‘Butterfly’ old concept, but effective

JIM ERWIN

Suppose you could travel back in time and change things? Would you

warn Janet Jackson that she’s going to expose herself during the

Super Bowl halftime show? If you did, would New England still win the

game? This old question about time travel is asked once again in the

new Ashton Kutcher supernatural thriller, “The Butterfly Effect.” The

story is based on the theory that traveling back in time and changing

a single event, even killing a butterfly, would completely alter

history and reshape the universe.

Based on the given information, a movie staring Kutcher and a plot

that has been redone so many times even “The Simpsons” has been

there, you’d probably expect “The Butterfly Effect” to be another

lame, R-rated teen movie.

You’d be wrong. “The Butterfly Effect” isn’t great cinema, but

it’s not a bad movie. The story has its share of cliches, but it also

has plenty of unexpected twists and turns. The biggest surprise is

the complexity of the interwoven plot elements. This is a story that

constantly feeds on itself. There’s also an interesting back story

about Kutcher’s relationship with his father. “The Butterfly Effect”

is a B-movie, but it’s a well written B-movie.

Generally speaking, the focus of movies with this kind of time

travel plot is someone who wants to effect important historical

events. The hero wants to travel back in time to stop Adolf Hitler or

prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination. What I like about “The

Butterfly Effect” is that it focuses on much smaller issues.

Kutcher’s character Evan is concerned with trying to save his own

little world. What can he do to create a universe where all of his

friends live happily ever after?

As per the formula of this kind of story, Kutcher’s attempts to

change things have unforeseen negative consequences. One of the

surprises is that the movie makes Kutcher stay in his miscreated

world and makes him live with those negative consequences, including

his own emotional consequences. While he deals with the fallout from

his actions, he learns new things about his friends that convince him

his next attempt to change things will be different. He’s always sure

that next time he’ll get it right. He’s like a drug addict chasing

after an ideal high that doesn’t exist.

Kutcher and his costar Amy Smart deliver workmanlike performances

that succeed in not making the movie crash and burn. Smart plays

Kutcher’s childhood sweetheart, but her character changes so much

that she’s really playing many different roles. Casting Eric Stoltz

in a minor supporting role as Smart’s dad was pure genius. Stoltz and

Logan Lerman (who play Kutcher at age 7) are what give this movie

legs. They provide the credible emotional backbone that Kutcher and

Smart lean into to carry the movie.

Time will tell, but it looks like “The Butterfly Effect” has all

the makings of a cult hit. If you’re a fan of this genre, and you

want a movie that doesn’t make you think too hard, this will be worth

your while. As usual, there are rumors of alternate endings that the

studio nixed, so the DVD will probably have some interesting extras.

* JIM ERWIN, 40, is a technical writer and computer trainer.