Rating: 
Summary: Donnie Darko
Review: Why this movie gets 5 Stars1. *Terrific Acting* by Jake Gyllenhaal and the rest of the cast
2. The best cinematography and script I've seen in a long time
3. The best story I've seen, and completely believeable
4. Great score, and soundtrack (with the song 'mad world')
5. *OUTSTANDING* Dvd, with the BEST commentary track I've ever heard in my life!!!
6. The ending is very good, kinda similar to A.I. The movie about the teenager who can effect everything around him when he's sleep walking didn't do very well in theatres bcz of the subsequent release after 9/11 and bcz it's an indie with a strange subject. However, it's a top seller on DVD and a must watch; u have probbly already heard about it.
Rating: 
Summary: American Pie For The Rest Of Us
Review: You have to love these reality/fantasy juxtapositions and this one works very well as time becomes the element which defines what you see while you eventually determine just what you did see. Jena Malone is an ideal love interest for this seemingly forsaken though somehow deeper than average character as he ambles through a series of experiences with a quietude that suggests something within him which is unusual at the very least. The roles are played well, the imagery is aesthetically stimulating and this too is a film for the ages.
Rating:
Summary: Great social commentary, great performances.
Review: Somehow I missed DD in the theaters. Maybe it was the way the film was promoted. Maybe I was out of the country. This film has some incredible acting and superb writing. I am transfixed by the performances, particularly J. Gyllenhaal's. As one of the actors says on the commentary, it would have been an entirely different film with a different lead. The inclusion of cut scenes on this DVD is a WONDERFUL asset that gives a lot of insight into what was going on, along with the director's commentary. J. Gyllenhaal also speaks on that commentary but is a little irritating at times, interrupting the director when I want to hear what he has to say. This is essentially a scifi movie with insightful protrayal of our society. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: If you are reading this review, then you'll enjoy this DVD!
Review: This is not a review of the movie, but rather of the DVD. If you are getting this DVD because you think you might enjoy the movie you will, and if you saw the movie but aren't sure about spending some money on the DVD, well, you should. If you liked the movie, you'll definitely want to get this DVD and the extras that it offers. Basically, if you took the time to look into this DVD and read this review I think are someone who should buy the DVD. However, the extras aren't all they are cracked up to be as is often the case in DVDs and I want everyone out there to know what to expect. There are 20 deleted or extended included in this DVD, but each on has to be played separately (no 'Play All' feature) and you must select commentary on/off for each one of them. This is not the best arrangement for a deleted/extended scenes section. The actual content of this section is pretty decent with most of the scenes having the possibility of really having added something to the story and most could've made the film had the director not had to cut the film down to 2 hours from the original rough cut of about 2 and half hours it originally had. There are two commentaries on the DVD, one with the Richard Kelly (writer/director) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie) and another with Richard Kelly, two producers (Nancy Juvonen and Sean McKittrick) and several cast members: Holmes Osborne (Eddie, Donnie's Dad), Mary McDonnell (Rose, Donnie's Mom), Jimmy Duval (Frank), Beth Grant (Kitty Farmer, Donnie's Health Teacher), Drew Barrymore (Karen Pomeroy, Donnie's English Teacher), Katharine Ross (Dr. Thurman, Donnie's Therapist), and Jena Malone (Gretchen, Donnie's Girlfriend). First, the sound quality of the commentaries is below what one has to come to expect on commentaries. You can hear the commentary track fine, but the track of the movie itself is all but silent during the time in which the cast or crew is speaking, almost shut off which is a turn to many people (but you can put on closed caption, although that can often distract you from the commentary if you are reading it), and it is back to full regular volume when their is no active commentary. My only complaint on the second commentary is that Drew Barrymore often 'hogs' the commentary and was way to close to the microphone (which only accented her shrill voice on this commentary) during the recording of the commentary, she tried to hard to be 'deep' in her comments way too often and it gets annoying at times. Many of the tidbits and insights provided in both tracks are interesting and above par with many other movie commentaries, but by no means exceptional. It is fun listening to what Kelly and the others have to say and then watching the movie looking for these things on your own, but don't only watch the film looking for hints that the director left for the audience and nothing else; this takes away too much from the film, so don't do that. The theatrical trailer is above average and can be appreciated by both those that have already seen the film and those than haven't. The several TV spots, all 30 seconds or less, are largely repetitious. The cast & crew information section is above average listing all of the actors' other films through late 2002 (most DVDs list only some films and are not current beyond the movie on the DVD). There is a total of nine crew bios (as opposed to a simple list of past work) including Richard Kelly, Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen, Steve Poster (director of photography), Alexander Hammond (production designer), April Ferry (costume designer), Eric Strand (editor), Sam Bauer (editor), and Michael Andrews (composer). The 'Mad World' music video is OUTSTANDING, and I have seen it many, many times already. It is quite addicting, and even if I close my eyes and just listen to it, it is still great. The 'Website Gallery' is very hard to see and is not anything special and does not add anything to the DVD. What is shown is really a sampling of what the website has to offer, which is somewhat hard to navigate but during the cast and crew commentary they give you the three passwords for levels one, two and three if you listen closely. The 'Soundtrack' feature provides interesting linear notes, but is not an isolated soundtrack of the movie (which is really the score of the movie with the lone exception the 'Mad World' Tears for Fears songs covered so eerily by Gary Jules for the movie). The 'Cunning Visions' section features the infomercials from in the movie with optional directors commentary). There is also a 'His Name is Frank' section that is a fun little feature of several place cards that are designed like those featured in the Cunning Visions 'exercise' in Donnie's health class and shown during Jim Cunningham's assembly. You can also look at the book covers used for Jim Cunningham's two books feature as background material during his assembly at the school. 'The Philosophy of Time Travel' book feature is disappointing showing only several pages (including the appendices featured in the film) and all the pages are hard to see. The 'Art Gallery section' is neat with a bunch of artwork that inspired works in the film and some of which was used directly in the film. The production stills are plentiful and interesting. The 'Scene Selection' feature is as good as any other DVD with moving images as opposed to stills to mark each chapter, and there are a total of 28; good for a 2 hour movie. Overall, I enjoyed this DVD especially the 'Mad World' music video and the two commentaries as I personally enjoy the opportunity to see the entire movie a different way when I can and the commentary tracks give me this opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Unclassifiable and Amazing
Review: This film is a wonder. For one that came and went in a flash from the theaters, its word of mouth and its adoration by most viewers and reviewers is amazing. It is one of those rare films where its ambiguity does not frustrate viewers, but engages them. Is it spiritual, supernatural, metaphysical, romantic, satirical ... ? Gosh - just about everything. The characters and the actors who play them are wonderful. Gyllenhaal is amazing in this and his perfomance invites you to join him on his journey and share his confusion, fear, wonder, angst, lust,and sense romance. Beautiful filmed and directed This is a classic that slipped through the cracks before it was really discovered.
Rating:
Summary: ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT ITS STILL THE BEST FILM I'V EVER SEEN
Review: Donnie Darko is as unpradictable as films get, which is of couse a good thing, as so many films today are so very boring, in the way that we can pradict the end before we even see the film. Donnie Darko is definatly not one of these: If you watch this film you will want to watch it again and again so as you will be able to understand the meaning/meanings of this film due to the fact that by the end of the film there is more than one plot going on at once. I found that out of the reviews that I have read of this film that the reviewers either loved it or hated it: 90% of them loved it and the other 10% hated it, no-one gave it a middle review, such as three out of five, the only reason I can think of to explain this is that the 10% who hated it didnt get it and where probably the type of person who like the type of pradictable films that we see everyday and that we soon forget due to the fact that they [stink], Donnie Darko is not one of these films: if you are the type of person who likes films thet make you think then you will love Donnie Darko. HIRE IT, BUY IT, WATCH IT.
Rating: 
Summary: Annoying
Review: I couldn't wait for this film to finish. Imagine comparing this film to Stir of Echoes. Not even in the same league. Don't spend a lot of money on it.
Rating:
Summary: A movie to own
Review: I rented it and watched it 5 times in 2 days. Every time I watched it, it got about ten times deeper, and saw something new in it every time. Unusual for me, but I had it stuck in my mind for days afterward.
I don't think you could even understand the movie after only watching it once, though I thought I did the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Dark. Darker. Darko.
Review: Wow. Wow. These are just about the only words that will enter your mind after seeing this film. Jake Gyllenhaal (The Good Girl, October Sky, Lovely and Amazing) plays the title character who has hallucinations of a less-than-normal-looking rabbit. This rabbit, Frank, tells Donnie to do things for him. Donnie's already strange life gets a wee bit stranger when an airplane engine crashes through his bedroom, almost killing him. Add in the characters who are a part of his life: the shrink who helps Donnie (played wonderfully by the great Katharine Ross) and a mysterious new girl Gretchen (Jena Malone), and you have a well-acted, innovative film. The soundtrack is amazing and poignant, and the film's premise is completely orignal. Richard Kelly is on his way to becoming one of the most talented screenwriters we have....and this is only his first film!!!!! Fear, love, death, acceptance, divine intervention, the passing of time, and loneliness are all factors touched upon in this deeply moving film. Remember: You truly are never alone....even when you die. And, it just MIGHT be possible that something greater than this universe is out there: protecting us, guiding us, teaching us. And ultimately, saving us....from our own fears and regrets.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking
Review: Excellent mystery/drama/sci-fi movie that grabs your attention from the start and keeps it. Lots of strange goings-ons, which probably will make more sense with repeated viewings (only seen it once, so far). Fans of the off-beat will really like this. Even mainstream audiences (i.e., my friends) have liked this (to their own amazement). Unique, one-of-a-kind film will stay with you for days, as the questions it raises are plenty food for thought. I didn't really get the ending explanation, but that just gives me a chance to go back and see it again (kinda the way Sixth Sense is different after the first viewing, when you know what's going on). I found the audio commentary by the producer and main actor to be helpful toward the end...They do offer some explanations about some things you might not have picked up on that are significant. After I watched this the first time, I went back over the last 15 minutes with the audio commentary on and was surprised to see how detailed the storyline was. This also helped me to understand the ending better, but I'm still a tad confused, but in a good way (i.e., David Lynch movies).
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