Donnie Darko

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SPOILERS The people who are twisting themselves in knots trying to analyse the 'philosophy' of this movie belong in the same group as those who try to divine the meaning behind the Matrix films. Read some actual philosophy, for Christ's sake, or watch classic Art movies which engage with ideas in a coherant manner, instead of getting excited soley because a movie was made recently, marketed to your age group, and is associated with a hit single. The reality is that this is the best recent example of a pop-cultural product which is popular ONLY because it's pitched as arty and difficult to understand. There's nothing to understand. None of the sub-plots (the infomercial guy, the *beep* about Grahame Greene, or wormholes, or the other stuff about censorship) have anything to do with the central plot about Frank, Donnie and his girlfriend. They are included to create the illusion that this movie has a message, when there is really nothing there. All of the anti-censorship arguments have been made far more effectively before, in movies dedicated to that theme; none of the other stuff links together or goes anywhere. The plot twists in the sub-plots are all tediously obvious, as are the character's attitudes to them (like Donnie immediately seeing that Jim Cunningham is the antichrist - and look, he's found to be a pederast! Or the whole thing about Drew Barrymore's character being a saint crushed by a repressive system, or the street thug dudes, who walk into the film, gurn a bit, threaten Don with a knife, then walk out again until they're needed later). The plot twists in the main plot all come totally out of the blue by using the supernatural cop-out clause as permission for the story to go in any direction it likes. When movies like Godsend do that, everyone rightly points out how stupid it is. But then, Godsend isn't regarded as Art. Idiots. The worst part is the way this film wastes it's one original idea - the concept of a disturbed teenager who can see a 6' apocalyptic bunny rabbit. Wouldn't it have been great if Frank had been kept mysterious, or turned out to be some kind of demon with a direct, properly explained role in the plot? No, he takes his bunny head off halfway through, and is shown to be merely a guy in a suit who drives a car over someone at a key moment. You need to watch more movies, people.

I was instantly put off by the tired and worn clichés - the neurotic teacher, the nasty school bully, the fat Chinese chick who says "Shut up!", the sleazy mr. motivator, the "Mr & Mrs Average" parents, the eccentric old lady - all done to death by countless teenage flicks. And then the time travel and the convoluted, confused plot - laughable that the director is trying to (mis)use Stephen Hawking's "Brief History of Time" to lend some scientific credibility to this sorry concoction. It feels as if the film can't decide if it has anything to say but insists on plodding on regardless - with a vengeance... Redeeming quality for me was perhaps the soundtrack and some of the special effects. I wish it hadn't been so widely hyped - I would have spared myself the time. I too am surprised at the many positive reviews but the most telling was one along the lines of "I don't usually like deep movies but this one is different" - made me laugh!

Donnie Darko was a great and thought provoking movie. Most people will probably not understand the movie the first time they watch it, because they don't know what to watch for, but the 2nd time you watch the movie most will consider it a great and profound movie. Another way to understand Donnie Darko is to have someone that has already seen the movie to watch it with you and tell you which parts of the movie to remember towards the end of the movie. This is not a movie to watch if one does not like to think during movies. Donnie Darko is also not a movie for the lazy movie watcher to watch. I normally like the easy brained movies that require no thought-process but this is one thought provoking movie that I give a 10 out of 10.

The fact that this is the Directors first film is amazing to me. The scenes dripped with style, yet that style never seemed distracting. None of it was self congratulatory or gluttonous. The visuals were supported by a truly emotional score and its hard to find fault in the 80's pop tunes that found their way into some of the more impressive scenes. The story is very much thought provoking. Its the type that leaves you pondering the possibilities voiced by the characters. There is nothing condescending about this film. Answers arent simply handed out, rather the viewer is left to draw many conclusions instead. The acting is also top notch. If i hadnt known beforehand that Patrick Swayze was in this film I would have been shocked. His character is amusing and interesting all at the same time. A great cameo for him. Drew Barrymore is forgetable, though that in no way detracts from the film. Of course the star is Jake Gyllenhaal. There is nothing that can be said to properly praise his performance. The rest of the cast chosen fit their roles perfectly. All of these things combine to create a stunning film. One can only hope that filmgoers will give this little gem a shot and support a true wonder. This is the only film I have awarded a 10/10 on the IMDB.

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"Deep" as in just baiting you into thinking something bigger is going to happen, the basic story: Donnie Darko Malfoy has problems and hes smart and he's taking fake pills in the end you realise that it was time travel or something i guess even the main actor didn't know what the movie was about lmao.

I tried getting through this. Twice. I failed both times, turning it off in boredom on attempt 1. As a big fan of sci-fi, with this movie ranking highly in that category in so many lists, I tried a second time and ended up falling asleep. There won't be a third try. I made it about an hour in, and all I saw was some annoying kid who's on pills, with a dysfunctional family, rebelling in school. He doesn't fit in well at home nor with his "friends" at school. He's seeing a shrink, because every once in a while he'll see a man in a giant rabbit suit. There's no sci-fi. There's no thriller. There's no likable character. There's no horror or fantasy. It's just a boring story of how this kid spends his days at home and at school. Who knows. After that hour it may turn into the best movie ever. I guess I'll never know. Hey directors: you may want to offer something, ANYTHING, to keep your audience engaged for the first 60 minutes. Avoid at all cost. Boring and stupid.

Saw it for the first time last night and I have to say I was impressed. Richard Kelley does an astonishing job for his first film, I look forward to seeing more of his movies in the future. 'Donnie Darko' is a film filled to the brim with such intriguing ideas, original plot turns, extraordinary visuals and riveting acting. Jake Gyllenhaal is outstanding in the lead, and the ensemble cast consisting of a humorous Patrick Swayze, a surprisingly solid Drew Barrymore and an always remarkable Jena Malone is first-rate. The only part that confused me was the ending. I'm not saying it was bad, it was just very unclear. I've been told if I watch the movie again a couple of times I'll have a better understanding of it. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates innovative film-making. Grade: B+