I think the critics were paid to give these bad scores. Because seriously, this isn't the best movie but it's a damn fine one. I loved it. Kutcher acted really well, the story was interesting and intrguing and for me the only downer is the ending. It's not that typical "happy ending" you'd want in this kind of movie but it did it's job. Great acting, great story: great movie.… Expand

This film contains so much unnecessarily creepy imagery and abhorrent characters that one is forced to treat it as camp, lest the viewer become abysmally unhappy with the state of the world. That said, the unintentional-comedy potential (even more so with the director's cut "true" ending) is fantastic. A true must-see for film viewers with at least a half a sense of irony.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. From acting to plot which I actually found reasonably unique and the fact things change frequently is more realistic to me, than if he changed one event once and the rest of the movie explored what the reprocussions were.

I have no idea why this film has received negative reviews, one of my fav films. Critics know nothing.

I frequently agree with critical opinion, but I was quite surprised to see this score. It's a pretty decent film, don't be thrown off.

Bill and Ted meet Ashton Kutcher, nuff said.

This film really helped me. now i don't think too much about my past events anymore. i learned;not to be spiteful of them. 'cuz it could be much bad than now...

I thought it was a very well made movie. And I thought the ending was very good, I wasn't expecting that at all. And the refrence to "Se7en" was good. I loved that movie too.

Wow. I simply can't believe how many things this movie got wrong--and it still took itself seriously. This possibly the most unintentionally funny movie I've seen since "Plan Nine from Outer Space." I sat in the front row with my girlfriend and we laughed our heads off. Funniest parts include: *Kutcher walking up to a payphone and visibly dialing a "555" number. *An abusive father being terrified of a little kid just because he calls him a "f..kbag." *Blurry, bady animated CG arm stumps. Basically, if you love to laugh, you'll love this movie. The script is so terrible that the mediocre acting can't save it, and the direction is primarily in the style of a sitcom. It does have that "so-bad-it's-good" quality, but so what? Did they mean to make this movie, or did it just happen by accident?… Expand

It's a great movie about actions and consequenses, and it's based on very intresting theories about 4D (quadro physic). I love it! A must see for intelligent people.

Decent ideas, lousy execution.

This movie hates us. It's like the director thought of the worst things that could ever happen to a child and then inflicted his audience with Ashton Kutcher. On the other hand, we're treated to the wet explosion of a baby getting blown up!

The best movie ive ever seen.

I thought this was a pretty good movie. Obviously I must not understand the art of film. . .

Whoa...what an underrated movie. Everything about this movie was amazing and well-thought out. The child actors in the flashbacks were amazingly real, especially Tommy, who was completely disturbing. The adult actors, from the excellent Amy Smart to the surprisingly convincing Ashton Kutcher, all deliver great performances. The plot of this movie...yeah, it's completely unbelievable, but I don't think it was meant to be believable. The reason for the time travel occuring is never even explained. But the movie manages to draw you in anyway. This was one hell of a movie. I thought the ending was well done, and even a little sad. The beginning was excellently done, the middle...although the whole wheelchair scenario easily could have been cut with no consequence to the story, the rest of the movie flows perfectly. Overall, this movie was a big surprise, and I'm glad it managed to find success at the box office and on DVD. I highly recommend it.… Expand

I cannot understand why the critics hated this movie so much. Sometimes I think they are full of it. I have very high standards when it comes to movies and seldomly give high ratings. This was good. The movie pulled me in. It was as if I was living his "nightmare" unfold. Would have been more powerfull if the ending with an "unhappy" ending.

I really enjoyed this film, but I knew it would get bad reviews. Critics hate it when Hollywood does something ambitious and intense like this - they think it should be done by some random cult director instead. And they always hate films with complicated story lines like this one - they're too lazy to actually bother to keep up.

This movie is horrid, with ridiculous plot twists, stupid characters, bad acting and plot holes you could drive a semi through. I'll admit that the beginning draws you in, but the minute we get Ashton on the screen, the whole thing takes a steep dive and doesn't stop until it crashes nose first into the finale. I suppose it's the fact that this movie so thoroughly squanders its potential that makes me hold it in what would otherwise be considerably less contempt. Don't misunderstand though, the issue isn't that this movie is bleak, but if one intends to make a serious film with fatalistic tendencies, that filmakers should realize they WILL be set to a higher standard, and that standard is one this movie falls very short of. Do yourself a favor and avoid this one unless you think that because something is "dark" than that automatically makes it "deep" as well (or if you're a brooding teenager).… Expand

Something different with a twist / my favorite movie.

This is the best movie that i have ever seen i must say it changed the way i think and i just loved the plot keep up the good work.

I dont understand all the negative comments about this movie. To be honest this is the first movie in a long time that has actually made me go through so many emotional highs and lows during the movie.......Way go to ashton.

This was a great movie. If you don't like it, fine, whatever. But it is a great film running along the lines of Donnie Darko and the theme of divine intervention. Overall, fantastic despite it being one of the hardest movies to watch for the first hour due to such intense content, expecially with one of the kids.

Very entertaining and it will keep you on the edge of your seat!

This was a very good movie ! For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone gave this one a bad review. This movie kept your interest from beginning to end. It challenged your mind with the "what if" part of life that we all wonder about....namely, what would happen if I could change "x" in my past, etc. It touched on all of this with more than just a suspense/sci-fi flavor, it also had moments of heart as well. This movie was well made, in my opinion.....and those bad reviews simply do not make sense. I see almost every movie that comes out, so I think I can tell a good one from a bad one. In fact I take extreme pleasure in ripping most movies apart because they are so bad, or illogical. I did not find myself doing that with this movie. I was actually considering not seeing it, based on some of the bad reviews I read on this site. I am glad I did not let those reviews influence me, or I would have deprived myself of the experience of seeing this movie. It rates a definite 8/10. No less. … Expand

Ashton is a bad actor. The movie is very slow and repetitive. It has nothing to do with chaos theory and very little to do with butterfly effect. The first half of the movie is very slow and boring. The 2nd half sees some action but so many stupid things happen with lots of bad Ashton acting. The ending... well that could have been much better. I wanted to leave the movie half way through it. The movie overuses loud sudden sounds to keep the audience awake. Unless you're an average teenage girl, this movie is not worth your time.… Expand

Sometimes movie critics get so hung up with their own cute phrases (those who can't do, critique?) that they miss the point entirely. This movie was very cleverly written, and managed to merge an interesting premise with a complicated plot, tying together all of the loose threads by the end. It had a disturbing beginning which did a great job of whetting our appetites for what followed. And what's all the fuss about Kutcher? I've never seen him on TV, and I don't read gossip columns, so I didn't know anything in advance about his personal love life. Maybe this is a good thing, because I didn't approach his performance with all of the baggage that many of these reviewers did. What was wrong with the performance? He was credible and sympathetic in the lead role. The critics give it a 28 and the users give it a 68. Maybe the critics need to re-connect with the rest of us.… Expand

This was an entertaining and though-provoking movie. Don't listen to the critics. I bet if Ashton Kutcher wasn't the star of this movie the critics would have given it more of a chance. I happened to like the ending a lot. I think it made complete sense.

Well well, I thought this movie wasn't going to be completely horrid, but it was. The premise of the Butterfly Effect is that and young man,Evan(Kutcher), tries to make his life better by changing the horrible things in his past. Upon doing this, he starts to just make things worse and worse for himself. This is were the movie starts to get horrible. Evan tries to change history so many times, that about halfway through the film you want to scream at him and tell him to stop. Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to actually keep on travelling back in time,trying to fix things, only to make things worse? You think he would have gotten it through his head that he really isn't going to make his life better. Oh, and the acting in this movie is incredibly bad. I don't know that much about Kutcher. I have never seen any of his other movies nor have I seen Punk'd. I have only seen him in That 70's Show, and I thought he played a stupid person pretty well. When he jumped into drama, I was a bit skeptical, but hey, Keanu Reeves jumped from Bill and Ted's into the Matrix(I'm talking about the first, not the sequels), so what was stopping Kutcher? Maybe his inability to actually read ad remember the script. I almost walked out of the theatre because of everyones, not just Kutchers, horrid acting. Now, the ending is the biggest dissapointment in the movie. It's like they just kept writing the script until they thought, wow we should stop this movie before it gets too long. We are also to lazy to think up of an interesting ending. I hear alot of people comparing this movie to the other time travelling like movie, Donnie Darko. I really don't see a ton of similarity here. Maybe the same premise, but really, Donnie Darko acheives on every level the Butterfly Effect doesn't. The only reason why I'm not giving this movie a zero is because I still love the premise of the movie, not matter how crappy it was executed.… Expand

This movie is honestly not as bad as the critics have made it out to be.

It was just what I wanted. A fun movie about the effects of time travel. If you go in expecting that, it's a pleasant surprise and not the "pan-magnet" the critics have made it out to be.

The movie is good and an entertaining despite mediocre acting :) lackluster direction and a frustating and confused story.

[***SPOILERS***] Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but at the moment, it's my least favourite for sure. I can agree with the idea, or gimmick, being called "clever", so long as that's the only word that is used, but it's not nearly enough for 2 hours of film. And I suppose that explains why the writers included so many "serious film issues", child abuse, alcoholism, the "realities" of the prison system and childhood mental disorders to name a few. Movies with these issues work because the writers chose ONE, not all of 'em, rolled into a muddled, incongruous spit-ball, propelled at the audience for nothing more than effect. I didn't laugh when he woke up and found himself without arms, but someone four rows in front of me did, and I felt incredibly jealous of her for being able to enjoy herself while watching this movie. However, I did laugh at Kutcher running down the hospital hallway. Quite possibly the funniest running ever caught on film, right there. I miss Marty McFly oh so much.… Expand

I thought this movie was great, a good idea. I liked the ending as it was the only possible thing that could happen.

Great idea, but the movie falls short of delivering a clear cut plot. It is hard to determine exactly what the message of the movie wants to be and therefore is a waste of time. Amy Smart is terrific as always, but Ashton Kutcher is, sadly, laughable.

This movie is so bad, the word "bad" called me up yesterday and told me how upset he was because i used the word "bad" in the same sentence with this movie.

This movie shows how every disicion in life affects your future and those around you. This movies twists are exciting! The story is gripping. Best Ashton movie by far.,

I dont know what the deal is with the critics. Maybe they just like to bash on Ashton. This was a good movie, and the vast majority of people i know agree with me on that. If you didnt like the ending theres 2 completely different ones on the dvd. If you liked Donny Darko, you'll like this film. "Nobody ever raised a statue of a critic."

I like the premise but this movie hated its characters and that made for an unpleasant experience.

I am not sure of the differences between the director's cut and the theatrical release. I watched the director's cut and it was an amazing film. The concept was truly unique (few "change the past" concepts have truly looked at the darker, nihilistic side of time travel). I am not an Ashton Kutcher fan but his work was solid and not over the top (like most of his work). The concept was complete and well woven into the story. There were no loose ends or unanswered questions, which is an achievement given the complexity of the plot. Again, do not know if the director's cut solved alot of the problems pointed out by the above reviews but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. NOTE: This is an extremely dark movie (note the nihilisitc term used in alot of the reviews.) Not the happy ending type but well worth the rental.… Expand

It had me for a while but lost me once the inanity and superlative of "time travel" took too much away from the film. The key to science fiction and fantasy is to base it in reality and then stretch it as much as possible without breaking it. TBE broke it so many times that I found it a tiring bore without care of the outcomes of each main character.

If you appreciate animals being burned alive, children killing other children, and babies being blown up, this is your kind of movie. Add Ashton Kutcher and you've got a masterpiece. Also, to whoever said it, please never mention Showgirls and this film in the same breath as Donnie Darko.

Surely the best film I ever seen, really a great realisation, great scenarii, etc... so good.

Amazing plot. Left me thinking for hours after viewing. I found the acting defently believable. The ending is a tad weak, I hoped for somthing more, I did enjoy the many alternative endings it had to offer. If you like one of those movies that really make you think then you'll love it.

This was a great movie and deserves an academy award both for the acting and the script.

This is one movie I waited eagerly to see in the cinemas, but didn't get the chance to. I bought the DVD recently and believe me, I was not disappointed. I can only wonder whether the critics understood the movie before commenting on it. I found it intriguing, well executed, and better thought out than many time travel movies I have seen! Having said that, this is one of those movies you either hate or love. Not much room for a middle ground here.… Expand

Only watched Director's Cut. Fragmented screenplay, which in itself is a powerful argument for chaos theory, but an interesting premise. Actually, this is a good example of the stuff of a classic movie clumsily handled. An "It's A Wonderful Life" heavily laden with the darker alternatives of the supposed choices we make in life. A difficult movie to absorb, but lurking in this mess message of undeniable value to those who have been through hell and still try to remain positive.… Expand

Excellent movie. Must watch twice to get all of the twists you missed the first time.

I saw this on tv the other night and really enjoyed it. Very nice idea, something a bit different. Kutcher excellent and showed new depth i never knew he had, he should stick to proper acting in roles which stretch him because he has a lot of talent. Good film, well worth a watch if its on the tele and you have a free evening.

Awesome movie!!! Ashton Kutcher really broke out of his normal That 70s Show character and proves that he can act. The script is rather clever with unexpected twists keeping the audience guessing. It's an enjoyable movie to watch and will keep you engaged throughout the movie. One of the best movies of its genre! Don't listen to the critics, go see it for yourself.

Very underrated. Kutcher did a pretty decent job.

I thought it was a really good movie all the way up until the end of it... the end was kind of weak i have a huge paragraph of things to say but it will give the movie away for those that haven't seen it.

Dude, where's my career?

Never a dull moment in this movie. Ashton did a fabulous job in a non-comedic role. It looks like he is a versatile actor. Amy Smart was also great. This movie keeps you on the edge to see what will happen next. The ending wasn't what most people would want, but I'm not most people. I loved it!

Great movie. The story is great, but I don't like the end.

A cool idea, marred by horrendous acting.

I thought this movie was pretty great overall. There were some things that get you sidetracked, but it keeps you wondering and interested to see what happens at the end. Ashton looks really hot in that towel!

Damn good. Seriously, damn good.

This movie sucked. It not only sucked, it sucked ass. Furthermore, it sucked so much ass I could feel my colon being ripped out, chewed and spit back up my ass. There are three reasons why this movie should be sacrificed for the sake of humanity: 1) Ashton Kutcher. I really couldn't care less if he went to college and wanted to be a molecular biologist. He is such a crappy actor, I could feel my brains rotting inside my skull. Everything he's done has been so horrible that my eyes bled and Satan laughed. I don't even remember the first time I watched Punk'd because I jammed a pencil in my ear. By the way, bad grammer is about the farthest thing from cool. Plus, every girl thinks he's the hottest thing on two hooves because he's such a bad boy that takes things to the edge. Get over yourself you over indulged dolt. 2) Things just don't go wrong, they go horribly wrong. Little Evan goes back in time and tries to save his girlfriend, something excrutiatingly bad happens. Not just a simple "Oh no I should use my better judgement" type thing, more of a "Oh no I just blew up my house and beat a guy with a lead pipe" type thing. 3) Ashton Kuthcher deserves two categories. He will forever go down as the lamest, most overrated person EVER! Dictators of the future will look to him for guidence.… Expand

I agree to all what Matt said, this movie was terrible, for a better word S!#T... At one Point in the movie i was like, What the f**k is going on, things go so bad(or should i say over acting, boring, full of Ashton) that i wanted to walk out, but i stayed to see the ending.. And guess what the ending sucked too. 80% of the people that was in the theater that was looking at this film was teen girls who came to see the bad(really bad) acting of Kutcher's ass.. A little tip for all the girls out there who's drooling for Ashton,........He only dates women sagging and over 50, or above!!! So look less at his pretty face and more at his awful acting..… Expand

Movies have it hard, because unlike written word, they seem to be held to especially high standards. Of course, book critics may also be harsh, but in literature, escape fiction is given at least some respect. However, in film, when something comes out with the absensce of abstract symbolism, metaphysical paradoxes or a truly original script, these "film lovers" get anal and forget not everything has to be so darn multilayered. Look, I love movies, I hate Ashton. He is a terrible actor, but not especially terrible. Just like this film he is mediocre- an okay filler for a Friday night that doesn't need to be so packed full with hidden meaning that it requires a second viewing for decoding. It is plain, but not bad. It's like vanilla ice cream: sure raspberry sorbet is good, but once in a while you just want something a little more simple. It's strange to me that a movie like "Lost in Translation" could receive such praise when it forgets what film is meant to do, entertain the masses. No, I'm not some teenage girl, I'm a 20 year old guy who thinks "Mystic River" was awesome and hate to see a drab, racist flick like "Translation" get so much praise just cause she's the Copolla kid. If you want so much from your films, the local AMC is the wrong place for you. Go over to your local video store and rent something foreign with subtitles and complain about how Hollywood forgot how to make movies decades ago. Emerson is nice, but so is Garfield. People need to lighten up, it's just for entertainment, and sometimes, that's enough. … Expand

Is this is supposed to be entertainment? Thank goodness for refunds!

I love this movie! Ashton is a really good actor...i actually cried at one point. I don't understand how you couldnt love this movie. You must have a weak imagination if you don't. The kid that played Ashton at a teen is pretty hot! This movie should be watched by everyone!!!

This movie does not deserve the negative reviews received. Really quite fascinating and original. I know it is like the love child of Sliders and Slaughterhouse Five, still it is an admittedly mass-market film attempting to do something a little different (no a lot) different that the expected teen/20 somrthing, lowest common denominator and ultimately instantly forgetable pablum. See this movie for something different and very well done. By the way Kutcher can act now, and will only get better. Give the guy a break.… Expand

The critics are bashing this movie into the ground. The acting is very good and adds to the movie. The story line is very complex and that is what makes this movie what it is. The story is really 4 love stories in one which makes the plot very complex and adds a 3rd deminsion to the emotion of the story. It is well worth the time and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Great story and a great movie.… Expand

I liked this. As for the critics? They just hate Ashton Kutcher (he was fired from a movie for not being able to act), but I think he does just fine in this movie even though his character does some stupid things...

Ashton Kutcher is suffering from Keanu Reeves disease: a couple of dumb movies and a sit-com doom make the road to respectability real hard. Like Keanu, Ashton is not a "great" actor, but he can get better. The movie was enthralling and some of the "professional" critics have been a little too disparaging of what is meant to be entertainment, not high art.

The trips back in time got to the point of being annoying and you needed a scorecard to keep track of everything. direction and script was less than adequate.

A great movie. Lives up to its premise and promise. Makes sense of tricky plot twists. Great acting. The critics are TOTALLY WRONG about this movie. I'm so glad I didn't listen to them. I loved the movie. Don't miss it!

I loved this movie. It was good to see Ashton in a serious movie role and i think he handled it pretty well, definitely room for improvement though. Only thing i found tough to watch was some of the flashback scenes, which hit hard, which adds to good effect. But none the less a good movie, a different sort of movie then im used to, but it did the job because ill remember it for ages to come.

I'll admit that the acting wasn't perfect but the delivery was flawless. I loved this movie, simply because I love the sci-fi thriller types of movies, and this one brings home the bacon. As for the critics I think these people have some other motive behind their scores, or they are just plain blind. Look at the user score of about a 7 because after all it's the least this movie deserves.… Expand

I thought this was a very thought provoking movie. It shows how actions have impact on others and their lives.

i think this movie was awesome. suckish ending, but i loved it. i could watch it a billion of times and never get tired of it. ironic, ain't it?

I don't quite see what was so bad about this movie. I found the plot gripping, and I thought the ending was a well thought out one. I found the twists and turns that the movie went through to be quite sensible, as it made fairly clear what turns of events led to the different "presents".

Really one of best sci fi suspense films in a long time, i don't understand critics this film is not as silly as the kind " i know what you did last summer" it has a script, the prove critics are really silly is that users rate it with 7, 4/10 in the imdb web. it's the first time i see such a difference with the 27/100 from critics. this it's going to be a cult film. critics think that a teen movie has to be silly ? it's some childs acting like bastards that they don't like ? not enough happy ending? this film it's not politically correct?… Expand

Ashton is great in comedies and serious movies. This movie will for sure make his career better. So many twists you can't move away from the TV.

Really good movie I like the twists and turns of it. I saw the Director's cut on DVD and I must admit that I totally like it. For Ashton Kutcher an excellent starting point to act in more serious movies. I don't give a 10 for the cheesy effects of the flashbacks. Really weird why it got a so low metascore.

My brother thinks it's really good!

One of the best movies i have ever seen.

For once, I am the positive one! I'm amazed that this movie got a measley 27 metascore; I thought it rocked. True, it was kind of a weird premise, but, in my opinion, its the most original take on a "time travel" movie in a long time. I even thought Kutcher, who is kind of a tool, did an awesome job as the lead character. And what's all this about a sloppy ending? I thought the ending was completely justified. The bottom line: this was a damn good movie. Not groundbreaking, but about 50 times better than I thought it would be.… Expand

If you liked and understood Donnie Darko, you'll hate The Butterfly Effect. It's terrible. Unlikeable characters and bad acting for the most part plague the film (though Ashton Kutcher is surprisingly just mediocre.) The movie never sets up a decent set of time travel rules. It contradicts itself on several occasions. It prides itself on use of the chaos theory, but it is clear that the filmmakers never bothered to understand fully what it was. The effects of going back into the past are often illogical (and in one case nonexistant.) Bottom line: Plot holes, bad acting, unlikeable characters sink the movie. Not to mention the amateurish direction. It is a movie that thinks it is smart, but is really very shallow, and silly.… Expand

Few people understand the genius that is Ahston Kutcher. But seriously, most people will not enjoy this, yet there is a small cult following as there was for Donnie Darko and Showgirls.

It's a terrible life, and a wonderful movie! So many things to see! Ashton Kutcher lives a truly blessed life! He is blessed by the God with great acting! We (heart) him, Ashton!

I thought this movie was great!

A decent movie that if you allow yourself to suspend your nitpicking about the holes in the plot is an entertaining addition to the 'coming of age' genre, and with both endings (the sugary theatrical one and the much darker director's cut, which I personally prefer) will leave you thinking about the 'what ifs' of your own life. See it and decide for yourself.

This movie was excellent. It really makes you think about chaos theory and how the world works. If you are a fan of alternate realities, or are one who constantly searches for meaning in this life this movie will make you question everything you know to be reality. For that reason I truly liked the movie. Ashton Kutcher does a fine job of portraying an extremely tough character who must question his very existence at every turn. A nobel role for him to undertake and he does so successfully in my opinion.… Expand

As has been said so many times, film critics that don't understand the film that they are commenting on should shut the hell up or get another job. The actors perfomances were no perfect, but all in all brilliant, but i agree you love it or hate it, normally thgouht 80% of the "hate its" are actually "don't understand it and too proud and well paid to admit it" - if you loved this movie you'll like donnie darko - Vice Versa.… Expand

Clearly one of the best films this year although critics don't like it because it isn't a black & white movie. The movie reminded me of Donnie Darko (one of my favorites aswell) and the unhappy ending really felt like a swift kick to the "Disneyland-everything-works-out-in-the-end" hollywood trend. If you hate Texas Walker Ranger style "Oh he saved the day theme! Lets live happily ever after" style as much as I do and loved Donnie Darko then this is your kind of a movie. Seriously, where do they find these so-called "critics"?… Expand

I cant believe some of the reviews this movie got. This movie is the best film ever made in my mind. The movie keeps you wanting to know more and what's going to happen next. Not one scene in this movie is pointless. And then at the end after all of the incredibly well written story by J. Mackye Gruber and Eric Bress, the ending is nothing less then perfect. It's not one of those happy, perfect endings but a more realistic good sum up of the whole story (talking about the theatrical version). Movies have yet to be better produced than this one.… Expand

This movie rocked my socks. I originally dismissed the idea of this movie because its kutcher, mr. punk'd, trying to play a serious role. I rented it last night and ended up loving it. Kutcher does a great job in this role and all actors were believable. Left me thinking for hours after viewing. If you liked fight club or a beautiful mind you'll dig this one. best movie I've seen this year (and more than likely one of the most memorable EVER).… Expand

I found this movie to be very dissapointing. Im sure theres lots of kiddies though that would go crazy over this like, "Oh my gawd," so I can see why the director made this movie. It puts money in his pockets.

Wow, I never really paid an attention when this film was released. It seems critics hated this film with their hearts. For Ashton, it was one of his better performances. For Amy, it was decent. People mistake the concept of the film with time travel. Yeah, I think it is part of it, but the film clearly states in the intro that it is about CHAOS theory. I think the Director's Cut';s ending was much superiror than the theatical ending. I blame the studios. Yeah, life changing alteration can be fun to watch, but some of the things were overly done. The film tried too hard to make everything change for each alteration. Although it was funny, Frat-life alteration was overly done. It seems like they foreced it to happen. But I love the depth of psychological aspects of the film. The fact that blackouts in the film only happened in the events of "future" reconstruction. It was left blank in the brain to fill it in later. Could you imagine multiple neural reconstruction of your brain for new memories? No one knows how will it be or how it could be, but this film did a pretty good job. Ashton having the skull cracking pain for his reconstruction seems very reasonable. What will happen to your brain upon a complete input of all new memories with original memories residing in the brain? The beauty of memories will be gone and only co-exist as psuedo-reality. I personally think a person will go insane with co-exiting of memories from exact time and location; thus this explains why everyone in Evan's family line appears insane. Just think about how crazy the director's cut's ending is. This film is deep, but sugar coated with Hollywood's studio power, I'm just disappointed how so many critics didn't see the depth of deeper meanings this film was trying to reach. Yeah, it was little cliche here and there playing under typical Hollywood, but there is something other than the typical.… Expand

I thought this movie was excellent. Though, some of it was a bit hard to understand, but that is why you don't just watch it once. This is a movie you may have to watch 3-5 times before you see every little thing they tried to accomplish in the change of every kind of life he re-made of himself. There were some parts that really weren't needed within the movie, but they make up for it overall. The acting was great, the setting was great, the tale was great, and overall, the movie was great.… Expand

The cast wasn't the best and the ending and the story itself could have been better but it was a very entertaining movie. I really enjoyed it.

I love time travel movies so this was amazing. Screw all critics, they can't even try to make anything better. To the person who said the ending would have been better if it was sad, the alternate ending was very sad and much better. I haven't watched the theatrical ending ever since I saw the alternate cept when it was on TV this past sunday.

A very well made movie, regardless of what critics think, this is worth a watch.

Horrible movie, I never got past the first 40 minutes due to how horrible it was.

Personally, I think The Butterfly Effect was a good movie. I think it’s definitely worth watching and I liked that the ending was not the same as any other movie. The director was effective in portraying the different ethical dilemmas that the characters are faced with throughout the movie. Evan, the protagonist, experiences a number of blackouts as a young boy and after seeing psychiatrists, is told to keep journals of all of the events happening in his life. When he is older, he finds the journals and begins reading them only to find out that he can go back to the events described in the journal entry that he reads. The movie depicts various instances where the protagonist must come to decisions that affect not only his life, but also the lives of everyone around him. Despite his ability to go back and change the lives of himself and others, he is the only one aware of his actions and it’s not ethically justified because he’s tampering with others lives at his own will. Even though he goes back in time for different outcomes, he tries to achieve the best possible outcome for all of them. When he sees that his friends have problems or aren’t happy in certain paths, then he changes their lives again hoping for the best. At the end, he goes a long way back before any of this happened and he makes the decision that he believes is the best one for all of them.… Expand

I feel I have to do my part to throw a warning in there. If you love movies with contrived twists and don't mind spotty plots, you may be thrilled by it. I, however, as much as I tried to like this movie, felt sickly averse to it pretty much the whole time. I thought Kutcher would be worse, but he seemed alright in the light of the scattered storyline and dirt-cheap sensationalism. I like some bad movies, but I hated this one.… Expand