“The Butterfly Effect”, staring Iowa native Ashton Kutcher, is ajump in a completely different direction for Kutcher who plays a20-year-old college student with some major emotional baggage and alackluster memory that is completely different than the averagehuman’s.

Evan Treborn (Kutcher) has been experiencing blackouts atmoments of emotional stress ever since the age of seven. Whether itis being molested by a family friend, alcoholic and childpornographer, a prank gone bad involving a mailbox with a motherand her baby daughter or Evan’s dog being saturated by gasoline, heblocks out these events throughout his life.

Because of these blackouts, Evan has been told by hispsychologist to keep a journal that contains his thoughts andday-to-day happenings.

Ever since Evan was a child, moments throughout his life havevanished without memory. What Evan can remember are timesthroughout his life that have little substance. However, he doesremember his childhood friends.

Amy Smart plays Kayleigh, Evan’s girlfriend and Elden Hensonplays Lenny, Evan’s buddy who was traumatized as a kid.

Tommy, played by William Lee Scott, is Kayleigh’s sociopathbrother who always seems to find trouble in every situation.

While in college, Evan learns that by concentrating on the wordsin the journals that he wrote while growing up, he can transporthimself back in time and relive certain events. Evan starts toremember the major events in his life that have traumatized hisfriends and family.

The problem for Evan is that every time he changes the past, thepresent time has been altered and not for the better.

Evan wants to help people like his girlfriend Kayleigh, herbrother Tommy and her dad, the twisted child pornographer.

When Evan tries to change things, he wakes up somewhere else,like as a frat boy lying in bed with Kayleigh. Both Evan andKayleigh are happy, but not Tommy.

Evan eventually ends up in prison with a bunch of hungry menlooking for some fresh meat after killing Tommy. Evan isn’t happyand neither is Kayleigh, so he changes things again and Kayleighends up as a cheap hooker.

“The Butterfly Effect” is far from reality, but it does a greatjob entertaining the audience. The plot is odd and it may be hardto follow for some, but it keeps the audience deeply entertainedwanting more because of the strange yet shocking actions by allactors and actresses involved.

Obviously, “The Butterfly Effect” is a silly movie that shouldnot be taken seriously, but it is silliness at its best.