Donnie Darko is one of those movies that probably warrants a director's cut, not just because of its large cult following (and we meet some of these obsessive folks scattered among the extra features), but because this new version (re-released theatrically last summer) is simply more than the same film padded out with additional scenes; the music score and some of the audio effects have been either re-arranged or restored to the version director Richard Kelly originally intended. Do these alterations make Donnie Darko a better movie? No, not really. Like Apocalypse Now Redux, the changes are interesting, but don't erase its flaws. In my humble opinion, Darko remains a pretty good film that misses the opportunity to be a great one. However, its loyal fans will think I'm full of shit, and will absolutely love this cut, along with the new batch of extras features included.

This is one of those movies where effectively summarizing the story to the uninitiated is probably a pointless exercise (they aren't the ones who'd be interested in this 2-disc edition, anyway). But, in a nutshell, the title character (Jake Gyllenhaal), is a troubled teen haunted by visions of a six-foot demonic rabbit named Frank, who not only informs him the world will end in 28 days, but influences him into performing acts of destruction that effect the lives of those around him (like flooding the school and burning down the house of a local motivational speaker). He's also shown visions which are either signs of the coming apocalypse, or simply products of Donnie's already-troubled mind. During this 28 day countdown, we follow Donnie through surreal encounters with those close to him, his teachers, friends, family, his shrink. But he sees everything as a sign that his visions are foreboding omens. Much of the time, we're left to question if what he's experiencing is real, prophecy or simply simple delusions. Whatever they are, they eventually have Donnie convinced the fate of the world (or at least his girlfriend) rests upon him, especially after his science teacher gives him an old book written by the local recluse, The Philosophy of Time Travel, which he takes to heart, and believes he can change the outcome of his nightmarish visions. At least, that's what I think Donnie Darko is about. The movie maintains a phenomenally ambiguous tone throughout its running time (which is arguably why it has such a wide cult following); we're never quite sure exactly what we're watching, and what it may mean. It's the kind of movie that, if one ingested the right combination of hallucinogens, you could discuss and debate for days. Individual scenes are presented like pieces of a bigger puzzle, but sometimes those pieces feel like they were forced to fit where they don't belong, rendering the finished picture unclear (probably on purpose). There's no final piece to bring it all together (which adds to the detriment of the film's climax). At the end, we're still left wondering just what the hell some scenes and set-pieces have to do with the story at all. Of course, you're supposed to subscribe to the idea that Donnie's sacrifice at the end erased all that happened to the characters in those scenes, but some of these characters could have been eliminated and the film wouldn't have suffered any worse for it. In the end, Donnie Darko is simply a boy-saves-girl story told on a quasi-epic level. It's a clever script, sometimes too impressed with its own cleverness, at the expense of characterization. The character of Donnie is well-realized and played brilliantly by Gylennhaal (who provides appropriate levels of disillusionment and malevolence), but the whole "sunken-eyed-burnt-out-but-smarter-than-everyone-else-teen-slacker" thing has run its course in movies...nearly every young character in the film is supposed to be cool by not giving a shit about anything an adult has to say. Many of the other people in his life are either underdeveloped or exaggerated cartoons (like the zealous, puritanical teacher, Kitty Farmer). Still, the film is mostly interesting, and as its cultists will attest to, worth watching more than once to discover something you never noticed before. Personally, I enjoyed my second viewing of the movie better, when I let myself forget about trying to figure it out and simply let it happen as an exercise in creative ambiguity. As for the 20-or-so minutes of new footage...while it enhances the film's more supernatural elements, the song, as Led Zeppelin once said, remains the same.

I never saw the original DVD release, but the picture and sound presentation of this director's cut are first rate. The image is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and looks stunning. The soundtrack is even better. In fact, this is the best sounding disc I've come across in quite awhile, with good balance and very creative use of 5.1 sound.

This disc features an outstanding audio commentary by writer/director Richard Kelly and director Kevin Smith (who had nothing to do with the movie, but offers some amusing comic asides, though sometimes he's a little overbearing); Kelly does a great job pointing out the differences between this cut and the original, as well as explaining what specific scenes mean in the overall picture. Though the movie is fairly enjoyable on its own terms, I occasionally appreciated Kelly's explanations about some scenes, and the reasons they exist. His comments may make one appreciate the film more upon future viewings. Disc two offers a terrific 60 minute "production diary", which consists entirely of behind-the-scenes footage (with optional commentary by cinematographer Steven Poster). "They Made Me Do It Too" offers comments by cult fans and critics, which I had no use for...if you need to be told why the film you just watched is so great, then it isn't a great film. "#1 Fan" focuses on the winner of a promotional contest, in which the person who could best demonstrate that they are the movie's biggest fan, their home video would be included among the extra features. The guy who won is definitely in need of a real life...why would anyone need to own 20 copies of the exact same DVD?

If you hated the original cut, this version isn't likely to change your mind. But the director's cut will surely please fans who loved the original version, and will likely give them a lot more to talk about with other equally obsessed folks. The movie itself remains an interesting exercise in non-linear filmmaking...not totally successful, but a generally interesting movie that probably needs to be seen more than once to appreciate. Similar Movies: Jacob's Ladder; Naked Lunch