The Butterfly Effect 2

An abominable, pointless sequel, The Butterfly Effect 2 follows Eric Lively’s Nick Larson as he discovers that, by staring intently at a photograph, he’s able to travel back to an exact moment in time and change the future – with this gift/curse ultimately wreaking havoc on his job and his relationship with his girlfriend (Erica Durance’s Julie). It’s ultimately rather shocking just how terrible and incompetent The Butterfly Effect 2 reveals itself to be, as the movie, which contains only a passing reference to its far superior predecessor, is primarily concerned with the central character’s far-from-interesting career and the degree to which his newfound powers affect it – which paves the way for a series of interminable, endless sequences wherein Nick deals with obnoxious coworkers, a demanding boss, and even ruthless investors. The viewer’s ongoing efforts at working up an ounce of interest in the narrative’s happenings fall continuously flat, and it doesn’t help, certainly, that Lively delivers a charmless and hopelessly bland turn as the movie’s far-from-sympathetic protagonist. Scripter Michael D. Weiss’ attempts at echoing the original film’s self-sacrifice conclusion are laughable and ineffective, to say the least, with the end result an astonishingly misguided followup that bears few of the elements that made the superior first movie such a success.

1/2* out of ****