Plot: When Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is wrongfully accused of killing her sister and committed to an insane asylum by her stepfather, her only option before an impending lobotomy is escape. Driven by a desperate escape plan and aided by inmates Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung), Baby Doll discovers that freeing her mind may be the key to freeing herself.
Review: Director Zack Synder is known for his ability to create worlds whether it is the sword and sandal world of 300 or the dystopian 1985 of Watchmen. In Snyder's latest work, Sucker Punch, Snyder has once again created a fantastical world long on visuals but sometimes lacking in story and plot development. Often exciting, sometimes uneven, Sucker Punch nevertheless delivers a tour de force of action, entertainment, and popcorn thrills.
One of the most impressive elements about Snyder's direction is his attention to detail. He often hones in on the smallest details whether it is the click of a lock or the flick of a Bic lighter. One fundamental rule of good storytelling is the expression "show me don't tell me." Synder is an expert at that. Reminiscent of Hitchcock's Rear Window, in the first five minutes of Sucker Punch there isn't one word of dialogue, but Baby Doll's backstory is revealed in such vivid detail, to the background of The Eurythmics's "Sweet Dreams," there is no need for words. In fact music sets the stage for many sequences in this film. Re-imagined versions of hits by Queen, Led Zepplin, and Alison Mosshart consistently rock throughout Sucker Punch.
While the idea of escaping from an asylum isn't exactly new, the format is definitely unique and also confusing. In reality you have the actual asylum where these girls are held, however as a coping mechanism (presumably) Baby Doll imagines she's actually trapped at a dance hall/brothel run by Blue Jones (Oscar Issac) and trying to escape from there. The only way to escape is by acquiring four items: a map, fire, a knife, and a key. All of these things are in the physical world but again, in order to cope, Baby Doll must attain them in her fantasy world. There fire is actually dragon crystals, the knife is actually a bomb, etc...What's great about the story is that it allows Snyder to delve into worlds of fantasy and science fiction. This showcases the excellent special effects of Animal Logic and the sleek cinematography of Larry Fong. Unfortunately, it also makes for a distinctly non-linear story that is often times perplexing. I'll freely admit it took me about twenty minutes to figure out what the hell was going on.
The visual nature of the film begs for strong action sequences and there are plenty of those in Sucker Punch. Whether it's fighting samurai warriors twenty feet tall or storming a castle guarded by a fire breathing dragon, this movie has your flavor of action ice cream. Sucker Punch is a movie not limited by physical realities. The problem is that the action sometimes gets monotonous especially in the middle of the movie. And there are WAY too many slow motion sequences in this film.
Besides the visual platform itself, what's unique about Sucker Punch was how all the main characters were such bad assess. It's not often we get to see female leads in such aggressive superhero-like roles. While Emily Browning isn't very memorable as Baby Doll, she's solid. Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung are, sadly, just along for the ride as the tepid Blondie and Amber. Abbie Cornish and Jena Malone really steal the show here though, especially Malone. Smart, sexy, and powerful, Malone also managed to show a vulnerable side to Rocket. She's come a long way since Stepmom.
One drawback to having a movie dominated by women is that there is very little room for the men. However what male roles there are, were filled extremely well. Jon Hamm is strong as The Doctor/High Roller and Oscar Issac is fantastic as the nefarious Blue Jones. I have to admit I was expecting more from The Wiseman/General/Bus Driver played by character actor Scott Glenn. He kind of fell flat for me and his dialogue was delivered in a very hackneyed and corny kind of way.
One thing to note is that there is definitely some Manga and Anime influence here. However that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the story. And while some critics have stated that Sucker Punch fetishizes women, I disagree. Although the women of this film are often scantily clad, that isn't what I focused on. What drew me was how strong these women really were. To be perfectly frank, how much they kicked ass. It's just unfortunate that the only way the women of Sucker Punch can be fierce is through Baby Doll's fantasy world. However, the nature of setting dictates this fact.
In any case it's fun to watch.
My rating: 7/10
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