Watched this on DVD last nite (fri) whilst eating dinner, after which I just couldnt stop thinking about it. It was due to the disturbing ending scene & saddening theme throughout the movie. Moreover, this is a thriller that sets u off watching till the last min. Ive always liked time travel and the like movies. This movie reminds me of " Sliding doors", " Run lola run", "Memento" where theres lotsa use of flashbacks, timelines; possibilities of what could have happened, causes and effects etc.

I've discussed about fate, chance, Chaos theory in my journal and some movies that had that element. This movie is based on Chaos Theory, cause and effect - "change one thing, change everything".
I searched for the meaning of "The Butterfly Effect" and here goes:-

The "Butterfly Effect", or more technically the "sensitive dependence on initial conditions", is the essence of chaos.The "Butterfly Effect" is often ascribed to Lorenz. In a paper in 1963 given to the New York Academy of Sciences he remarks:
One meteorologist remarked that if the theory were correct, one flap of a seagull's wings would be enough to alter the course of the weather forever.
http://www.cmp.caltech.edu/~mcc/chaos_new/Lorenz.html

The "Butterfly Effect" is the propensity of a system to be sensitive to initial conditions.Such systems over time become unpredictable,this idea gave rise to the notion of a butterfly flapping it's wings in one area of the world,causing a tornado or some such weather event to occur in another remote area of the world.
http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/beffect.html

There are indeed some loopholes or parts where it didnt make sense, thats probably why it made me think so hard. It was also the violence, childhood traumas - abuse, fights, death of an innocent mum and baby, the dark side of the movie that did it. But overall, I enjoyed the movie very much. Nothing like "Back to the future" but felt more like "Sixth sense" with the eerie feeling creeping on you. Ashton Kutcher as Evan did a good job here as a serious role of a young adult with serious psychological problem. Everyone thinks he is mentally ill and he often have blackouts as a kid. In fact he discovers unknowingly that he has "supernatural powers" like his loony dad that he can go back in time using his journals as a kid, to "correct" mistakes and change his future only to find that each time he tries to help his 3 childhood frenz or his mum; he comes back to present with even worse situations. The person he most wanted to help is Kayleigh (Amy Smart) who is his childhood sweetheart whom was abused by his father when she was young. He didnt end up with her in the end. When searching thru the net about this movie, I realised that Ive actually watched the Director's Cut of the movie with the shocking, traumatising end (baby strangles itself with umbilical cord). Apparently theres another theatrical version where Evan burns his journals and walk passes Kayleigh like he didnt know her and accept the fact that he cant have her. I would like to get hold of this version and see it for myself which version I prefered. But by the sound of it, the Director's cut definitely caught my attention more!

My only critic is that if the butterfly flapping its wing can trigger a cyclone somewhere. Wouldnt Evan changing things in his past not only just affect his 3 childhood frenz and his mum BUT on a bigger scale? I guess the movie is trying to tell us the causes and effects of one's doing, have impacts on someone else's lives.

I did enjoy the movie as it made me do lotsa thinking and making sense. The movie did trigger lotsa questions and the beauty of it is such science fiction or thriller doesnt need to make sense!

I recommend this movie if you like Ashton, like time travel stories and/or like to invoke some thinking after watching a movie...

Enjoy.....

Cheers:)
Bern