Efekt motyla

Where its genre brothers (for instance, 12 Monkeys or Donnie Darko) in their complexity are just starting to warm up they’re wheels of logic, The Butterfly Effect with its “plot based and time paradox" line are still standing at a red light. Even so, it’s still a good movie, especially in the first half. After that the screenwriters (and, because they also directed it, the directors too) start running out of breath and ideas, while Kutcher runs out of talent. The whole movie starts to sink into the waters of mediocrity, with one cliché after another, and only thanks to the timely ending it didn’t sink even lower. (05.06.2004)

Unlike Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Butterfly Effect impressed me much more with its atmosphere, amazing momentum and brisk direction. On the other hand, the sophistication of the love line is weaker. The idea of changing memory is in fact identical, and its elaboration probably deserved more depth (I will judge it after another viewing) and fewer TV crayons for the love scenes. However, the game with causal lines is done very clearly, cleanly and breathtakingly. The constant twists, the editing machine gun fire and changes in space-time perspectives literally froze me and forced me to watch this unconventional love sci-fi conspiracy whilst holding my breath. Of the actors, I was quite interested in the young boy version of Evan, who resembles Danny from The Shining, and not only visually. His transformation into his adult self-reflection gave me a pleasant chill. The two directors created a very significant and successful film. The Butterfly Effect is one of the top sci-fi dramas made in the USA. That is also why I forgive it for the happy ending... (02.02.2007)

During the first act the chills made a car track out of my back, about halfway through I had no idea were it was going and the unexpected shifts in the plot kept me on my toes, and by the end I was one more satisfied viewer. A dense atmosphere, excellent direction and an interesting story make The Butterfly Effect a movie that won't let you catch your breath. Then even the logical holes in the script and the fact that the theme of temporal paradoxes is not revelatory (and has been handled better in many other movies) can be forgiven. This film has a lot of appeal. And, by the way, Amy Smart is gorgeous. (22.01.2005)

Quite a disappointment. I expected something interesting, like Donnie Darko, but alas. The Butterfly Effect is a viewer-friendly film aimed at an undemanding younger audience, the games with time are only for effect and without any depth. It is watchable, but it doesn’t have a chance to win my heart. (24.09.2008)

This film’s numerous visual tricks, incredibly high-octane plot and mysterious atmosphere, supported by a beautifully mysterious and emotional soundtrack, will captivate you and give you a powerful and moving experience. But if you use your head more actively, you will repeatedly get tripped up. Some of the twists are solely for effect and diminish the sense of what happened before (why didn’t he return more times to that one moment and shape the circumstances so that everything would be perfect?!). Actually, the whole film is a less sophisticated version of Twelve Monkeys, but revolving not around the end of the world, but around love. (06.11.2004)