S. Darko

I can’t say that we really needed a sequel to Donnie Darko but apparently some thought we did. There was a magic to Donnie Darko that wasn’t captured in Samantha’s story. They tried to use the same premise and made an attempt at the visual style that made the original so appealing, but in the end the only thing that was accomplished was a straight to DVD production.

PLOT The story picks up with Samantha Darko seven years after the death of her brother as she and her best friend hop in a car and make their way to California. Along the way they experience the inevitable, and breakdown in Utah where they meet a James Dean wannabe who helps get their car repaired and a hotel to stay in. Once in town, the dreamy Samantha and the rebellious Corey begin to grow apart as Corey finds company with the James Dean guy and Sam begins to sleepwalk. While in her sleepwalking state, a future version of herself appears to a shell shocked soldier from Desert Storm and tells him the world will end in 4 days, 17 hours, 26 minutes and 31 seconds yadda yadda yadda.

Shortly after this prophesy is made, a meteor strikes the very windmill where Mr. Post Traumatic Stress was sitting and thus beginning the story where time travel is indeed possible as long as you are willing to make a sacrifice to make things right.

FINAL THOUGH Where the movie was not outright crappy, it didn’t exactly make any damn sense. Alone it would just be an unusual Science Fiction story, but compared to its predecessor, it was a disappointment. The cast was flimsy at best, and the story line fell victim to a multiple personality disorder trying to use elements from Donnie and trying to write a standalone movie. If you are a Darko fan I would warn you to stay away from this as it will have you questioning your commitment to Sparkle Motion.