S. Darko, yeah it's not very good

[fettastic]

Here's the thing. I would think it was an intrigueing film if Donnie Darko didn't exist. Unfortunately this film is just a rehash of visual and plot elements from the first movie.

S. Darko, despite advertising to the contrary, has no connection to the events of the first film. It is not the first film "through her eyes" at all. S. Darko takes place 10 years later. Samantha Darko sets off on a road trip with her friend to go be a dancer. Sparkle Motion was such a hit after all.

Along the way their car blows a water pump and they get stuck in a small desert town. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be Roswell, New Mexico but some in the town are excited about UFO's.

End all originality here.

S. Darko then takes off on a quest to repeat elements from the first film. The difference here is that they aren't connected very well. They seem to just be thrown in because they were in the first film. You have the Abyss water tentacles coming out of chests, but in no context whatsoever. You have a guy make a metal rabbit mask, but for no apparent reason.

[Show spoiler]You have a religious zealot pedophile's house get burned down (basically)

, but for no other obvious reason than that's what happened in the first film. You even have a person saved from a falling object by an otherworldly character, then told by that character that the world is ending in 3 days. It's all here, but we've all seen it before in a film that actually had a plan.

Then there's all the deaths and resurrections that gets pretty irritating. There is no explanation for why time keeps reversing and all it does is annoy the viewer because the deaths of characters become meaningless.

All the actors do a pretty good job with the one exception of "Iraq Jack" who just comes off as trying too hard to be weird. The music, much hyped by the director, comes off as ok at best. The first tune or two are good, the rest just wallpaper.

I wouldn't say S. Darko is a bad film, it's just completely pointless. If you absolutely have to see it, rent it. I'm virtually guaranteeing you will regret blind buying it.