In my humble opinion? An absolute masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2010)

The Butterfly Effect is one of the most innovative, the most shocking, and one of the very few movies that I've had to watch twice to make sure I understood what I jut watched. It's a love story, a personal drama, and a thriller all in one. The main story in my opinion, and the most effective one had to be the love story. Evan's childhood at the start of the movie had to be some of the most disturbing stuff I have ever seen, I mean they really pushed it. It's been a long time coming, since I felt that squirmy in my seat, not only that the kid actors completely blew me away. What amazed me most about the movie, and there was a lot of amazing stuff, but I would have to say Ashton Kutcher's performance was the most remarkable, considering he didn't really have any prior serious acting experience. The point I think about Butterfly Effect is this. Leave your life the way it is, accept what has happened in your life, because if you try to change past occurrences in your life, you'll just be more of a mess, so you should try to move on with your own.
SPOILERS!. If you don't wanna be spoiled, don't read any further.
The Director's Cut Vs The Theatrical Version.
The Theatrical Cut. This is probably my favorite version. I liked The Director's Cut version, but this ending seemed more fitting. When Evan sees Kayleigh in the end, you sense hope, you get happiness wondering if things will work out in the end, after all it gave us a nice sense of hope. I also thought it flowed a little better.
The Director's Cut. Very good, but a little bit too dark at times, and a tad overlong. I thought the ending was excellent, but I'm a sucker for happy endings, therefore I'm partial to the Theatrical Cut, I didn't like the thought of Evan not existing, though even though he's not meant to be.
Performances. Ashton Kutcher has grown up here, it's evident. His performance blew me away, and the fact that he had no serious acting experience prior to this, makes it even more remarkable. He is the heart of the film, and he did a wonderful job. Amy Smart is absolutely gorgeous, and does excellent as Kayleigh. Her multi layered performances are extraordinary. From the country club girl, to the drugged up prostitute, to the haunted girl working in a basically abandon cafÃ©, she was terrific. Elden Henson best known as Fulton from The Mighty Ducks, gives great performance as Lenny, I liked his soft side the most, though he did great as a loony too. John Patrick Amedori did excellent as the 13 Yr old Evan. His range or his age was phenomenal, I loved his performance. Kevin G. Schmidt|13 yr old Lenny| and Jesse James|13 yr old Tommy| were both phenomenal and intense. Eric Stoltz is great as the pedophile father, then again he excels at these roles. Melora Walters is good as Evan's mom, though she had her off moments.
Bottom line. Butterfly Effect is officially one of my favorite movies. Butterfly Effect shows the viewer that going back in time, isn't all fun and games, and shows the bad side of it all as well. It really is a brilliant film, and dare I say a masterpiece?. Go see it, I would put it on your films to see soon list, immediately!.
10/10