Okay, it's been a bloody long time since my last review. I'm not going to bother with the links to those, or connecting everything. They'll be under this name anyway somewhere in the forum archive if you're that interested. Anyway, without further ado, let me present my review of Sucker Punch!
Now, as you're probably aware if you regularly read reviews on this site, or anywhere, Sucker Punch has been pretty mixed with people's thoughts. Some love it, some hate it. It seems like the cinematic equivalent of Marmite. And yet, I find myself firmly in the Love It category. Just like I do with Marmite! Yay! Seriously, there is a lot to love about this film. It's by no means perfect, I mean, what movie is? There are a few flaws that slightly diminish the final product, but they're hardly the end of the world. On the whole, it's a pretty enjoyable flick, combining the best bits of Zack Snyder's style with a great plot and script. But it does fall down a few times.
The story starts with Babydoll (Emily Browning), who finds herself and her young sister being 'cared for' by their brutal stepfather after their mother passes away. When Babydoll tries to fight against him, and accidentally kills her sister, she gets sent to Lennox House, an insane asylum, where her stepfather pays the sleazy orderly Blue Jones (Oscar Issac) to forge the doctor's signature so she can be lobotomized. With only five days to escape, Babydoll and a group of fellow inmates fight within the prison of their own minds to escape the asylum, and free themselves forever. And that's where the plot starts to get a bit confusing. As the story switches between the asylum, the brothel that takes its place within Babydoll's mind, and the third place where she and the other girls fight to locate the items they need to 'escape', it becomes a bit awkward deciding what's real and what isn't. In a sense, you could say it's all real (well, gunfights and katanas and dragons notwithstanding), representing the fractured layers of Babydoll's subconscious as her journey steadily becomes more dangerous, and indeed, more urgent.
The first thing to get to grips with is the story. Zack Snyder has in the past tended to remake or adapt films, with only one, 300, being his own writing (and bear in mind that itself was adapted from Frank Miller's previous work). Sucker Punch is the first time he's had the freedom to come up with an entire world and plot entirely from scratch, and given his usual creativity and imagination as shines in his direction, we would naturally expect something equally imaginative here. Sucker Punch certainly fits the bill, and Snyder doesn't disappoint. Dialogue is surprisingly well written, while the film's pacing is pretty decent. Though occasionally we do get a few issues with the pacing of events, it flows well, and even the non-action scenes are engaging enough to keep most audiences happy. I found myself caring about the characters as real people too, something so many films fail to do for me. The cast do a great job in making the audience feel emotionally connected, something that is later quite important as events begin to unfold and the journey the girls undergo continues to develop.
Nevertheless, it does seem as if some of the characters could have been developed more in the actual script. Amber (Jamie Chung) and Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) play a much lesser role in the story than the others, and much of the character development focuses around Babydoll, Blue as her main antagonist, and sisters Rocket (Jena Malone) and Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish). In building these characters up, and making the audience more emotionally invested in them, Snyder fails to give importance to the other, lesser characters, who then rely on the skills of their actors to give them the emotional depth required. Fortunately, the cast more than make up for this, but on Snyder's part it is a big error.
Cinematography is where the film really shines. Snyder has already proven himself a master of creative film-making, with the visuals of 300 and Watchmen, and Sucker Punch is no exception. In most films action sequences tend to be fast paced, choppy affairs, but Snyder takes this, runs with it, then adds a fair share of extremely long cuts that follow the girls as they proceed to kick ass. And it looks great. The choreography of the fighting, the visual effects, everything comes together to make a really bold and beautiful statement on visual cinema. Despite previous statements by Warner, the film isn't in 3D, which is fairly interesting given the style. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's one of a very few films that would look amazing in 3D, though it still looks good enough without. As for sound and music, it gets a bit loud at times, especially in the fight sequences, and I'd even admit it's too loud in some parts, which ruins the illusion a little. The music, however, and the score, are amazingly done, drawing the audience in to the fragments of Babydoll's mind, and the theme of the sound overall reflects the film theme marvelously. Emily Browning lent her vocals to certain songs on the soundtrack, including the opening cover of Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams' - a rather apt and emotionally poignant song for her. Music really is one of the few parts of this film that isn't let down in any way.
Beyond all this, there is the elephant in the room, the skimpy costumes the girls wear and the general sex appeal of the film. But as has been pointed out by others, particularly the cast themselves, Sucker Punch is at heart a story about female empowerment. The girls are all sexy, true, but they also undergo a journey of self discovery, and over time find that they have the strength of character to make their own fates and defy what others force them into. The underlying theme is one of girl power, even at the very end. The girls all get the very last laugh, which will make sense to anyone who's seen Sucker Punch already (those who haven't will understand, and it's surprising how much sense this conclusion makes). And I have to say, as a feminist film masquerading as an action-adventure thrill ride, it certainly does that job well.
In conclusion, Sucker Punch is a pretty enjoyable film, and I loved it for the mix of cerebral pleasures regarding story, and the mindless action that makes it such a visual treat. There's just something about a film that does the action side well yet still makes you think hard and analyze it long after you've left the cinema, and Sucker Punch does that. There are a fair few flaws. Elements of the plot are left ambiguous, which is intentional on Snyder's part yet still acts as a bit of a bugbear. The finished product looks good, sounds good, and is good, but there are plenty of improvements still to be made. Regardless, it's nothing short of a success for Snyder as much as his earlier films, as well as a good indicator of how much potential he has as a writer if he can simply work on the niggling details. Certainly something I'd recommend, though your mileage may definitely vary...
[Img_Inline width="310" height="450" align="center"]http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/Sucker%20Punch%20new%20UK%20poster.jpg[/Img_Inline]
[small]So, if the girls are all on the ground fighting, who's piloting the mech? Oh shi...[/small]
Now, as you're probably aware if you regularly read reviews on this site, or anywhere, Sucker Punch has been pretty mixed with people's thoughts. Some love it, some hate it. It seems like the cinematic equivalent of Marmite. And yet, I find myself firmly in the Love It category. Just like I do with Marmite! Yay! Seriously, there is a lot to love about this film. It's by no means perfect, I mean, what movie is? There are a few flaws that slightly diminish the final product, but they're hardly the end of the world. On the whole, it's a pretty enjoyable flick, combining the best bits of Zack Snyder's style with a great plot and script. But it does fall down a few times.
The story starts with Babydoll (Emily Browning), who finds herself and her young sister being 'cared for' by their brutal stepfather after their mother passes away. When Babydoll tries to fight against him, and accidentally kills her sister, she gets sent to Lennox House, an insane asylum, where her stepfather pays the sleazy orderly Blue Jones (Oscar Issac) to forge the doctor's signature so she can be lobotomized. With only five days to escape, Babydoll and a group of fellow inmates fight within the prison of their own minds to escape the asylum, and free themselves forever. And that's where the plot starts to get a bit confusing. As the story switches between the asylum, the brothel that takes its place within Babydoll's mind, and the third place where she and the other girls fight to locate the items they need to 'escape', it becomes a bit awkward deciding what's real and what isn't. In a sense, you could say it's all real (well, gunfights and katanas and dragons notwithstanding), representing the fractured layers of Babydoll's subconscious as her journey steadily becomes more dangerous, and indeed, more urgent.
[Img_Inline height="300" width="600" align="center"]http://popcultureninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/sucker-punch-141.jpg[/Img_Inline]
[small]Don't wake the mother, he says. Well then why did you wake the bloody mother, you idiots?[/small]
The first thing to get to grips with is the story. Zack Snyder has in the past tended to remake or adapt films, with only one, 300, being his own writing (and bear in mind that itself was adapted from Frank Miller's previous work). Sucker Punch is the first time he's had the freedom to come up with an entire world and plot entirely from scratch, and given his usual creativity and imagination as shines in his direction, we would naturally expect something equally imaginative here. Sucker Punch certainly fits the bill, and Snyder doesn't disappoint. Dialogue is surprisingly well written, while the film's pacing is pretty decent. Though occasionally we do get a few issues with the pacing of events, it flows well, and even the non-action scenes are engaging enough to keep most audiences happy. I found myself caring about the characters as real people too, something so many films fail to do for me. The cast do a great job in making the audience feel emotionally connected, something that is later quite important as events begin to unfold and the journey the girls undergo continues to develop.
Nevertheless, it does seem as if some of the characters could have been developed more in the actual script. Amber (Jamie Chung) and Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) play a much lesser role in the story than the others, and much of the character development focuses around Babydoll, Blue as her main antagonist, and sisters Rocket (Jena Malone) and Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish). In building these characters up, and making the audience more emotionally invested in them, Snyder fails to give importance to the other, lesser characters, who then rely on the skills of their actors to give them the emotional depth required. Fortunately, the cast more than make up for this, but on Snyder's part it is a big error.
Cinematography is where the film really shines. Snyder has already proven himself a master of creative film-making, with the visuals of 300 and Watchmen, and Sucker Punch is no exception. In most films action sequences tend to be fast paced, choppy affairs, but Snyder takes this, runs with it, then adds a fair share of extremely long cuts that follow the girls as they proceed to kick ass. And it looks great. The choreography of the fighting, the visual effects, everything comes together to make a really bold and beautiful statement on visual cinema. Despite previous statements by Warner, the film isn't in 3D, which is fairly interesting given the style. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's one of a very few films that would look amazing in 3D, though it still looks good enough without. As for sound and music, it gets a bit loud at times, especially in the fight sequences, and I'd even admit it's too loud in some parts, which ruins the illusion a little. The music, however, and the score, are amazingly done, drawing the audience in to the fragments of Babydoll's mind, and the theme of the sound overall reflects the film theme marvelously. Emily Browning lent her vocals to certain songs on the soundtrack, including the opening cover of Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams' - a rather apt and emotionally poignant song for her. Music really is one of the few parts of this film that isn't let down in any way.
[Img_Inline width="700" height="300" align="center"]http://www.imfdb.org/w/images/7/79/SP8-Zepplin.jpg[/Img_Inline]
[small]Because killing the undead Germans is always fun. And never controversial! Yay![/small]
Beyond all this, there is the elephant in the room, the skimpy costumes the girls wear and the general sex appeal of the film. But as has been pointed out by others, particularly the cast themselves, Sucker Punch is at heart a story about female empowerment. The girls are all sexy, true, but they also undergo a journey of self discovery, and over time find that they have the strength of character to make their own fates and defy what others force them into. The underlying theme is one of girl power, even at the very end. The girls all get the very last laugh, which will make sense to anyone who's seen Sucker Punch already (those who haven't will understand, and it's surprising how much sense this conclusion makes). And I have to say, as a feminist film masquerading as an action-adventure thrill ride, it certainly does that job well.
[Img_Inline width="310" height="500" align="center"]http://brusimm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/SUCKER-PUNCH-Rocket.jpg[/Img_Inline]
[small]Obligatory fanservice pic of Rocket, easily the sexiest girl in a group of sexy girls. Oh come on, you would too, wouldn't you?[/small]
In conclusion, Sucker Punch is a pretty enjoyable film, and I loved it for the mix of cerebral pleasures regarding story, and the mindless action that makes it such a visual treat. There's just something about a film that does the action side well yet still makes you think hard and analyze it long after you've left the cinema, and Sucker Punch does that. There are a fair few flaws. Elements of the plot are left ambiguous, which is intentional on Snyder's part yet still acts as a bit of a bugbear. The finished product looks good, sounds good, and is good, but there are plenty of improvements still to be made. Regardless, it's nothing short of a success for Snyder as much as his earlier films, as well as a good indicator of how much potential he has as a writer if he can simply work on the niggling details. Certainly something I'd recommend, though your mileage may definitely vary...
. I agree on the PTSD thing, though I've heard mixed comments regarding how all that gets told at the start. Some say it's rushed, whereas I applauded the introduction, as a cinematic device it told a story clearly while leaving the right parts ambiguous, as the director wanted. And it got that over with quickly, allowing the film to get into the main bulk of the story without unnecessary padding. I dare say the people complaining it looked too much like a "shitty music video" would soon be complaining that it's too long and unnecessary if the introduction was given another five minutes or so. There's no pleasing some people, after all...
