The Butterly Effect

Administrator

01-22-04

Squashing The Butterfly Effect
Tom Hanks did it. So did Jim Carrey. So why can't Ashton Kutcher take on dramatic roles, too? He may not be picking particularly good scripts, for one. Case in point: The Butterfly Effect ...MORE

Ayoiohoni

Registered User

01-24-04

Actually i only read the book, but since the book is based off the script it must be about the same. Yeah novelizations suck, but i still got some of the benefit.

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

Anywho, when Evan is in the funny farm, Doctor Redfield tells him there never were any journals, but that wouldn't be true- Evan started the journals because the doctor told him, and he put in his first entry the morning before he blew up Kayleigh. Come to think of it, guess the doc must have known that, just not considered one entry to consitute Evans insanity.

So what did you guys think about it? I think it could have been alot better, but still it put forth a message.

Jackie Malfoy

Registered User

01-24-04

Just to remainer to some Tom migiht be able to get away with it but all the movies that JIm was in that was drama was not that good.The actor is great with comply but not Drama!
Not that there is anything wrong with that there is not!Anyway I migiht see the movie with my boyfriend he likes the sound of it.It is PG-13 right?
Thanks for the review anyway Yoda!See you around!JM

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Tuna

01-25-04

The Butterly effect sounds tasty..

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Yoda

Administrator

01-25-04

From Slay's review:

There are a lot of things wrong with this movie, first and foremost is the fact that the entire theory behind the time traveling doesn�t work. The way that he does it and the effects that are generated are implausible at best. I don�t mean that time traveling itself is implausible, but the effects of it portrayed in this movie contradict each other from scene to scene. Whether Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, who both wrote and directed the film, didn�t see these contradictions, didn�t care, or thought the audience would not be swift enough to catch on, is something to be debated. All I know is that it just doesn�t work. I won�t go into detail here because it would ruin the movie, but if you stop to think about it after seeing the film, you will probably find that these contradictions are quite apparent.

Would you mind elaborating (within spoiler tags, of course)? I saw it today and didn't notice much in the way of contradictions.

LordSlaytan

The Great One

01-25-04

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

If the fugue states of his childhood are actually his future self projecting into him, then why didn't the effects happen then. Case in point; he is in a fugue state during the molestation, later he goes back in time and we see him telling the Dad off, but if the fugue state is actually his future self taking control, why didn't he tell him off the first time? Or when he draws the adult picture, that's all that happens, but he's in a fugue state while he does it, later he slams his hands on the letter holder to give himself scars...he should've had the scars from the beginning. Every case can be argued that way. It doesn't make sense.

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Yoda

Administrator

01-25-04

Originally Posted by LordSlaytan

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

But can't you say that about any time travel movie? By that reasoning, isn't the entire Terminator franchise pointless? Because if John Connor was alive to send protection back in the first place, he must have survived any attacks on his life. It's a self-justifying loop that can only be avoided by avoiding the subject of time-travel altogether, and as such I think it has to be overlooked.

Tuna

01-25-04

Yeah time travel is a hard subject to get into because noone completely understands it so I find it best to just enjoy the writer's/director's "theories" with it. Endless looping doesn't make much of a good movie anyway.

LordSlaytan

The Great One

01-26-04

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

John Conner sending his Father back in time ensures not only will his life be saved but also that he will come into existence to begin with. He remembers his youth and knows what he must do. It can be picked apart, to be sure, but in The Butterfly Effect, there's no picking. It's obvious how it doesn't work. His fugue states are his future self, but he doesn't do the things that his future self does, not until later. It is blatantly contradictory. Of course there is no way to make a time travel movie work perfectly on all levels, but at least it should be able to be arguable. This movie can't be.

Last edited by LordSlaytan; 01-26-04 at 12:20 AM.

Yoda

Administrator

01-26-04

Originally Posted by LordSlaytan

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

But if he remembers his youth, that means he already had it. It might not be a blatant contradiction (it requires a bit of reflection), but I think it's a contradiction nonetheless, at least in using the reasoning that a time-travel scenario cannot loop on itself. The same goes for Back to the Future, I'd say.

Anyway, I don't think his fugue states are his future self...it's more that the blackouts represent periods which he will inevitably go back into. What I took from it, basically, was that he had yet to truly decide just what he would do when he went back, thus the areas of contention were blacked out. A little less than precise, but I knew exactly what the story was going for, and given context it felt rather straightforward.

To answer your question before the edit: yeah, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't say I'm defensive about it, though, except in the sense that I'm defending it a bit.

I was pleasantly surprised. It was grittier and smarter than I'd expected, though some of the acting was sub-par.

LordSlaytan

The Great One

01-26-04

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

"Anyway, I don't think his fugue states are his future self...it's more that the blackouts represent periods which he will inevitably go back into."

If that's the case, then it's pure coincedence that he grabbed the knife and stood in exactly the same spot and position with it when his mother saw him? Or that as an adult he drew the same exact adult picture he supposedly drew as a child? It was his future self, every fugue-like state is represented as his time jumps throughout the movie. Every blackout is explained in this way. I will continue to think that it is a major weakness of the movie. Comparing it to Back to the Future and The Terminator, both of which are vastly superior, won't change my mind. I'm glad you enjoyed it, I kinda liked the flick too, but the time travelling scheme was incredibly weak.

Jackie Malfoy

Registered User

01-26-04

Originally Posted by LordSlaytan

WARNING: "The Butterfly Effect" spoilers below

Too late!Oh well!I am weak!See you around!JM

evilfarmclown

It's gonna' get ugly!!!

01-27-04

Robin Williams is the best at switching from comedy to drama take Insomnia and One Hour Photo for instance. He makes you forget he was ever a comic and really plays the psycho role well.Ashton Kutcher is not even that talented so i think it will flop but thats just my opinion.

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ATLien

I love movies!!!

01-27-04

I have to disagree with alot that ya'll have been saying. I though Ashton proved himself quite well. I found it hard to think of him as serious for the first few mins, but then I started to see how much of a actor he was. I enjoyed the movie very much. As for the time traveler stuff, I think not thinking about it is what makes it so kewl. The writers did a good job with the TT part of this script, I know their are holes in it, but almost all story lines have holes. I very much enjoyed it, and plan to buy it on DVD ASAP!!!

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Jackie Blue

01-28-04

What exactly does if anything this movie teach us about?? What messages does it give? What is it do to? Is it entertaining??? so many questions I know.

LordSlaytan

The Great One

01-28-04

What exactly does if anything this movie teach us about??
Not to play God and acceptance I suppose. I don't really think there is a meaning to the movie other than make scads of moola.

What messages does it give?
That's probably the same question as above.

What is it do to?
What?

Is it entertaining???
Yes, but not stimulating.

susan

energizer bunny

02-02-04

i just saw the movie and i did find the premise interesting....

back to the future as a time travel film was done well..each time marty went back, he changed something else in his future

same with frequency if anyone remembers that one

butterfly effect was exactly the same

Jackie Malfoy

Registered User

02-05-04

According to a Cathloic newsletter that lists movies that are inmoral this movie was on the list!Can someone tell me since I had not seen it yet why it was listed?
I am just very curse to know since it does not seen like a bad movie to me!Maybe it is the rating or something!Any thoughts on this anyone?See you around!JM

LordSlaytan

The Great One

02-05-04

1. Murder.
2. Child molestation.
3. Pre-marital sex.
4. Sexual situations.
5. Language.
6. Rock & Roll music.
7. Man being Godlike.
8. Ashton Kutcher

theshape82