutcher sacrifice what he had wanted more than anything, to be with Kayleigh, and he will now have to live with never being with her. Not a happy ending I say, with him suffering from not being with her despite all the love he has for her. I think its more effective than him just never being born.

The DC ending is already growing on me, and I do like it. Just not as much as the theatrical one.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Justin, do you think the T.C. ending goes against the "warning" from the psychic?

Also, did anyone prefer the endings from the Deleted Scenes section?

 

[TonyDale]

Michael, I thought that the psychic scene was exclusive to the DC.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

It is, at least if we believe what they say in the commentary. I didn't watch the TC to compare, but the directors note that they added the fortune teller scene for the DC...

 

[Michael Elliott]

Oops, that's correct. :b My bad on that one.