Four star

NOT so much thought provoking as plain puzzling, producer Richard Kelly should be applauded for making a film bound to leave viewers mystified.

First-time viewers will be deep in conversation as the credits roll in a refreshing change from predictable Hollywood pap.

And for once the DVD is a complete package - the Philosophy of Time Travel special feature is a must-read to get an idea of what is going on and can be read beforehand without spoiling the plot.

The fact the clumsily-edited crew interviews reveal little about DD is more testament to the suspicion not all of them understood the script rather than any attempt to keep the story under wraps.

Amidst the time-travel, paranoid schizophrenia and giant sabre-toothed rabbits, Jake Gyllenhaal is superb in the lead role.

The film is set in 1988 and has its lighter moments with a tremendous soundtrack and a healthy dose of comedy which sees Patrick Swayze in centre stage.

The director's cut will be even better because a number of the deleted scenes should have been kept in and the viewer can feel the producer's palpable frustration that his original offering was deemed too long.

Donnie Darko is an eye-opener well worth visiting.

MH