This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went into this movie not really knowing anything about it other than it had Keanu Reeves in it and it was a movie about reality not being what it seems (hmm, where have I seen that idea before, cough, Matrix, cough..). I soon figured out it is a film about the Illuminati and the New World Order (I think) because the whole movie is filled with Illuminati symbolism on T-Shirts, in pictures on the walls, etc., and there is even a scene with Alex Jones shouting through a megaphone protesting the New World Order and getting tasered. Unfortunately, while that is a topic I love to see movies educating the public about, this movie fails to do that. My girlfriend saw this with me and after the scene of Alex Jones just popping up and getting tasered, she was like: "who the hell was that and what was that all about?". Now, I recently learned that this movie is based upon a novel written in 1977 about "monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments, and altered states" according to Wikipedia. Now if the Alex Jones and Illuminati stuff was just added to the story to update it to today's conspiracy culture then actually that is kind of cool and I'm probably being too hard on it.

But, either way, this movie is just a jumbled mess of a plot that does not make sense to anyone. The movie is about people on drugs, is this movie supposed to be interpreted as if you are viewing it on drugs? Because that is what this movie feels like to watch, a movie that is incomprehensible like you are watching it on a high dosage of morphine (without the nice buzz) after you recently had major surgery at the hospital. The animation overlay idea was cool, but really, the emotion of the actors and actresses was lost in translation, I'd much rather see the real facial expressions of the actors/actresses than just a scribbly sketch of them which makes the movie really boring.… Expand

Good animation flick. Im not to much of an animation movie fan but this has a good/wicked plot to it with a twist. Its a crazy animation that will leave some thinking wtf did I just watch. Its clearly NOT for everyone but for a person like me I enjoyed this flick very much.

An amazing cast, with visionary ideas that scream of paranoia. Great visuals which make the audience feel like they are apart of this drug-centered dystopia. Many hidden meanings and plotlines lead to a more captivating experience and begs for multiple viewings. Interesting to say the least.

Unfortunately so painful that me and my wife gave up after 17 minutes of watching this. This may sound dismissive but it is a rare occasion that I begin to watch a film and then give up (I even sat through Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3. Now thatâ

It feels like the Matrix before Neo finds out it exists.
A lot of Keanu Reeves going around having a 'splinter in his mind'.
Dark, depressing, sinister yet funny and artistic. I love it

No doubt one of the worst experiences of my life. I wish I would have been prepared for this strange and twisted cartoon. It's hidden meanings and plotlines were difficult if not impossible to follow. It would fit in better in a "twilight zone" episode.

Awfully intriguing bit of metatheater with a weak narrative thread. This movie has to be watched more than once, those that have read the novel may only need one viewing. [***SPOILERS***] I haven't read the novel and only hold out hope that more will be illuminated between it's covers. Linklater is a bit too cryptic in this outing, he sets up plot points in a flash card manner. Sometimes this works, like the brief introduction to the blue flower in the beginning of the film and the field of them in the end. What was most poor was the presentation of "Substance D". There is nothing in the film that shows the pleasant effects of the drug, why someone would use it, and what it really does. Everyone appeared to be on the drug, but everyone didn't seem to have the same symptoms. The film does best what Linklater does best which is capture paranoid dialogue and wacked out characters, dream noir worlds and active isolation. I love Linklater's films so I have a spin on the film or maybe I'm compensating for a favorite director. This film is metatheater, the look of the film represents the world view from a population under the influence for better or worse. This film is also a test, if you sit there and accept everything that is said without question, then welcome to that world; you've just become a member. Can you think for yourself when the world you live in is telling you you're crazy? Do you trust your own perception or do you need the government to tell you what you're seeing and feeling? Finally, is the enemy of your enemy your friend? "What does a scanner see? Does it see darkly or clearly?" I think this film is genius in ways that make it mediocre entertainment.… Expand

A little tough to follow at points, but overall a very good film. The animation was great. The story was amazing and the acting was right on. This is one movie I will be seeing again, not just because it is good, but because there is so much to take in on one showing.

To start off, C.P.'s review of this movie may be the most arrogant and unbelievably disgusting reviews i have ever seen on this site. He dares to call the professional reviewers confused, and suggest that they misinterpreted it. With that aside, he is allowed his own opinion about the movie, although it is clear that he is one of few that hated it. It was an astonishingly true-life movie, showing us, through an unharmful apparatus such as a comic book, that the system is building off of itself and becoming all powerful. Truly remarkable filmaking and acting alike.… Expand

A scramble of reality and animation, drama and cartoon, druggie antilogic and metamessage, Scanner picks you up and throws you into the messy world that addiction creates. The visual tour de force abstracts and clarifies the drama, much as black and white used to do, focusing the energy on the essentials. You'll get lost in the action, but you'll get the point.

Great, great, great! The most visually stunning movie I've ever seen. Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder are very impressive here.

I haven't walked out of a movie since "The sound of music" when I was twelve. What a waste of 8 dollars, luckily I snuck into "My Ex Super Girlfriend" , which, by the way was quite funny. But This movie, THIS movie, was awful, not to mention a group of people who couldn't stop laughing at the boring, diatribe, so called witty dialogue. The cartoonish overtone felt annoying, probably done because the special effects might have cost too much. Anyway, don't waste your money, I like most movies and this one was really bad, I'm sure philip Dick would have been dissapointed. After a simple plot developed laced with too much overacting and ostentatious witty dialogue, 45 minutes had already passed, I felt that I couldn't take it anymore!… Expand

Always funny to see people give a movie a bad score because they didn't get it, you know the type, they tend to use nouns like diatribe as adjectives. Anyway I thought this movie was pretty good, not the best thing I have ever seen, but certainly the best thing I've seen this summer. I don't really see where the mass confusion on the plot is coming from, I didn't find it all the hard to grasp (if you can follow fight club or pulp fiction you should get this.) I liked the use of animation (particularly on the scramble suits) and frankly I don't understand the people complaining about it being annoying, you knew it was animated going in to it. Every trailer, T.V. spot, and even the poster show case this fact, it just seems like an easy gripe because the movie didn't turn out to be the matrix four or dazed and confused two. Anyway, a good movie (unless you're looking for live action, action adventure packed with one liners and super heroes) and a great book adaptation (PKD's son and daughter say that their father would be proud of it.)… Expand

Neurotically wild kafka.

Having known nothing of this film before I watched it, I couln't have seen it at a better time. I guess it will resonate on many different levels with many different kinds of people. But to me this film's underlying voice was obvious throughout. The length this film goes to in order to portray the differing states of the mind whilst using/abusing drugs is truely amaizing. If this film saves one person from the grips of addiction (not just to drugs) it can truely be regarded as a masterpeice of our times.… Expand

People think that because they don't get it, it must be great. Its not, it sucks. And the revolutionary visual effects are revolutionary but nothing else - the overall effect is tacky and cartoonish. No substance, no plot, poor visuals, no soundtrack, no drama, no excitement, nothing, nada, squat.

This movie is a little tough to get through, but you gotta stick with it. Parts are boring, parts are sad, and some parts are hilarious (I see a sheep, what does that mean?) But in the end with the final twists it really comes together. Great portrayal of drug addiction.

I would've given it a 10 if it wasn't for 20 minute long conversations with no score, or music in the backround. visually, it was stunning, and the movie had a great message. "if you use drungs, you will be addicted."

Being a PKD fan, I felt it was my duty to see this movie. I thought it was a great movie, though not as good as the book, I felt it stayed true to the book. The visuals are amazing. The rotoscoping gave it a very surreal feel. The most memorable part of this movie for me was Robert Downey Jr.'s perfect performance. My suggestion is read the book. You don't get half the depth in the movie that you do in the book.… Expand

This movie was slow and eventless. Perhaps it did have a deep plot, but I was just so bored that I didn't care, I just wanted it to end. And most of the other people who left the cinema seemed bored and confused too, so I was really surprised with the ratings others gave it.

I saw this film at the LA Film Fest .... it is truly amazing....a great film, and the actors were excellent....the animation was fantastic. It is a P.K. Dick dark sci-fi story, semi - autobiography about drugs and government surveillance and a new, devastating drug called Substance D......for DEATH! It is not a cartoon...it is adult animation and a story that makes you think.... It is not a piece of fluff .... a no brainer. It does have a lot of witty, clever, funny dialogue. I guess you could say it is a wake-up call with laughs. You should really go see it.....and then go see it again!!… Expand

One of the 3 most awaited films for me,A Scanner Darkly is in every fashion satisfying and worth the wait.I simply put this one of the more Philosophical,metamorphic,and provoking thrillers and not to mention the coolest part-animated films put on screen.Everything here was exactly what I expected and more.Knowing that this film is helmed by the ultra ambitious and talented Richard Linklater,with a spellbinding cast. [***SPOILERS***] I had 100% satisfaction.Expecting a Sci-Fi film in the likes of Blade Runner,and Minority Report. It's dealing with the same thing that Blade Runner and other Phillip K.Dick's stories has dealt with.It questions the meaning of life and existence and goes beyond that to ask those questions.Of course,like all those thoughtful films,it doesn't provide any answers but just asks those fascinating questions.By the way,Who's watching us? Writer-Director Linklater yet again gives a striking cerebral experience in A Scanner Darkly ,a film adaptation of one of the most beloved sci/fi short story writers.Reportedly based on his own real life experience,Philip K.Dick is a visionary short story writer where the story's main focus has always been the importance of being human. Like Waking Life,Linklater really pushes the envelope by giving the film its necessary surreal looks with its rotoscope animation.Creating a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future.A technique he successfully incorporated in Waking Life,but only this time that technique has been taken a little further. It is a future where America has lost the war on drugs and that every one ,almost, even cops have started taking drugs.A famous substance D is being popular among citizens of suburbia and it is almost unstoppable.An undercover cop Bob Arctor(Reeves),is assigned a task to take down couple of his friends who are using that drug.Soon, he is in a strange world where he can't tell the difference between the real and the surreal,he doesn't know who to believe and whom not to.This also leads him to his split personality.And then he is lost.His mind is totally lost.Nothing becomes what it seems.Identity becomes an illusion,and for them paranoia becomes salvation ,as someone ,something,somehow,somewhere is always watching somebody. It has a similar Post-apocalyptic feel ,like Blade Runner.It's designed that way.I mean ,honestly,I believe that our society in the future will be grim and dark.We will be and are living in a dystopic future.Everything around us is getting aggressively worse and we can do nothing about it.Everything around us is surrounded by computers with highly advanced technology.Everyone fears someone.No one can be trusted,there's no one to believe.Everyone's addicted ,everyone is two faced.And that's what makes this film so complex.What is the real world? As a writer,Linklater knows how to produce an intriguing element.He manifests the books smart idea and gives you a film with powerful visuals.Although it may have seemed that turning a film like this into an animated film is totally faulty,the animation over live action shots actually helps heighten the surreal impact of the film.Like Waking Life,this film really has strong affect on the audience. The director carefully explores Arctor's mind,who he becomes from who he was.It's a very psychological and complex journey of ones mind,a theme often included in Dick's books.The designs and looks of the film are way beyond impressive.It's as if Keanu Reeves has found himself another visually stunning Matrix movie.The film looks really awesome.The visuals are simply fabulously insane! The main strength of the film is its visuals.The animation over live action shots are impressive,the story is very well detailed and film is perfectly handled.But there are some drawbacks/flaws.The animation sometimes hampers the films dramatic impact.There are scenes which could've looked better if they were shot in live action.But still,its a unique experience altogether.And should be well received and hopefully becomes a cult success. Performances are all solid.Especially one from Downey Jr.He is the man who really makes his roles and characters juicy and fun.And surprises are on his side.Reeves is adequate and hopefully no one would blame him if this film fails to achieve success ,he was perfect for the role.Thanks to his dark,brooding looks and dry expressions.He brings the necessary tension and emotions of his character.While Wionna Ryder is not that impressive.Harrelson goes along with Downey as another standout psycho drug addict.It's actually hard to justify the performances when the characters look so animated and sometimes it's hard to identify their emotions properly. The director deserves a special praise for his effort to bring something this complex into realization.I love the way he crafts his films.It's just fun to watch and it's also thoughtful at the same time.He injects lots of humor,especially in the scenes between, Keanu,Robert and Woody.And dramatic allegory,which never really reaches a very high level due to its animation. This film does join the ranks of Minority report and Blade Runner and other successful Dick adaptations for its impressive handling of the subject.However,it can't meet the perfection of those films.But as a mesmerizing black comedy,it's still very close to perfection and it's worth a look,at least for its visuals.Especially if you want to escape from the Big Budgeted Hollywood crap coming out every two or three times a month.And most especially,if you admire Dick's and Linklaters's works.… Expand

I find it amazing that Entertainment Weekly can semi-trash this movie yet they gave "poseiden" a pretty damn good review. Linklater rocks.

A wonderful homage. This is the movie Dick would have wanted. You're left with a despondent vision of the future, and yet a terrible sense of immediacy.

Walked out after 30 minutes. Mindless drug ranting with eye-straining animation. Loved Trainspotting and various other drug related movies but couldn't take this one from the first scene.

Fantastic, mind-blowing, totally original.....So happy to watch a film that has such rich characters, dialog, layered meanings..This is the best film this year so far!

Superb effects and acting, with a funny script, but lacks depth and pacing.

I think what it lacked in character and plot development/confusion it sold me on the amazing use of the ground breaking artistic technology! And I feel as though the Confusion can easily be cleared up with a second viewing and by watching the Special Features! I think Philip Dick held a lot of Personal Convictions when he wrote this elaborate sci-fi Story! Good Film...8 STARS!!!