Rating: 
Summary: This is NOT a horror movie.......
Review: I was initially turned off by this movie because so many reviews (throughout the web) said it was a horror movie. (I despise scary films and everything they stand for.) However, to my joyful surprise, after following my instinct to check it out for myself, I found this to be one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. I will not attempt to give the plot away by listing endless details about the content of the film, but I will say that it is a ride for one's soul and imagination. Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the biggest reasons why. His depths are infinite in this role as a begulingly simple genious. He is boyish as a teenager should be, elfish and curious about the world inside of him and around him. Donnie is not what I would call schizophrenic, as others have said, but rather rawly aware of underlying realities that exist within the fictional world of the film's premise. He is independent, sensitive, intensely wise beyond his years, and truly an example of a real human being with a desire that transcends the mundane quests of the ignorant masses. His family seems to support this in him. Each family character is portrayed as an individual who can see past the ridiculousness of the world. They are more "normal" than Donnie, but no less perceptive in their own ways. It all reflects the director, Richard Kelly; only a man who posesses these qualities himself could write these characters with such accuracy, not to mention spinning a miraculous web of fiction. I also loved the late 80's time setting and am so grateful for the amazing music throughout the film, Joy Division being the absolute most touching and revealing. This film is in one of my top ten (right up there with TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and REAR WINDOW).
Rating:
Summary: Cool flick!
Review: I don't care what the others say. I've seen all the bad reviews (and good ones). This film is one of the most original films I have ever seen. It may be no classic but it has it's own beauty. It's really twisted and demented in it's own tragic way. Donnie Darko is definitely a big surprise to us all. It's worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: I Think We've All Seen Bonanza!!! *****
Review: Donnie Darko is a very difficult movie to characterise and assign to one or even two genres, which is also part of its appeal and fascination. It opens with the title character (Jake Gyllenhall) waking in his pyjamas, with his bike lying next to him, on a highway overlooking his hometown of Middlesex, set in an idyllic tree covered valley. Straightening up he looks out toward the rising sun on the horizon and with a knowing smile he re-mounts his bicycle and makes his way back home to the tune of Echo and The Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' in what is an excellent opening sequence. Right from these first few frames it was obvious that I was about to witness something very original and it had me hooked.Donnie Darko is inspired (I would guess) by the weird combination of Philip K Dick, Wes Anderson, JD Salinger and the classic James Stewart movie 'Harvey'. It announces the arrival of two great new talents in Writer/Director Richard Kelly and the young actor Jake Gyllenhall, in what is a hugely original, ingenious and entertaining movie. Set in 1988, around Halloween time, this movie has the conventional leafy-suburbia-plus-high-school setting, which alludes to the horror genre of Carrie and Halloween but it is no horror movie. It also has specific elements that suggest that it's a psychodrama about a young man with schizophrenia but this is not 'A Beautiful Mind'. It also ponders the possibility of time travel but this is not science fiction. Stranger still, Donnie Darko is unusual in that (unlike most retro 1980's pictures such as The Wedding Singer) it actually has a very cool soundtrack drawn from the period of my youth, which includes contributions from the likes of Echo and The Bunnymen, Tears For Fears and Joy Division. So, what is Donnie Darko about? Well, without giving up too much of the plot, Donnie is continuously visited by a 6 foot tall rabbit named Frank, which unlike the Pooka in the classic 'Harvey' is both visible to the audience and strangely satanic. Frank tells Donnie that the world is going to end in 28 days six hours and forty two minutes but not to worry as everything is going to be all right. Guided by Frank he narrowly misses being killed when an engine from a 747 crashes through his house whilst he is lying sleeping on a local golf course and the plot thickens when it becomes apparent that the aviation authority has no record of any aircraft losing an engine. Donnie is of course undergoing therapy with a local shrink and hypnotherapist played by Katherine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) and the suggestion is of course that Donnie is hallucinating, for as his sister says 'he hasn't been taking his pills'. One of Donnie's recurring visions suggests that he can see the future before it happens and so he becomes obsessed with the possibility of time travel and a book written by a retired teacher, who is now a scary old recluse, 'The Philosophy of Time Travel'. There are also many other sub-plots including Donnie being inspired by his English teacher (Drew Barrymore) and Graham Greene's short story 'The Destructors' into some playful vandalism. In addition to this Donnie's subversive thoughts and actions begin to undermine the stability of the local community that is strangely gripped by a slimy fundamentalist guru played by Patrick Swayze. Much of this movie is darkly comic and there are some great scenes including a conversation between Donnie and his therapist, where she asks him what he thinks about at school. Like most teenage boys he inevitably replies 'having s*x' before proceeding to unbutton his trousers about to m*sturbate. There is also a scene where at a PTA meeting Donnie's mother challenges the local bigot by asking "Do you even know who Graham Greene is?" she confidently and proudly replies "Oh please! I think we've all seen Bonanza". Personally I loved this movie but whether or not you enjoy this movie probably depends upon how far left of centre you like your movies. If you are not a fan of independent cinema or movies by the likes of Wes Anderson and David Lynch then you probably wont like this. However there is much to recommend in Donnie Darko, not least the cast, which includes, Noah Wyle (ER), Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Confessions of A Dangerous Mind) and the previously mentioned Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore and Katherine Ross. Jake Gyllenhaal's exquisite comic timing and laidback personality endows Donnie's existence with a dreamlike quality at odds with his teen angst and the suburban paranoia of his surroundings. Meanwhile writer/director Richard Kelly creates a wonderful sense of tension and keeps you guessing throughout the movie that even after the final titles have rolled you are still left to mull over what you have just witnessed. Whilst critics may argue that Donnie Darko fails as a psychological study and/or horror movie, you cant help but feel they are missing the point, as it deliberately avoids easy classification to a specific genre and instead concentrates on being intelligent, ingenious and highly original. Closing appropriately to a cover version of the old Tears For Fears song 'Mad World' and the lyrics 'the dreams on which I'm dying are the best I've ever had', neatly ties up the previous two hours and what was for me a very satisfactory cinematic experience. Destined for cult status this undoubtedly deserves five stars!
Rating: 
Summary: DONNIE DULLO!
Review: Dull, dull movie, mostly in part to the lead actor, Jake Gyllenhaal. I haven't seen him in any other film, but I don't like him in this, or the character of Donnie. I know the character is going through some psychological issues in this film, but I can think of countless other headcases portrayed in movies who were much more enjoyable to watch than him. An original film, yes, but not the kind of originality that intrigues me whatsoever. The best performance in the film is Patrick Swayze, who in my opinion, isn't in it enough. In the special features, I also liked the mock commentary over the Patrick Swayze infomercial. Now THAT was much more original, funny, and watchable than the actual movie.
Rating:
Summary: It Passed Me By, But I Caught Up
Review: I'm not entirely sure where exactly I was when Donnie Darko hit the big screen. It was only in 2001, and I was in the United States, a teenager, and quite aware of similar movies. It just must have slipped by me somehow. But I finally saw this film a few weeks ago. I bought it as a gift to a friend for his birthday at his request and we watched it together that night. I found the film entertaining but also very deep. It is something my generation can identify with having experienced similar situations and feelings during our years in school. Aside from the obvious psychologically provoking aspects of the film (ie: a teen suffering from schizophrenia who sees a giant bunny rabbit from the future), it touches more deeply on modern youth and its detachment from society and life. My favorite line from the film was from Drew Barrymore's character who said, "We're [adults, teachers, parents] losing them [students, teenagers] to apathy." That is really what Donnie Darko is about; life's lack of luster and living without direction.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but confuzzled
Review: "Donnie Darko" is an indie movie, meaning that it's geared towards an audience that doesn't like to sit in front of their televisions like unmotivated stumps. Throughout the entire film Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), a dangerously schizophrenic high school student who lives in a California suburb, finds himself losing his mind after his adventures guide him to places he doesn't understand but gains some pleasure in nonetheless. Through and through Donnie finds the world to be an unforgiving mess that, through a series of lucky manouvers, has not rotated off of its axis. That is, until Donnie discovers how he can change the world. Unfortunately, Donnie isn't the only one confused. The manner in which the [highly talented] cast were callously sprinkled throughout the film, the incessant thematic flip-flopping, and the erratic film style makes it look like the crew was trying too many things at once. It's understandable that films do [and should] pack in numerous ideas and themes--take Darren Aronofsky for instance--but these ideas and themes are also to have coherent direction. "Donnie Darko" seems to have that direction, but when you're travelling down the road a theme or idea abruptly stops so that another one may begin. The result is that the film is complete but not fulfilling. Another problem is the fishy issue of time travel that the filmmakers didn't truly develop. Besides a brief and rather conjectural conversation Donnie has with his Physics teacher (played by Noah Wylie), I wasn't convinced that time travel really was a good idea for the film to run with. Unfortunately there are multiple "conversation bursts" as opposed to easy-flowing dialogue throughout the entire movie so hardly anything anyone says is very palpable. All of this serves as a glaring detriment to what could have been one of the more inspired movies of 2001. But this isn't to disparage one from watching the film. I very much appreciated [what i could understand] the frame of the movie, which I would make into a question as opposed to a statement of somesort. "Donnie Darko" is, as a forewarning, *very* indecisive but still an enjoyable experience.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT movie.
Review: this movie is wonderful. from execution, to climax, the movie is phenomenal.
Rating:
Summary: this movie RULES
Review: thios is a very good, albeit strange, movie. the greatest thing about it is, you can watch it like a 1000 times and just keep seeing new little things that make it so so much better, plus a kick-[but] soundtrack. truly excellent.
Rating:
Summary: ..."we all die alone"....
Review: Possibly one of the most original alternative films I've seen in the past years, Donnie Darko is a powerful mind stimulator.
A brilliant deep-cutting script combined with intimidating acting and careful directing is what you get here but the more thoughtful viewers will also be awarded with valuable and out of the mainstream questions.
A young teen diagnosed with bordeline schizophrenia starts having weird meetings with a human size rabbit who looks part alien, part reptile, part artificial, and who carries a message of doom for Donnie Darko (the boy, and yes, that's his name)..Donnie begins to take the message very seriously but simoultaneously he begins paying attention to the world around him and in him. He understands with the help of his "friend" that nothing you see and observe is accidental. Predictably, he comes at odds with the people he tries to convey this message to ("the world will end in 28 days"), he discovers that most people out there live on the surface of reality and not only they wouldnt dare take a dive underneath but wouldnt even consider there's something constantly eluding their awareness. Probably because their awareness is, hmm, defective?
Donnie Darko, inspired by his visions ( or his deeper glimpse of reality) begins a personal trek of questioning, redifining and re-interpeting. The strange "Grandma of Death" (an old woman who years ago had written a book about time travel and spends her time ever since waiting for a "message" herself) becomes a focal point for Donnie. But Donnie tries also to squeeze as much information about the puzzle of reality from other people around him, most notably certain teachers, he attempts to piece things together and bond all these realities that appear before his eyes and mind together. The film is, as others have noted too, incredibly hard to classify. Viewers with a particular liking in the "alternative" will adore it as it encompasses loads of hints and direct references not only to time travel, but to parallel universes, telepathy and astral projection to mention but a few. But if the "paranormal" spooks you it has strong dosages of the "normal" reality most people experience too even if that is portrayed as a dull and depressing one. Which is yet another asset of the movie: it is as frank and honest as it gets. The young actor who plays Donnie Darko is utterly convincing allthough he has his show stolen by his mother who adds the necessary down-to-earthness to it all with her refreshing performance. But there is no actor involved in this film who goes unnoticed and I'd have to think hard to find a parallel in that respect.
Lastly, this is an emotional rollercoaster of a film, it goes from scary to sad to funny and thought provoking to intimidating and back to melancholy in an stunningly effortless way (kudos to the script writer).
An absolute must-see.
Rating: 
Summary: **
Review: I haven't been as disappointed with a film people have raved about since THE DOOM GENERATION. THE DOOM GENERATION was a piece of junk from beginning to end, while DONNIE DARKO does have some witty dialogue and some great acting. But overall it just did not remotely live up to the raves. A lot of the movie is terribly contrived. If you raved about this film and haven't seen THE DOOM GENERATION, you probably should. That's an inverted recommendation, I know.
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