Reviews

This film is absolutely stunning in its originality, and will blow you away with its intelligence, creepiness and individuality the first time you see it. It might just have you looking over your shoulder for a few days.

That said, it might not have reached its full potential, because it almost couldn't decide what kind of film it was. Though no movie should limit itself to one genre and set of conventions, 'Donnie Darko' tries to cover too many bases - haunting supernatural sci-fi story, outcast romance, condemnation of hypocrisy, social commentary, and even high-school movie. The confusion is most apparent with repeat viewings, and as a result the tone can be somewhat erratic. But don't let it dissuade you from checking out this movie, because it's powerful enough to overcome its flaws, and sets an example of the kind of thought that should go into more flicks these days.

If you ever want a bit of a laugh while babysitting, this might be a good film to have with you. Kids will love it simply because it's got Buzz Lightyear, an amusing villain, and loads of aliens. Maybe it's just a sign of my immaturity, but I found quite a lot of the jokes in this movie very funny (and even the parts that aren't funny can be vaguely amusing in their corniness). The characters do a lot for the movie - Lightyear's unlikely friend and partner Warp Darkmatter has several funny lines, and XR's personality changes and sarcasm make him quite endearing. Even the villain, the Evil Emperor Zurg, has his likable moments.

While you won't miss any life-changing moments if you don't see this movie (and really, it pales in comparison to the Toy Story movies), it's a good choice if you've seen every other kids' movie too many times and want to watch something that'll amuse you too.