Not your father's nose bleed

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2004)

Greetings again from the darkness. Admittedly, psychological thrillers are my favorite film genre. First time co-directors (and co-writers from "Final Destination 2") Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber deliver some effective suspense and a few thrills and chills ... especially in the first 20 minutes. The film does lose a bit of momentum in the second half and there were some missed opportunities for more twists and turns, but overall "The Butterfly Effect" will keep your attention and make you squirm a time or two. Today's Mr. Overexposed, Ashton Kutcher ("Dude, Where's My Car") flashes some dramatic promise, especially when called upon for the deer in the headlights look. He effectively sneers his way through the college boy moments, but doesn't really pull off the prison time. Amy Smart (from the underappreciated mini-classic "Outside Providence") is remarkable in her many roles within a role. Hopefully this will boost her career and she will continue to be pushed artistically. Melora Walters (fresh from her spot-on performance in the over-hyped "Cold Mountain") delivers as Ashton's frightened Mom who just can't make the right move to save her boy. The story takes time travel to an entirely new dimension - it's definitely NOT "Back to the Future". It does have a touch of "Seven", which not coincidently, plays a role in the film. The child actors are all very well cast, but I would have liked to see a bit more of the story line on Ashton's dad. Still, worth seeing if you enjoy a thriller with a different look and feel.