Director's Cut

Rating: 9/10 (1 September 2004)

This movie tends to polarize people, either they love it or hate it. Like the movie Memento, this is not an easy movie to watch and an even harder one to understand. At it heart, the movie is about teen alienation, and has over the last few years gained a cult following on DVD. As such, a directors cut is in limited release in some cities, The new version includes about 20 minutes of new scenes, and some additional special effects have been added.
The main character, Donnie Darko, is a brilliant, but troubled teen who, as we find out, is undergoing therapy. Donnie claims to see a 6 foot tall rabbit who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. In addition, the rabbit saves Donnie's life (from a falling jet engine), and then proceeds to guide his actions over the next 28 days. The original version of the movie left viewers to make up their own minds about what was going on: Is Donnie delusional or is the world coming to an end? The Director's cut gives a few more answers while also adding scenes involving Donnie's family and therapist. (For those who want all the answers, listen to the Director's commentary on the DVD)
This movie is not for anyone who wants to sit back and relax for a couple of hours. However the movie is visually impressive for a small budget (5 million dollars) independent movie. Many of the scenes are stunning and well worth watching even if you don't believe the movie as a whole works. My advice, take a chance and walk on the Dark side.