I was a huge fan of the original Butterfly Effect, although I liked the concept more than the execution. When Ashton screamed, "You don't know me! I don't even know me!", it made me remember why certain actors should stick to lightweight material. I had very low expectations for this one, mostly because the second movie was unwatchable. Aside from a couple of problems, I was pleasantly surprised.
First, the problems: This movie has nothing to do with the original or the sequel except that the Butterfly Effect power is SIMILAR -- not exactly the same, because in this one the main character Sam travels by just focusing on the past, and his sister Jenna monitors him, but then he seems to forget the intervening years when he returns to the present. The other problem is that sometimes characters and relationships are unclear and a couple times I had to ask my wife who this person was or why this person thinks that now, but she understood it pretty well and felt that the confusion was intentional so that the audience would feel like the main character, who's really confused by all the time travel.
The two leads in this one -- which probably couldn't get big stars because of its low budget -- were both outstanding. Chris Carmack shows major dramatic chops. I can see him being the next Viggo Mortensen. Rachel Miner is also really great, and so are the minor characters, especially the well-endowed bartender. (Was that a visual reference to Catholic Schoolgirls in Trouble, from the Kentucky Fried Movie, or am I reaching?) There were a couple of strong dramatic scenes that wouldn't have felt out of place in a studio Oscar-bait type of movie. I guess that's a credit to the writing/directing too, since it didn't feel overdone or hammy.
The cinematography was also solid, and I liked the score. Usually movies like this skimp on those elements and just use a cheesy synth score, but this one was solid.
My only complaint about the cinematography is that sometimes it felt claustrophobic -- we're always inside someone's apartment, or in some dark, cramped place. I guess that fits with the theme, but I would've liked to be able to breath every now and then with a nice landscape shot or something. Maybe that was also a budget issue.
Overall, although I didn't see this movie in the theater -- it was out for a week, apparently - - watching it at home felt like I'd caught a really cool late-night TV show. It's a fun ride. I could see this turning into a TV series or something, like Quantum Leap.
