The Butterfly Effect

I'm not sure what I think of Chaos Theory (or should we call it the Law of Unintended Consequences, I dunno). This flick is based on that idea--that everything we do has an effect on everyone around us--and not always the effect we expected or desired. To this extent, I agree, for the most part. But the belief that killing a butterfly, or some other small insect, might create a cataclysm of epic proportions--well, let's just say I'm dubious on that one. I suppose this is a rambling way of saying that I'm not entirely eye-to-eye with the movie's philosophy. That said, it was well-acted and thought-provoking. Ashton Kutcher, who normally comports himself like a complete ding-a-ling in most of his movies, did a fairly competent job in this one. The primary flaw in the story was that it didn't explain, to my satisfaction, the origin of the events transpiring. I was left pondering the implications, though, in the end. And if a movie can make ya think, it can't be all that bad.

THREE STARS