although i do not recommend this film and neither do i recommend read this review without first see the movie . though i have not give away the end and or most of the plot twist and this movie would be best view without any prior information . it hard to pinpoint the chief problem with the film donnie darko and a there be many to deal with . richard kelly and in his first feature film and seem to have collect enough scene of adolescent rage and late night stoner diatribe and self righteous justification and inoffensive and banal philosophy to inspire twenty teen angst drama while then mash them into a single two hour package with a sci fi twist . the result be deeply distress for all the wrong reason . the film attempt to lead the audience down convoluted path without any sense of symbolism or meaning and to make them sympathize with one dimensional character and and above all hope that they will ignore the underdeveloped plot and full of unreconciled loose end and by hide it under a veneer of cgi effect and neo surrealism . the main character and donnie darko and be a young man and commit to therapy and misunderstand by his friend and and render hostile and disaffect by his suburban life . we be mean to feel that he be more intelligent than his schoolmate and although sometimes that be a difficult assumption to make . for example and when one of his friend come up with an absurd theory about the smurfs and and donnie counter with a theory of his own and his friend complain about donnie act all smart . donnie speech and however and be no smarter than that of his friend just angrier . the only clear evidence of his intelligence be his principal description of his standardized test score a ` intimidate while but give the director slant against simple categorization of human element ( a show in the fear love sequence ) and this be a poor substitute for character development . donnie take prescribe drug to combat mental problem and which be not address directly in this film . in fact and the entire issue of the drug be understated and and one of the first chance the director have to redeem the film be lose . the ambiguity of donnie strange destiny and the possibility that all of this may be a product of his imagination and be push into the background and make the film 100 percent science fiction . this would not be a bad thing in itself and except that the science behind the fiction be very shaky . the explanation of time travel be weak and at best sound like detach and uninformed rambling . we get the idea that the film writer once read a book about time travel or a few chapter and and can not quite remember how it work and but be sure that it be really interesting and want to work it into the film . the scientific portion and a a result and depend more heavily on expensive computer animation than actual development of the theory involve ( at one point and a teacher discuss time travel state that if he continue to speak on the subject and he would be fire . apparently no further explanation be need ) . donnie dealing with a visitor from the future lead him to commit several vicious action . the justification for these action be a tricky business . he damage his school and but it okay and because his school doesn not treat him like a person . his punishment of a creepy self esteem advocate ( somewhat similar to tom cruise character in magnolia ) result in the man public humiliation . but should the audience believe that donnie be some sort of avenge angel and strike out against ignorance and debauchery . he himself seem ignorant of the effect of these action until after the fact . aside from these flaw and the film be riddle with flat and uninteresting generalization of humanity . the story be set in 1988 and just before the bush or dukakis election and and the director touch on this point during the film . the focus and however and extend exactly this far represent donnie gruff and blue collar father be vote for bush and while his free spirit and rebellious daughter plan to vote for dukakis . there be nothing even remotely resemble a political statement here while simply a statement of the obvious . the former be not necessary to make a good film and but the latter should be leave out . likewise and donnie heartfelt speech about not be able to lump all human emotion into the bland category of fear and love while this doesn not ask the audience to make any great leap of understand . everybody know that there be more that two human emotion and and particular emphasis on this fact be worthless . mr. kelly give homage to several symbol of 80 pop culture in his film represent e. t. and stephen king and the smurfs and back to the future . at it heart and this film feel like the director homage to himself and a collection of his own experience and interest and personal hero and adversary and affirmation and disenchantment and roughly stitch together by untrained hand . entire song be play in music video format to the character action and seemingly because the director like the song . character who have little to no bearing on the plot ( include the archetypal bully and fat girl and and right wing idiot teacher ) be give unnecessary focus and because the director really want to pack them in somehow . the awkward mess that be donnie darko leave u wonder if mr. kelly have enough idea leave in his head to make another film and or if he have waste all his creativity in one pointless and clutter and meander effort . my rating represent negative .