Plot: What’s it about?
Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) has experienced more pain than most will in a lifetime, even though he is still a young man. His childhood was unstable, as he was treated for mental disorders because of violent outbursts, blackouts, and disturbing drawings. The treatment involves a journal, in which Evan would keep a record of his thoughts, his reactions, and the events that unfolded in all aspects of his life. He did keep strict track of those elements, but his writings were almost always negative, thanks to some twisted events. His friends are Lenny (played as an adult by Elden Henson) and brother & sister combination Kayley (played as an adult by Amy Smart) and Tommy (played as an adult by William Lee Scott), who provide him some relief from his downward spiral. But his friends have to share in some of that darkness, as Kayley’s father forces them all to engage in sex acts for his kiddie porn movies. Evan eventually moved to a new location, but he always promised to come back for his friends, especially Kayley. In the present, Evan still suffers from his horrific memories, but he revisits his journals nonetheless. In one such session, Evan finds himself pulled back into the past and able to alter the events of his life. But if he changes his life, what will the future turn into as a result?
I skipped this movie during its theatrical run, based on weak reviews and the presence of Ashton Kutcher. I like Kutcher in comedic roles, the dumber the better, but I had serious doubts about his dramatic skills. But the premise held promise and so when this disc rolled in, I decided to give The Butterfly Effect a chance. As expected, Kutcher is out of place at times and was a poor choice for the role, but his presence isn’t enough to doom this picture. He is even passable in some scenes, though the strength of the material is due the credit, without question. Amy Smart (Varsity Blues, Road Trip) isn’t given much space to work, but she is great here, while Melora Waters (Magnolia, Boogie Nights) also hands in a solid performance. The premise is what drives the movie, with emphasis on chaos theory and how it impacts our lives. I love that idea, but The Butterfly Effect skips a few plot points on how the time travel is accomplished. But this is not high art, so we can excuse some logic gaps and focus on the chaos theory elements. How the alterations impacted the lives is well handled, much better than I anticipated. The premise is explored with great skill, which rewards the audience with some awesome moments. I do think a new lead and some slight tweaks would have made this an even cooler movie, but even as it stands, The Butterfly Effect is solid entertainment and should find an audience. New Line’s Infinifilm disc is well crafted too, so if you’re interested, a rental is recommended.
Video: How does it look?
The Butterfly Effect is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. New Line is well known for their blockbuster visual presentations and as such, it is no surprise that this one looks awesome. The print is in excellent condition, as a newer release should be and in truth, I could find little to complain about here. The colors leap off the screen at times, but never seem too rich, while flesh tones remain natural and consistent. No issues with contrast either, as the black levels look top notch and no visible detail loss is evident. In other words, chalk up yet another superb effort from New Line with this release.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release has both Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES soundtracks, but don’t expect the world from your speakers in this case. New Line has created great mixes for this movie, but the film itself just doesn’t have the dynamic audio to make the channels smoke. A few scenes do add some extra punch, such as all the flashback sequences, but in most sequences, the audio is reserved and natural in scope. No complaints here though, as I dislike soundtracks that add hollow surround use just to take advantage of the rear channels. So while the audio is not that powerful, the atmosphere is effective, thanks to the natural presence. I found minimal differences between the two tracks, but I do want to note that the DTS option is found only on the director’s cut. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to both the theatrical version and a director’s cut of the film itself, New Line has included some nice supplements here. An audio commentary track is up first, as directors Eric Bress and J. Mackeye Gruber talk about the production. A few instances of silence aside, the track is solid and has a lot of insight, from the casting decisions to the visual approach to chaos theory in real life, so a lot of ground is covered and the track is worth a spin. A pair of featurettes explore the creative process behind the production and the film’s visual effects, while two more featurettes deal with the science behind chaos theory and the allure of time travel, which shed some light on the subjects explored within the movie. This disc also includes some deleted scenes, a fact track, the Infinifilm version of the movie, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
