Disappointing

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 2004)

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) is a young man who suffered a troubled childhood.He was sexually abused,nearly killed by his psychotic father and was constantly menaced by a psychotic childhood chum.However,he's grown up into a relatively normal and focused fraternity brother and appears to have accepted all the hands that fate has dealt him.Until,that is,he discovers a way of altering his past to make his present better.However,it is from here that he discovers that maybe it is better to just let memories be memories.
This is the latest in a long line of movies to deal with the concept of reverse plotting,perfected to style with 2000's Memento and dallied with up to this point.There are,admittently,a number of interesting ideas swimming around here,but even if you pay close attention to it,the plot feels totally disjointed and hard to make out,not to mention follow.It's senseless,is what I'm trying to say.As a result,it all winds up as one big emotionally uninvolving affair.And that's a big complaint to bear in mind for two hours.
On the performances front,Kutcher is pretty much impossible to take seriously in the lead role.He is a comedic actor and his transition to serious acting puts him in the forefront of bad acting in a year of bad leading male performances.In the supporting role,Amy Smart is easily the best thing in it,but,well,there you go...
The Butterfly Effect ultimately emerges as a wasted opportunity on all fronts.It coulda been worse,that's for sure.But it could also have been one hell of a lot better.**