Watch the Director's Cut, trust me.

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2004)

'The Butterfly Effect' is a pretty good alternate timeline movie. Not as good as 'Lola Rennt' (a.k.a 'Run, Lola Run!'), but a bit better than 'Sliding Doors.' It's rather intelligent, has good continuity, and has enough surprises to keep you interested.
First, let me qualify that I rented the DVD and enjoyed the movie very much (which surprised me considering the reviews). The reason for this was that I chose the director's cut, and found a story that was tight and ended properly with all holes closed.
Then I checked 'Alternate Versions' on this site, and found out they had a totally different ending for the theatrical release. I'm not sure what the studios forced on the directors, but based on the summary and the scenes that were cut, I wouldn't watch it.
Who would have thought that Ashton Kutcher wouldn't be bad...oh hell, I guess I'll say it, would be good in a movie? Melora Walters is impressive, as usual, especially given her limited screen time. Amy Smart is turning into a real actress, she hit the notes just perfect in her different roles. Hopefully she'll get a few good roles before Hollywood thinks she's too old.
I was expecting a weak movie with bad acting, but instead, I found about two hours of solid entertainment. Definitely worth the rental.