Original and Excellent

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2012)

I really enjoyed this movie.
I remember it coming out in 2004 but after it got panned from virtually every critic I didn't see the film until years later. How it got such a low rating from critics I am still not sure.
The IMDb rating is much more accurate - it's a good film and this is reflected in the score.
The plot it very well done, thought-provoking, original and I found it entertaining.
**Spoilers**
If you have watched the film and don't understand it. the following might help:
The reason Ashton Kutcher's character blacks out is because those moments in his life - as a child - haven't happened yet. They only happen for the first time (for his conscious mind) when he comes back to those moments through his journals in the future.
The way he acts in those early moments of his life, sometimes alter his life drastically - such as when he ends up as a frat boy, or not much such as the cigarette burn and the stigmata when in prison. The film works on Chaos theory. The whole idea is that it is very unpredictable. Every time he goes back he makes changes that he hopes will be change his future life for the better - but rarely does it end up that way.
You could argue a minor plot flaw is that the number of times he can go back to a time he blacked out as a child in unlimited. So he could (in theory) just go back to the same point every time and keep trying until it worked out the way he wanted. However, that wouldn't be at all entertaining for us as the audience.
It was revealed when he ends up with no limbs that she and her brother stayed with their abusive father (rather than their mother) as children because she didn't want to move away from him. After hearing this he decides at the end that staying away from Amy Smart's character is the only way he can protect her and ensure her brother doesn't end up a total psychopath.
When he ends up in a reality he can accept he burns his journals so he can't travel back in time due to the problems he suffered when doing so.
There is also an alternative ending to this movie.
If there are other elements you don't understand check the FAQ for this film on IMDb and there is a full explanation here: http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/butterflyeffect.html