Falls Apart Towards the End

Rating: 7/10 (12 February 2011)

Donnie Darko is one of those movies that when I see it for the first time, I have absolutely no idea what is going on. At the time of writing I just saw it for the first time, and by the end I had so many questions that my friend who was supposed to understand couldn't answer in a way that made sense. Which is a shame because this movie does have some great moments, such as the scenes where Donnie talks with his imaginary demonic rabbit friend, Frank. For two thirds of the movie I was interested in what was going to happen next, yet when the finale finally came, things fell apart.
But first lets talk about what is good about this movie. The cinematography and sets are fantastic, the acting is good for the most part, and there are some really funny scenes, like the scenes about "Sparkle Motion".
Donnie Darko is about a teenager named Donnie Darko, who apparently has psychological problems. He has an imaginary friend named Frank, who throughout the movie urges him to do bad things, like vandalizing the school, and burning down a motivational speaker's house. The plot of the movie never quite makes sense, especially towards the end. For a majority of the movie I thought that Frank was really just a part of Donnie's imagination. I thought Frank was just Donnie's innermost feelings coming out, but it turns out that Frank is Donnie's sister's boyfriend. Anyone who is an expert on this movie could explain it to me, but it is a bit too coincidental that Frank (the boyfriend Frank) wears the exact same costume as the demonic bunny, and even shows up at one point and urges Donnie to burn down a house. That makes no sense whatsoever! How can the same person be Donnie's imaginary friend AND his sister's boyfriend at the same time?! Not only that major plot hole, but the whole reasoning for why the jet engine falls into Donnie's room at the beginning also makes no sense. So apparently in this movie, when objects go faster than the speed of light they create a worm hole that somehow transports objects into the past. Confused? So am I. If I am wrong about this it is because I pieced it together form what I remember, so please excuse any incorrect information.
Nevertheless, Donnie Darko is a mildly entertaining thriller. If it weren't for the disappointing ending and some scenes that probably should have been cut, Donnie Darko would have gotten a much higher rating, but as it stands, Donnie Darko is a solid movie.
7/10