Doesn't deserve the raves. Doesn't deserve the slams.

Rating: 7/10 (8 October 2011)

After all the hype and "must-see" 's, and the praise in IMDb, I decided to have a go at watching Donnie Darko, even though I'd skipped it in the past, because it smelled of hype.
Nonetheless, it was actually a pretty decent movie.
The portrayal of the age of late 80's was achieved in a manner that literally pulled the watcher back in time. Like another reviewer I double-checked the release date, after watching, thinking it was a late 80's movie.
I found the rest of the film easy to digest, and fun to watch. It was full of 80s stereotypes, which were spot on. The story flowed well enough, with every piece of it explained at the right moment, and the hints to the finale left bit by bit
Sure, the science of the film was poor. It was not explained well enough, and it probably isn't even acceptable. However, to the bigger picture, that's just irrelevant. Donnie Darko doesn't really use science to suspend your disbelief and make you wonder "Hey... What if something weird's going on and Donnie isn't just crazy...". And no matter the science, the film maintains its eerie atmosphere and engaging plot, on its own.
Genre isn't really of importance if the move was successful at what it tried to do, and I think it was.
That is also why I am dumbstruck by the raves. As much as Donnie Darko doesn't deserve the slams, it also does not pretend to take itself too seriously...
My rating: ***½ of *****