Visitors Review

doctorsmoothlove (2012-05-26 08:20)

At least the title works.

Sucker Punch confirms many of the numerous allegations levied againstZack Snyder for his adult films. Now people have evidence of misogynyand pointlessness that was only suggested earlier. His latest filmreveals, beyond these simple criticisms, a surprising inability toconstruct a whole film out of his ideas. His insistence in bludgeoningus with repetitive (and frankly boring) action sequences only amplifiesthe lack of meaning behind his projects.Sucker Punch borrows its narrative structure from platformingvideogames (meaning players guide an avatar through distinct levels).This isn't necessarily a problem, just look at Scott Pilgrim vs. TheWorld but Snyder was too lazy to translate one medium into another. Inhis flick, the main character enters a prison facility (the overworld),meets her allies (other playable characters), learns she must findcertain items to escape (mission objectives), fights fearsome enemies(these vary between boss fights and regular encounters), and tries toescape the prison (beating the game.Going along with the video game structure is an appropriate level offetishization of his five female characters. Each gets a sexy name like"Baby Doll" and wears skimpy clothing completely inappropriate for herenvironment (who fights Nazi zombies in a tank top?). Snyder isemulating the hyper-masculine sensibility of "hardcore" games usuallyplayed by young males. His problem is not including a story to go alongwith his setup. Even derivative games have some loose plot that servesonly to introduce each level logically. All we see here are differentgame fantasies thrown at us senselessly. Even by game standards wherethe plot can be de-emphasized, this is unacceptable.Instead, after his characters finish a random mission, they return tobe humiliated, beaten, sexually assaulted, or killed. So much forproto-feminism. His disregard of women for any purpose other than thesexual satisfaction of men is clearer with each passing intermissionbetween levels. It's almost like a therapeutic effort on his part toshow the positives of a group he obviously feels is inferior, all whilestroking his enlarged hubris.

Link-o-rock (2012-05-25 12:54)

Guns, Girls, Dragons... Boredom???

Sucker Punch was such an odd experience. Never before have I seen amovie that tries so hard to be cool, only to fall flat on its face.Walking in, after nearly a year of anticipation for this film, I wassuper excited. Walking out... I felt betrayed.After one of the greatest opening in movie history, Sucker Punchmanaged to draw me in. When the six-minute music video ended, I turnedto my friend and said "Damn, that was incredible. This movie is gonnabe awesome!" The movie then goes along fine for about twenty minutes.Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is sent to a mental institute after sheaccidentally kills her sister trying to protect her from their drunkstepfather. There, the stepfather signs her up to get a lobotomy. Asshe is going to be lobotomized, she escapes into a dream world to copewith her problems. The second world is a brothel of sorts, and BabyDoll finds that she has this amazing ability to dance and put peopleinto a trance (which we never see). While she performs her first dance,Baby Doll escapes into her mind once again and meets a wise man (ScottGlen) in an ancient Japanese style setting. The wise man tells her thatshe needs to collect five items to help her escape from the brothel.This is where the movie falls apart. Baby Doll has to fight these giantsamurais before she returns to the real world and we reach out firstreal problem. The action scenes have no impact on the rest of the filmseeing as how none of it is real even in the realm of the movie. Thismakes every action scene, no matter how flashy or explosive,surprisingly boring. The movie is also unfortunately repetitive. Itbegins to flow like this: The girls of the brothel help Baby Doll sothey can all escape. First, Baby Doll gets in front of the people theyneed to rob for the five items. She dances, we don't see the dance, andenters a fantasy realm for no apparent reason. Twenty minutes later thefantasy scene ends and the girls have obtained the item.The acting was fair from the lead girls, but the villain was laughablyover the top. The problem is the dialogue half of the time. The linesthese people are getting are generic and just there to forward theincreasingly annoying plot.In the end, the movie has this strange attempt to link reality, thedream brothel, and the fantasy world together. This fails miserably.Now people say that this movie wasn't meant to be taken seriously, butthe unfortunate problem is that Snyder attempted to make a movie with adeeper meaning, meaning that he wanted to create a serious film. Theend result is misery.If you really want to watch it, wait till it comes on Blu Ray/DVD andrent it. Enjoy the cool special effects and awesome opening but expectto feel unattached and wholly uninterested in the plot.5/10

Romwell (2012-05-24 20:57)

More than I expected

To be frank, I only expected mindless B-movie action an graphics withscantily clad girls and phantasmagoria of kitchen-sink approach tofantasy battle scenes.I got that, but there was something more. While there was a videogame-like linearity and predictability to the plot, there were somesurprises for me which made it a great experience. The cinematicbattles (and the movie itself) feels like a mash-up of One Flew overThe Cookoo's Nest, Matrix, Kill Bill, Lord of The rings and Heavy Metalall at once, transformed into a video game first and then onto the bigscreen. The fact that it worked so well on a visual level and actuallyfit together was interesting.However, it's the overall idea was what got me: the idea of escaping tothe world of fantasies while the world around you is unpleasant, andthe interplay between the two. I see this movie as a contrast betweenthe reality and the escapism of dreams and imagination, and how,ultimately, the real life takes upper hand. Granted, it could beimplemented better without being a Kill-Bill-type movie, but that wasan unexpected dimension in a movie of this type.What probably got me most were the little details in the dreams whichcorresponded to the real-world details in a non-obvious way. While thegirls were directly embedded into the dreams, it takes some thought torealize that the wise old guy is also a character from real life, andwho that character is. Likewise, in the final scene you need to figureout which part is taking place in the imagination, and what that tellsyou about the events.I could probably draw a parallel with films like Le Magnifique, where awriter played by Belmondo embeds real-life people he interacts withinto his fiction, although that would be quite a stretch. The movie would be appealing to video game-loving young guys, and, infact, would probably make a great video game. It is deliberatelyover-the-top, male-oriented, with all the pretty girls, weaponry andstunning visuals. However, I think there is a deeper back story about a weak girl who isoverpowered by the circumstances of life around her, which. This story,which is easily overlooked due to abundance of visuals, which makesthis movie stand out and work for a wide audience.In short: I came for the girls, swords and zeppelins, but came out withOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest.

Vassili Lee (2012-05-24 11:37)

One of the best film that I'd ever watched(a review from Hong Kong)

***May contain spoilers***Some people might think that this film sucks,wasting time,such arubbish,pointless(at least some HK audiences thought so).I disagree with them!I love this film so much,that's why I watched ittwice within a week and it is one of my favorite film that I had everwatched(I would like to watch again).If the full marks of the film are 100,I would give 85.I love this filmbecause the 5 young ladies are pretty(especially BabyDoll andSweetPea).The fighting scenes and effects are exciting.The story iscreative and the theme is meaningful and instructive.The soundtracksare great.Things that I don't like about the film is BabyDoll has a bad life,thatmakes me feel sad and the ending makes me feel sad too=[Another thing that I want to talk about is the theme.Some peopledislike the film because they don't understand what it is all about.Itssimple , if we want to reach our goal , we must fight , we must fightfor it,not just sit down and wait for your goal comes to you and youmust stand for it,don't give it up!(Wise Man said "If you don't standfor something,you fall for anything." and "Don't ever write a checkwith your mouth you can't cash with your a$$.")We own ourselves,wecontrol our destiny,our world,no one can stop us,even there areobstacles,we can go over it and reach our goal,like what SweetPea saidat the beginning and the end of the film.We gotta make it,NOW FIGHT!P.S. This is my first film review,if there are any mistakes,any grammarand vocabulary mistakes,please forgive me and let me know.Thank you forreading me work! =]

Jules (2012-05-24 01:09)

Defending the misunderstood film that is Sucker Punch.

What is likely to be the most underrated movie experience of the year,Zack Snyder's barrage of girls, gun and giant samurai is amisunderstood effort from the man behind 2009's excellent adaptation ofWatchmen. Yes it's not without flaws, yes it can be predictable(especially the "5th item") but it doesn't mean that it isn'teverything that most films seem to miss these days: fun. Fun isn't usually associated with child abuse and an asylum but that iswhere the curtain opens the audience at. An opening silence gives greatanticipation, a tragedy occurs and protagonist Baby Doll is shuntedinto an asylum by her step-father, where she awaits lobotomy in fivedays' time. It should be said at this point that this review is coming from someonewho openly loathes the style over substance limbo of an era in which welive, what with CGI and 3D being used as an excuse for anythingconsidered a showcase for this technology.Sucker Punch boasted a similar exercise course of stylish nonsense yetthe finished result left this reviewer in a state of pleasant surprise;the concept was highly original – though sprinkled with an influx ofother influences which ultimately could have been the films downfallhad the context they been used in feel more of a parody than a seriesof dream sequences. Orcs, dragons and robots have never been morerefreshing out of their native genres.As the visuals go, there was never going to be an issue there. It'seasily Snyder's best looking film to date, and for a written debut theplot is on par with the heavily –action orientated 300 in that it takesa back seat once the films' issue has been established. It's onlynoticeable dent in its armour is the characterisation, or rather lackof characterisation. For a film nearing the two hour mark the audienceare relatively unrewarded when trying to relate to any of the fiveheroines' of the story. It may be great to see that Baby Doll, Blondie, Sweet Pea, Amber andRocket haven't been assigned to overused archetypes – that would betaking the easy route, yet there's not even been a road taken here. Thecharacters as such remain relatively hollow, being left as shell-less,albeit undeniably attractive characters. There's not even, what you could coin as a 'Fenster' wherein acharacter with next to nothing about them can morph into somethingnoticeable, even memorable. They are what could be the fully-fledgedrealisation Pulp Fiction's Fox Force Five, each an assassin with theirown weapon speciality; perhaps this is how the audience is supposedinterpret their personalities, each instrument being reflective of thecharacter using it. That is my only complaint, everything else did, as Big Daddy put it:"Knock(ed) me for a loop", with three particular, but unspoiled scenes,breaking a monotony that had infected the infinite amount brainlessaction films that have preceded Sucker Punch – and sadly continue tofollow after it. While the scenes aren't anything ground-breaking theyplay to Zack's strengths – detaching from the action so it does notcease to stand impressive next time round and focusing on the realismthat confronts them back in the reality. Critics have mauled it, calling it "dull", "senseless" and even "plotless" yet the fact many fans have interpreted it as having meanings ona deeper level, particularly the importance of Sweet Pea's character,suggests there may have been a certain naivety from critics - adefinite contribution to its growing cult status (there is an excellentinterpretation on the IMDb Message Board that is worth a look). Youcould also throw weapon argument mentioned above into the mix forfurther evidence of such ignorance - I also stand guilty of missingthis possibility.The film has also been accused of being overtly sexist, but drawinganother parallel to 300, 300 men are seen topless and not a singlecomplaint is raised. But five scantily-clad women and one imaginarybrothel are seen and all hell has broken loose. 300 got a reasonable60% on Rotten Tomatoes and Sucker Punch just 22%; both are relativelybalanced in terms of their stories, character's and direction yet thereception of each is hugely unbalanced. It effectively asks who thesexist ones really are.Sucker Punch is misunderstood, not question about it. It's not thegenre changing cult films that Blade Runner or Donnie Darko are, but itcertainly deserves the fans that it has generated and I for one eagerlyanticipate the Extended Cut to see what else it has to offer.

(2012-05-23 09:05)

sucker punch the let down

This review is from: Sucker Punch (Amazon Instant Video) this movie absolutely sucked.the charecters bring you into a dream world to cope with everyday problems.you enter the dream world like 4-5 times during the whole movie.it is sad that this whole movie is based around women whom are eye candy and that is what they push on you in this movie.as a man i don't care how good looking women are in a movie or how tight their clothing is.if the plot of the movie sucks the movie sucks plain and simple.I would rather go to the dentist than watch this again.

troy-manatunga (2012-05-22 22:20)

A visual treat

Zack Snyder treads on extremely thin ice and survives. Fishnets,exposed midriffs of Emily Browning and attractive lingerie keep SUCKERPUNCH afloat. Snyder who clearly proves himself as a near perfectionistwith his visual treats and CGI addiction raised the bar on himself withSUCKER PUNCH. I am certain if he brings the same game to theaters in2013 with MAN OF STEEL we are in for a whole new Clark Kent Experience.LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS, WATCHMEN and more specifically 300 are a fewof Snyder's great works. The success of SUCKER PUNCH therefore is notmuch a surprise.Undoubtedly a very boyish movie this is. A plot that switches between 3realms. Reality, fantasy and fantasy within a fantasy. (Now where havewe heard something quite similar before? A dream within a dream withina dream!) Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who is mourning her mothers' deathwith her younger sister faces her step fathers' fury when he finds outthat his late wife has left all her possessions to her daughters in herfinal will. In a failed attempt to save her sister Baby Doll ends upshooting her step father and killing her own sister. Baby Doll then istaken to the Lennox House for the Mentally Insane by her step fatherwho falsely accuses her of being mentally unstable. It is here that shemeets Blondie ( Vanessa Hudgens), Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket(Jena Malone) and my favorite Amber ( Jamie Chung). This is where Baby Doll finds her escape to the land of fantasy wherethe mental house turns into a brothel and all the girls are dancers.This is also where she finds yet another realm within the fantasy thattakes the 5 girls to fight cyborgs, fire breathing dragons, dead Germansoldiers from World War 1 and even creatures that seem to have escapedMordor. This is also where baby doll first meets her personal guru; thewise man (Scott Glenn) in an ancient Chinese temple. SUCKER PUNCH is everything that can be done right in terms of visualeffects and CGI. SUCKER PUNCH puts certain superheroes to SUPER SHAME!The only thing that comes nearly as close to the visuals in the movieis the powerful soundtrack. As for the performances, none seem to bemoving or none does deserve a standing ovation. The movie needed thegirls to look pretty and fill in onto the highly artificially developedgraphical frames. Although they are not nod worthy, they arecommendable since everything does feel real and quite attractive fromwhere I am seated. The only question that was thrown at me was this.Yes and this was directed at me by the female audience. In what sort ofworld would a girl's fantasy have her fighting Dragons in fishnets andcheerleader out fits and even at times revealing lingerie? The answeris not complicated rather a very simple one. In a very imaginative mansworld this is how battles are fought.Final factor that makes this movie stand out is the relation it has tothe world of Play station and XBOX. The feel of a gaming realm gives itan even sharper edge. It's not horrible as SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD.In stead this is text book of how a video gaming feel could be relatedto a movie.So many good things go on in this Snyder production with one flaw ofthe plot. Nothing too unique. It felt SHUTTER ISLAND minus the leadmale and plus 5 lead females.Nothing More Nothing LessTitle: Sucker Punch Directed by: Zack Snyder Starring: Emily Browning,Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino,Oscar Isaac, Scott Glenn and John Ham Rated: Rating: 07/10

Bok Choi (2012-05-22 11:58)

This sucker feels punched

You will be unprepared..... for this boring ride. I'm sorry to say it,but Zack Synder really dropped the ball on this one. I'm (well, I USEDto be) a rabid fan of Snyder since Dawn of the Dead. I knew he wasspecial because that movie just blew me away and really reinvented thegenre for me (like 28 days later also did). It was something differentand unexpected. I love it when a movie exceeds your expectations, whichis so rare in this day and age with Hollywood (I generally go with theInternational scene if I want my mind blown nowadays - Japanese oldieslike Crow 0. some good ol' Korean flicks and Euro horror generallysatisfy now). Anyway, so I basically own every Zack Snyder movie on DVDAND Bluray since that point (except for Owls....but I seem to sense atrend ... and it ain't a good one...).Suckerpunch fails on several levels - mostly on writing and acting. Ilove the worlds that he created - they're pretty lush, though the CGworld of the dragon looked a little too fake in some fly-by scenes.What failed was the story that held it all together. There was no gluebetween each of the separate fight sequences. What you see in thetrailer is what you get. Literally. Basically "You need these 5items... now go forth" - "Wow! That's great. I will collect them andask no questions and not have a plan. Yay!" *Clap hands excitedly likea little school girl*. All resistance is also quelled with thedeclaration that the plan only requires these items. Um.... really?You're not even going to try, Zack? If he had even tried to string itall together, I would have gone with it. One really cool idea, though,was the usage of steam to emulate blood. What a great PG-13 tool -though it was brilliant on its own merit without trying to mask blood.I love the different worlds he created, but the world she created inher mind (the Dance world) was incredibly boring. B-O-R-I-N-G. That'sbecause it relies on Synder's ability to tell a story, write dialogueand the girls' acting abilities. Cornish and Malone were the onlycompetent girls, though Cornish's accent kept fading in and out.Cornish was tough and beautiful and I loved her knight costume with thehood. Babydoll has the most incredible look, but that's all she hadgoing for her. She is stunning with zero substance. She relies on herlooks and her eyes more than anything else, and just stands there mostof the time. None of the girls were seductive. I don't know if this wasa case of PG-13 affecting the movie, but there was this pseudo lesbianscene that I'm assuming Zack wanted to make hot, but it fell completelyflat. Competent actors could have made it work - Hudgens.... let's justsay I've never seen High School musical that made her famous - and I'llbet Sucker punch won't be her ticket to the big leagues either. Chungis cute and really doesn't do much else except be cute. She has theacting prowess of those import car models, without the sultry sexiness. I don't know if it's because I walked in there with such highexpectations - I was waiting excitedly since it was announced - but Iwas hugely disappointed. The movie is one big trailer, and thoughthat's not a bad thing sometimes, it is in this case because I thoughtmaybe he'd insert a story somewhere. My bad. The dialogue was reallyweak as well and the girls weren't competent enough to save it. And themost nauseating scene is the lighter scene in the change room. When yousee it, you'll know what I mean. It defies classification - it'ssomething a high school project would have come up with. The intro - itwas a high point. If the movie just stuck with that pacing (love theSoundtrack by the way), it would have been another groundbreakingSnyder film, like 300, Dawn, and Watchmen... but it could have justbeen because there was no dialogue and it relied on Zack's forte...stunning visuals. And then they spoke....Zack: I'm disappointed with you man. I love you. I did love you. I justmight have to retire you next to my old fallen hero, James Cameron whofailed me with Titanic and followed it up with some more boring Bluecrap.My personal score for this movie would be much worse, but I'm rating itaccording to IMDb scores, and they tend to be more generous than I am.If you're a Snyder fan, you'll be unprepared.. for this crapfest. Thismovie isn't going to make anyone rich. I really hope Snyder gets tostill do Superman after this... his star might have fallen really hardafter this opening weekend. Maybe Nolan can save him (though... I havemy doubts with his writing after seeing the over-hyped Inception...good movie... but not that good, nor creative.)

callieatom (2012-05-22 01:09)

SUCKER PUNCH: Quick review: (as it really doesn't warrant anymore of my energy)

Zack Snyder is no misogynist he's clearly just dumb. This astonishinglyboring mess is so weak it can't even manage to register let alone beoffensive or even silly. Joyless and clunky, the action is drab, dated,repetitive and spineless, how the acting or dialogue were deemedacceptable by anyone involved is beyond me.It fails on an epic scale on every level, if this is supposed to makeeven the sweatiest of fan boys happy I think the director has thelowest opinion of them that borderlines contempt. No one should claimfemale empowerment when attempting to convey said message with cheaplymade up mannequins who cower constantly in lolita dress-up and smudgedmascara. And no matter how shallow your viewing standards this was justdull, where was the fun? Simply a pointless misjudgment by a gimmickyhack.

(2012-05-21 07:59)

Hot Aussie chicks

Two aussie chick in the lead rolls of an American blockbuster is heaven.I think too many people are trying to overthink the plot.As with any movie, watching it a second time will fill in any plot holes that you have missed the first time There are plenty of youtube interviews with Emily and Abbie if you are still having trouble with the plotAnd the visuals are fantastic.Just watch it to be entertained.Personally, I cant wait for the DVD

Wizard-8 (2012-05-20 21:46)

Great visuals... not so great script

First of all, I will freely admit that SUCKER PUNCH looks great. Thereis a seamless mix between physical sets and computer animation, andboth combined manage to give us various worlds that look spectacularand unlike anything you have seen before.Unfortunately, I don't have as much enthusiasm for the screenplay. Forstarters, there is barely a story here - most of the movie consists ofthe female protagonists looking for stuff on a list. And the charactersaren't that well-written as well. All of the female protagonists prettymuch come across as all the same, with only their physical looksdifferentiating them from each other. Scott Glenn, an actor I'veadmired in the past, is pretty much wasted here.While I wouldn't call this a TERRIBLE movie, I do think it's kind ofdisappointing. If the movie had a richer story and richer characters,it would almost certainly have become an instant cult classic. As it isnow, there's no compelling reason to seek it out. If you do watch it,pick a time when your expectations are not high and you are in the moodfor visual candy.

Josh Larsen (2012-05-20 12:12)

This isn't the imagination of a young girl; it's the fantasy of a 14-year-old boy steeped in kung fu, Call of Duty and online porn.

(2012-05-19 20:15)

a technical masterpiece

People whine and complain about seeing the same-old, same-old, but then they fail to appreciate a movie like this, which is pure genius. It's truly an orgasm for the eyes, and I was blown away by it. Samurai warriors, WW1, steampunk, dragons and orcs, a bomb-laden speeding train, and chicks with big guns. What's not to like? Seriously, after watching it in the theater and now at home, the camera angles and storyboarding that went into this is impressive. No, it's not your parents movie. It's much more.

Staci Layne Wilson (2012-05-19 03:27)

Let me put it this way: having seen Sucker Punch once, I'd rather watch Bitch Slap 10 times in a row.

Luke Y. Thompson (2012-05-18 23:28)

Sseems to be trying for the most expensive art film ever, but the story -- about girls in a mental institution who detach from reality -- often sidetracks in favor of cool visuals that don't necessarily make sense.

athlonxp425 (2012-05-18 02:30)

My Bad Review

I give this a 2, only because of the hot babes. But I will notrecommend this movie. If you are a lesbian, you may enjoy this filmbecause of the mental capability women can have when they use bothsides of there brain, in which they can, especially under stressfulenvironments as in this movie. But the previews are misleading. I sawthis movie tonight at Regal Streets of Indian Lake., and what makes itbad is there in a mental institution, and all of a sudden a fantasyworld fighting creatures and, wtf?It was pure garbage, the story was non sense, I hate it. Sorry but Ireally want a my 10.50 back for this, or a free movie ticket to make upfor my lost money I worked hard for to pay for this bullshit. I paid tomuch, and I didn't get my student discount.

John Rushton (2012-05-18 07:50)

It was Fantastic! (as expected)

As I hoped it was a great as always Zack Snyder Masterpiece Made forthe open- & Fantasy-minded Movie watchers! In the beginning you have 2pay some attention 2 what is going on & 2 understand the vision of thecreator, but after that it's a roller-coaster ride of visual spectacle!here a recap of the ride in the respectable Fases! ;)Fase 1: An alternative 1980's (like it was done in the Watchmen),Fase 2: they Crash into a a alternative WWII-like scenario (reminded meof Mutant Chronicles),Fase 3: another vivid fantasy world (in the style of LOTR & Sky Captainand the World of Tomorrow),Fase 4: lets go all in with some bizarre Sci FI! :D, Yes this was yetagain a Visual Sensation from the Makers of 300 & Watchmen! :Keep up the Good Work!!! Ps. Please consider a part2! :D

lyzaard (2012-05-17 22:52)

Sucker Punch -- A Nuanced Film

Sucker Punch is a nuanced film -- no, really, it is. Sure, the nuancegets drowned out in the middle, and any and all subtlety gets hauledinto the back seat for the most brutal of make- out sessions, as thehyper-jacked mash-up escapism takes center stage, and the film doesdevolve there for a bit -- but the film starts out nuanced and endsnuanced. Really it does. I feel much of this film was lost on the average film critic, much likeDMX is lost on my grandfather. It certainly wasn't made for thecritics. It's rabidly apparent that Snyder made this film as acelebration piece for juvenile horn-dogs, crazy kids well-versed inhandling ADHD-spiked Code Red and persistent sexual frustration. Thisis the ultimate geek film. I liked it. So I'm a geek then, so what?As universal fare, I understand that Sucker Punch has major flaws, butfor what it was trying to be, for who it was designed to appeal to, itreally is close to flawless.The critics who hated this film, not so much the ambivalent ones, butthe critics who hated it, strike me as anachronistic, unable totolerate the mind-numbing overkill that's beautifully painted upon thecanvas of Baby Doll's psyche. I'd say, if you can't handle saidoverkill, then you're not a member of the target audience.I think if I were a fifteen-year-old boy, it would have been thegreatest, sexiest thing I'd ever seen -- and that's cool. Hats off toSnyder for providing today's fifteen-year-old boys with such. Justbecause we jaded adults perceive something as meaningless doesn't meanthat the first etchings into the tabula rasa of a teen viewer can't begenuinely meaningful.Snyder is an auteur -- sure, the story-telling is confusing, and attimes flawed, but for those who put a little time in, it's there forthe taking. There's a nice open interpretability to it, which allowseach viewer to take away what they want to take away. Check it out asecond time, and tell me you don't notice a lot more nuance andinterconnectivity and sense. Though, with all that said, I do stillhave a lot of questions.The elements of this film that I most enjoyed, I enjoyed to the pointwhere I was entirely willing to give Snyder a pass on the flaws. Theonly real flaws that I'll concede here: a confusing story, actionscenes too syrupy, and at times paper-thin characters. But in the end,this is all taking place in the head of a lobotomized girl, so it allmakes perfect sense to me. Call it a cop out, call it what you will, Ithink it worked fine (for what it was).Contrary to some reviews I've read, the film does differentiate betweenwhat happens in the asylum and what happens in the brothel. I didn'tget that as much during my first viewing, but going in knowing what toexpect, my mind was better primed to pick up on the subtle hints hereand there -- and they most certainly are there.My take on the film is now: Baby Doll was committed to the asylum,learned that she had just five days to escape before a scheduledlobotomy, and in those five days she somehow stole a lighter, a knife,the map and the key, and freed the girl we know in the brothel as SweetPea. How she does it all is not the two hours traffic for our stage --how her lobotomized mind recounts it, that is what we are shown. Thereis no happy ending, there is only Baby Doll in "paradise" imagining theGuardian Angel further helping Sweet Pea to her freedom. There is onlyBaby Doll's mangled mind hoping that Sweet Pea actually made it all theway back home.Baby Doll's "paradise" is a world where she dreams she has the power todance incredibly, and in her dreams twice-removed, has the power todefy any and all forces opposed (gravity, time, death). Herdream-worlds are not without kinks though, as this is her mindrecounting her last five days of reality, amplified tenthousandfold.I'd give Sucker Punch an 8/10. It's not perfect, certainly, but all inall I was very impressed with Snyder's creative vision. I was surprisedas to how successfully the critics stopped this one in its tracks. Sanscritics, I think this film would have done at least twice as well atthe box office. In the end, it's certain to garner a huge cultfollowing -- that's another comment you can file away under"unarguable."Apparently, there's some countless number of jaded/bitter critics outthere -- not to include my Scorecard Review brethren, you guys werefair-- but this film received so many biting reviews, mean-spirited andsoulless, I'd call 'em. I was entirely shocked as to how many criticstruly hated this film. I cannot relate in the slightest to the criticswho called this film exploitative, demeaning, or misogynistic. It's asmisogynistic as Twain's Huck Finn is racist. Get over it.Thankfully, I'm still fresh enough to this world where beauty (feminineand otherwise) and satisfactorily employed music do act as effectivestand-ins for story and depth and dialogue. "Sacrilege!" Many will callfor my head.

Alain Nicolle (2012-05-16 23:15)

The imagination of Zack Snyder

If you are not familiar with Zack Snyder movies you got work to do. Hisimagination is great awesome, with movies like 300, Watchmen and Dawnof the Dead. The story of Sucker Punch is pretty simple if you thinkit, We encountered Baby Doll(Emily Browning) who is sent to a mentalinstitute where she is going to have a lobotomy in 5 days. Sheencounters with other girls(portrayed by Abbie Cornish, Emily Chung,Jena Malone and Vanessa Hudgens in an attempt to forget her HSM role)and they have to (in one way to tell)get away from the enemy of themovie Blue Jones(Guatemalan Oscar Isaac). They enter in a world whereyour imagination is everything and they have to find 5 things. Like thetag line "you will be unprepared" this movie has a very original story"maybe too much original for the USA residents" If you like girls, gunsand action with a bit of story you will love Sucker Punch.

Richard Roeper (2012-05-16 10:39)

An indecipherable, hypocritical mess that proves you can fill a movie with scantily-clad women with big guns and it can still bore one to tears.