Interesting Premise But Gets Sidetracked

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2013)

The Butterfly Effect is a science-fiction psychological thriller film features Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart. Chaos theory teaches us that small events can have enormous consequences.It informs us that butterfly flapping its wings in Asia could result in a hurricane halfway around the world.Its title refers to the butterfly effect.Also,this hypothetical effect illustrates how small initial differences may lead to large unforeseen consequences over time.The film was written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber.
Evan Treborn has been experiencing blackouts at moments of high emotional stress, such as when a friend of the family molested him, or when he and some friends became involved in a prank-gone-bad,since he age 7. Later,he learns that, by concentrating on the words in a journal he composed while growing up,he finds that he has the ability to travel back in time to inhabit his former self - that is, his adult mind inhabits his younger body and to change the present by changing his past behaviors.Sometimes, he can make changes; sometimes he can't. When a childhood friend, Kayleigh Miller, commits suicide because of something Evan does, he becomes obsessed with reworking her life. And, when he does, he learns that he might have been better off not meddling with the complex formula of cause-and-effect for there are unintended consequences for all.
Ashton Kutcher has this opportunity to prove his haters that he can act and probably shed "Punk'd" and "That '70s Show" as well as the "go-to guy" for romantic comedies.I think that he did a decent job in this film but it has yet to satisfy his harshest critics that he can really act. Many of his fans pointed out that this film is one evidence that he can deliver in the portrayal of Steve Jobs in his latest movie,Jobs.Too bad,that film only allowed the critics to held on to their beliefs about his lack of capability as a dramatic actor as he lacked the conviction of playing Evan that the viewer was barely absorbed in his character.
With regards to the film,I think that it is a serviceable thriller and science fiction.Although it has an interesting premise,the story fails considering that there were plot holes in it and it is basically flawed. Also,it was sort of sloppily conceived and unevenly paced.Added to that,it gets sidetracked to sex and violence as it resorts to gratuitous piece of sadism, sexuality or sleaze.