With over 1000 reviews, chances are not many are going to read this, but I just have to say how much I love this film, which I just discovered about a month ago, and have now watched 7 times, once the theatrical version and six times, the directors version, which I greatly prefer, as it fits the overall script better and what was intended originally. I am 70, and hardly expected this or any new movie to make it to my top 10, especially since I am not a fan of fantasy or time travel movies generally, but "The Butterfly Effect" has become my 4th favorite of the nearly 3000 films I have viewed in my life. The movie has many disturbing scenes, but the pace is amazingly fast, the acting excellent for the most part, and the characters physical continuity from childhood through adolescence to adult was the best I have ever seen in a film with 3 separate periods. The plot has been so thoroughly reviewed, I won't waste time telling the details again. Suffice it to say, if you can handle the elements of child abuse and animal mistreatment, (not graphically depicted) and can ignore the critics and watch the film at least twice, I think you will appreciate what a great film this is. And I have recently watched the director's commentary and deleted scenes, which further illustrate what an ambitious film this is. It should have been a classic, and it shows how off-base the critic's fraternity can be. Roger Ebert was fairer to the film than most of the others among major critics, but I think they were determined to knock the film because they didn't like Ashton Kutcher, and the film came out in January, which predisposes most critics to expect a bomb. Do yourself a favor if interested, and rent this Infinifilm. If you like an intense and entertaining movie experience, you won't be disappointed, and you may be enthralled, as I was, and hope you will be.
Review of The Butterfly Effect
