3 stars

Possibly one of the strangest movies ever made, "A Scanner Darkly" is worth seeing if only for the eye-bending animation.

Based on Philip K. Dick's novel, this is the indie-ist of indie films -- a made-for-cult-audiences cult film.

Although the movie stars live-action people, the live-action has been outlined and transformed through rotoscoping, a kind of animation (the same kind used in "Waking Life") that lends itself beautifully to this tale of drug abuse and mystery.

Keanu Reeves stars as Bob Arctor, an undercover police officer who, like just about everyone else, is using a drug called Substance D. Bob's house is under surveillance, as are his two roommates Barris (Robert Downey Jr.) and Luckman (Woody Harrelson), as well as his dealer girlfriend Donna (Winona Ryder).

The first part of the film is difficult to watch because we don't always know what's going on. We see things through the eyes of Bob, who sometimes hallucinates and can't always focus. And Bob, whose identity is supposed to be a secret, wears a "scramble suit" composed of constantly shifting faces, genders and clothing. Other undercover operatives wear these suits, too, so it's hard to tell exactly what's transpiring.

Barris and Luckman take off on sometimes-comical monologues, obviously drug-induced and sometimes very serious. Downey is the fast-talking, clever but scattered semi-brains of the outfit -- sort of like a Robin Williams stand-up routine on cocaine, while Harrelson is the more laid-back of the group.

One darkly comic scene involves the purchase of a bike, and another focuses on a play squabble in the yard. What makes these scene sinister is waiting to see if violence might break out when the characters become overzealous.

"A Scanner Darkly"is trippy in and of itself -- more so because of its subject matter. It's fascinating to watch solely for the animation. At one point, I found myself mesmerized by the shifting images in Arctor's "scarmble suit," and I discovered that I had missed a few lines of dialogue because I was so intent upon simply watching this intriguing display.

Don't think for a minute that because this is a form of animation that it's for kids, because you wouldn't want to let a little kid near this.

It's certainly not for the mainstream adult audience either. But if you enjoy the likes of "Donnie Darko" and "Waking Life," you'll probably appreciate this psychedelic interpretation of Philip K. Dick's work.

Running time: One hour and 40 minutes.

Rated: R for foul language, drug abuse, nudity, sexual situations and violence.

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane.
Director: Richard Linklater.
Screenplay: Richard Linklater, based on the novel by Philip K. Dick