The Butterfly Effect (2004)

A terrific mind bender that makes a lot of demands on your mental faculties and your concentration levels. There are certain parts of the movie that make you go crazy. You wonder why the director and the writer had to make it all so twisted and complicated. This one is certainly not your regular popcorn fare though there are some entertaining scenes.

Evan Treborn is a guy who gets blackouts at certain points due to extreme stress and then he wakes up not remembering what happened. There are 4 particular episodes of Evan's blackouts which are shown. Each is significant to the movie's flow as later Evan finds a way to revisit these instances and he tries to alter the sequence of events post that particular episode. A journal that Evan maintains, helps him to revisit these 4 episodes. Evan realizes that reading the journal entry leading up to a blackout, he can go back in time to that moment

After each time that Evan revisits the episodes, the events in the present are altered. Evan isn't satisfied by the present day events each time and he tries to go back to the very first episode to change the sequence of events altogether. Evan keeps jumping to these episodes in a random manner which is confusing beyond a point.

In the end, there is another crazy twist thrown into the mix. Later, this dubious link helped me make sense of this movie. http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/butterflyeffect.html

The one I saw is the director's cut which apparently has a totally different ending compared to the theatrical version, and I must say that this ending is truly crazy and bewildering.

VERDICT: Appreciable attempt but be ready to get mind-fucked in no small measure. 

My Boss's Daughter (2003)

Tom accidentally house-sits for his boss Jack. He has to take care of the boss's owl OJ. The boss doesn't care about his son and daughter and he is a stickler to rules, cleanliness and a tyrant on the whole. Tom is in love with the daughter and she also reciprocates.

A lot of crazy people and a drug dealer TJ come to the house when Tom house-sits and the owl flies away due to drug effects. Finally after all the mess in the house is cleared, everything is sorted out and Jack also realizes the value of his children. Tom gets his lady and also the valued promotion to the creative department.  

Hits

• Ashton Kutcher is the only reason to even half-sit through the movie. The casual style and his neat looks are always a plus. He elicits the few laughs that the movie throws up. 

Misses

• The jokes are lame. 
• We actually wait for the movie to get over

VERDICT

A lame movie that was supposed to be a comedy. Forget it. 

The Guardian (2006)

This movie is dedicated to the US Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Ben Randall is a big legend in the force who has lost just 22 lives in his long career. After a mission in which he loses his close friend and he is injured badly, he is sent to the A School to train kids who aspire to be on the rescue force.

Jake Fischer is the brightest young prospect there. Ben helps him get his act together. Both share a lot in common. Jake learns the aspects of working together as a team and he expectedly graduates as a top candidate. In the end just as he is about to retire, Ben answers his last call of duty to save Jake from one last dangerous mission.  

Hits

• Great VFX shots of the dangerous sea, the rescue mission and the chopper flying over. 
• Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher share amazing bonding. Kutcher epitomizes 'cool','dashing' and 'debonair'. He acts very naturally too. Costner looks fit and handsome despite his age. Melissa Sagemiller as Jake's girlfriend looks very pretty and their chemistry is another highlight of the movie. 
• All the other characters in the 'A' school make the scene look very authentic and life-like. The training scenes and methods are intense. 
• The dialogs highlighting the courage of the coast guard make us go 'wow'. 

Comments

• The sad ending looks forced and dramatic

VERDICT

Nice male bonding movie. The movie as a tribute to the US coast guard, is highly praiseworthy. 

No Strings Attached (2011)

The Plot
Adam and Emma get into a unique deal where they will use each other just for sex. They call each other sex friends. Adam shows obvious love interest towards Emma from the beginning but Emma is inconsistent and doesn't commit to Adam.

Adam loses interest beyond a point and is ready to move on in life, halfheartedly. Just then, Emma starts missing Adam badly and just before it's too late, she manages to get Adam and the 2 unite in life to live happily ever after.

There are a bunch of friends and well-wishers who are with the pair throughout. There is also Adam's father who somehow falls for the same girl that Adam had once fallen for. Both the father and son share the same girlfriend but at different points of time:)

Hits

• Super pairing. The uber cute Natalie Portman and cool dude Ashton Kutcher will definitely give a hormonal rush to members of the respective opposite sex. 

VERDICT

Just another romantic movie where the lovers lately realize their love after the initial refusals.