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Donnie Darko Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 213 Reviews)

Inferior to the Theatrical Version
When talk of a director's cut for one of my favorite movies in recent history was buzzing around, I admit that I was quite excited. Especially by the prospect of seeing Donnie Darko in a theater. However, the theatrical release of the director's cut was short lived and only found its way into certain (two, maybe?) cities. So like most everyone else, I had to rent this version.

Be warned that this version is inferior to the original theatrical realease of Donnie Darko. All of the fun of piecing the movie together thru repeated viewings and trips to donniedarko.com was sucked out of this release. Some of the music was changed (some new pieces added, some old ones taken away), some pages from the Philosophy of Time Travel were added in at differnt points of the film (here is where the fun sucking started) and something happened to the sound mix. The original version had an aura of mystique around it; hard to explain, but as you watched you found yourself entirely focused on the dialogue. This is not the case anymore with the director's cut. It sounds as if there is too much noise going on.

In any case, don't spend your money on this product. I'd recommend picking up the original version, which is a five star film. After a few viewings, head on over to the website and see what you can see.

unusual and enjoyable flick
After watching `Donnie Darko' for the first time, I was entirely confused. What were they talking about with time travel, tangent universes, and worm holes? I have no interest in science fiction and couldn't begin to de-tangle the intricacies of this film's plot. But guess what. That didn't really matter. I still really enjoyed `Donnie Darko.' (Incidentally, the plot - at least the *probable* plot - has been explained to me since my first viewing ... kudos to anyone who figures out what's going on for her/himself). Anyway - my point is - you don't have to know precisely *why* a plane's engine crashes through Donnie Darko's bedroom ceiling, and you don't have to know *why* that creepy, giant bunny is lurking around the corner to like this movie.

What is likeable about this movie? To begin with, as almost every other reviewer has pointed out, Jake Gyllenhaal does a phenomenal job with the role of Darko. His character is extremely intelligent, cynical, slightly demented and ultimately charismatic - he reminded me a lot of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye - - which is actually an odd coincidence, considering that, in `The Good Girl,' Gyllenhaal plays a character who renames himself Holden and identifies with Salinger's protagonist. Anyway - just a thought. While almost all of the characters in the movie are likewise enjoyable and are brought to life by talented actresses/actors (Patrick Swayze as a motivational speaker/pervert? - well done!), I have to agree with another reviewer: Drew Barrymore is atrocious as a high school English teacher. She is entirely unconvincing and reminds me of a female Keanu Reeves (at his worst). Anyway ...

I also like this movie because, while I did not exactly "get" what was happening, it is never boring. The plot is definitely unique, dark and subtly humorous. The scene with Darko, his uptight Health teacher (I think she was a Health teacher) and a "Life Line" is hilarious. Moreover, I think that, in general, the relationships in this film are treated in a very nuanced manner and with a great deal of tenderness. Darko and his older sister (played by Gylenhaall's real-life sister Maggie) demonstrate an especially endearing - albeit playfully hostile - dynamic.

Lastly, I think one of the greatest aspects of this film is its soundtrack. There are several great 80s songs - all very nostalgic, moody, brooding, and sexy. They fit in perfectly.

I definitely recommend giving `Donnie Darko' a shot. It's unique, it'll probably leave you thinking (at least: 'what just happened?!?') and I think most people will enjoy it.

It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra)
Donnie Darko can be viewed as a brilliant reinterpretation of Frank Capra's classic film: It's a Wonderful Life, since its basic theme appears to be the effect each of our lives has on society. In Donnie Darko a young and highly intelligent teenager has found a way to move forward in time so that he can experience his future and decide if he should take actions to change it... As Donnie projects himself toward a propitious date another young man of approximately college age is traveling backward through time to connect with the inquisitive Donnie; Frank (Capra:) having already experienced a pivotal event which involved Donnie's future contacts the teenager and begins to manipulate the sensitive young man in ways that appear designed to resolve issues from Frank's past. One of these is exposing the true nature of a public icon who may have molested Frank when he was a little child. Although the creators of Donnie Darko may have based their story on the theories of quantum physics they seem to have also included Newton's Third Law of Motion: for every action there is an opposite but equal reaction. Donnie and Frank's travel's through the fabric of existence causes a catastrophic rift in the energy surrounding them. It is at the point that their world seems to becoming apart that Donnie must make the same decision the protagonist in It's a Wonderful Life is faced with: would the world be better off with him alive or dead?
In addition to the complex and thought provoking plot, the actors play their parts very well on a stage of superbly crafted backdrops that serve to portray an idyllic suburban milieu that is perhaps only a veneer of normality. This is one of those rare films that seems to touch the universal consciousness...

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