'Butterfly Effect' proves good thriller

Rating: Null/10 (16 February 2004)

Butterfly Effect, The (2004) Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, William Lee Scott, Elden Henson, Eric Stoltz, Melora Walters, D: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber. Mourning over his girlfriend's death, Kutcher recollects his grisly childhood tragedies (child molestation, murder, animal abuse, etc.) of his blackouts, but in the process discovers the ability to go back in time and alter the past-unfortunately it sets off an even more horrific future. Intriguing idea ringing of FREQUENCY and THE TWILIGHT ZONE has a skillful use of visual and aural devices, plus two career-best performances from Kutcher and Smart. But what bogs it down is some confusion in the story, which pulls us around in between the character's memories, and many unsettling scenes, undermining an otherwise effective time-traveling nightmare. Written by the directors (who also wrote FINAL DESTINATION 2). Running Time: 113 minutes and rated R for violence, sexual content, language, and brief drug use. ** Â½