Movie Review - Donnie Darko

Not the most recent movie, Donnie Darko, released in 2001 features a star-studded cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore. Directed and written by Richard Kelly, it never seemed to take off in American theatres. Certainly not a very interesting title, and had it not been at the urging of my teenage son, I probably would have passed this one by. Thankfully, the movie is much better than the name implies.

Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a brilliant, yet self-proclaimed "wacko" who has the advantage of seeing what lies ahead in his life, which involves time travel and parallel universes. Led by his imaginary friend "Frank," the seven-foot tall bunny rabbit, he charts his course as he runs thru the 28 days before the end of the universe. What happens at the end of the movie is surprising at best, and may take a few times of viewing before you can figure out the key players and what roles they play.

The movie is based in the year 1988, and the whole screenplay takes shape when a commercial airliner jet engine crashes through the Darko's home. From that point on, Donnie, a sleepwalking schizophrenic, moves on through every day life of a typical teenager, which ultimately leads back to the same scene with the jet engine. Scenes full of mischievous activity, such as flooding the school and burning down a mansion, all play into the ultimate role of time travel. Definitely a movie of addition, as you must put the parts together to figure out the ultimate ending.

This movie is full of love, fear, and sacrifice. As a teenager in a private school, Donnie searches out answers by inquiring to his teachers played by Noah Wylie (ER fame) and his English teacher, Drew Barrymore. Patrick Swayze plays Mr. Cunningham who also gets involved in the curriculum at school, as a self-help guru, encouraged by another teacher at the school. These big name stars will leave you guessing at the end of the movie on which categories they play into.

Donnie Darko is set up as an interactive movie, in which you need to figure out what key players are involved, and what category they fall under. You could watch the movie, just as entertainment, but the different categories makes it a little more thought provoking. The artifact, the receiver, the dead and the living all contain certain characters throughout the movie. Some are fairly easy to guess, others will leave you scratching your head at the end. Certainly a movie with a twist that will keep you guessing.

This sci-fi, horror, action movie keeps you in tune. As one that is quick to fall asleep during "boring" movies, this one kept me up well past my typical bedtime. I highly recommend you ignore the name and take a chance at watching this movie. I don't feel that you will regret it. Definitely a recommended movie!