S. Darko (2009) (V)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Chris Fisher

Writers:

Nathan Atkins (screenplay)
Richard Kelly (characters)

Release Date:

12 May 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

It's Time To Travel Forward

Plot:

The story picks up seven years after the first film when little sister Samantha Darko and her best friend Corey are now 18 and on a roadtrip to Los Angeles when they are plagued by bizarre visions.

Plot Keywords:

Time Travel | Sequel | Second Part | Period In Title | Direct To Video Sequel To Theatrical Movie

Cast

Daveigh Chase	...	Samantha
Briana Evigan	...	Corey
James Lafferty	...	Iraq Jack
Ed Westwick	...	Randy
Walter Platz	...	Frank
John Hawkes	...	Phil
Bret Roberts	...	Officer O'Dell
Jackson Rathbone	...	Jeremy
Elizabeth Berkley	...	Trudy
Barbara Tarbuck	...	Agatha
Matthew Davis	...	Pastor John
Nathan Stevens	...	Jeff
Ryan Templeman	...	Mike
Zulay Henao	...	Baelyn
JJ Neward	...	Co-Worker (as J.J. Neward)

Also Known As:

Donnie Darko 2 (UK) (working title)
S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale (USA) (DVD box title)
S. Darko: Donnie Darko 2 (UK) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violent content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Delle, Utah, USA

Company:

Silver Nitrate Films

Trivia:

Water is a central element of time travel per Darko lore. Randy's red car is homage to Frank's red car from Donnie Darko (2001). The painting in the church depicts an airplane with a missing engine, is another homage to Donnie Darko (2001). But the painting was not created for the film, it already existed.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end of the movie, when they are examining the meteor crash site, Officer O'Dell picks up Iraq Jacks' dog tags with no damage to them. The meteor would have at least left some burn marks on the tags.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Corey: Only two more good mornings.
Sam: Only one more day.
Corey: We're so perfect.
Sam: Immaculate.

Movie Connections:

References Strange Days (1995)

Soundtrack:

Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe

An embarrassment to the Darko name

Before anyone gets on their high horse saying I am one of those Donnie Darko fans not giving this new movie a chance, I gave this film a chance and spent the five bucks to rent it straight away after learning it existed.

The only good thing about this film is that it ended. OK, that may be harsh, the film's colour and surrounding landscape it unfolds in is pretty cool but that is it. The only other interesting elements, whether technical in filming style or plot-wise of this film, were ripped straight from the first film. What was cool in Donnie Darko is merely imitation here.

The plot is weak and has logic holes which fail the Donnie Darko/tangent universe test from the first film. As fans of the original we cannot help but compare the two films because s.Darko centres on characters and memories from the first one and rotates on the principles that drove the original as well. How can you not compare the two? What almost borders on insulting in this film are the straight repetitions of acts, scenes and quirky characters from the first one replicated in this one. I don't want to spoil the film if you are drawn to sit and endure it but you'll see what I mean, you cannot miss the weak, formulaic repetition, especially if you are a fan of the original.

Basically, s.Darko is the same model car like Donnie Darko but has different paint colour and chokes along on a four-cylinder engine whereas the first one rumbled along on six.