 Movie Review: Sucker
Punch
The new fantasy-adventure, Sucker Punch [to steal a quote
from Winston S. Churchill], "is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery,
inside an enigma." The film is a beautifully crafted puzzle,
purposely created to be impossible to solve, yet thoroughly
enjoyed.
Sucker Punch is an anthology of three stories strung
together into one, often confusing, but unified tale; encompassing:
truth, imagination, and fantasy. In the end, the story's true
reality is up to the viewer's interpretation. Although the film is
set in the mid-fifties, the non-fantasy scenes take on the
look-and-feel of a classic 30s Film Noir.
The plot is both simplistic and complicated. Due to greed,
deception, and death, a young woman's world is torn apart. She is
imprisoned in the Lennox House for the mentally insane, located on
an isolated hilltop in Brattleboro, Vermont. Ironically, in
reality, Brattleboro is the oldest town in Vermont, and is also the
home of the renowned "Brattleboro Retreat," a psychiatric hospital
and convalescent center, which in no way resembles the sadistic
insane asylum recreated as a backdrop for Sucker Punch.
While awaiting her fate in the asylum, through a quirky plot
twist, Sucker Punch's reluctant heroine, Baby Doll, is
forced to dance for her life. As the music plays, Baby Doll enters
several fantasy worlds that are beyond the scope of imagination.
With each successive escape into an alternative visionary universe,
Baby Doll (and four fellow female inmates), venture on a quest to
find items that will aid their escape from captivity…and more
importantly, from the hell that is about to be imposed upon Baby
Doll.
Five is the magical number in Sucker Punch: five inmates
fight for freedom, five items needed to aid their escape, five days
until there is no turning back from a fate worse than death for
Baby Doll.
The central theme throughout the movie was two-fold: camaraderie
and escape. The storyline was filled with plot twists that actually
surprised me (which, as a cinema enthusiast, is very difficult to
do). Although Baby Doll is initially the story's heroine, one of
her counterparts turns out to be the actual conqueror of a dark
twist of fate.
Zack Snyder © 2011 - Warner Bros. Pictures
Sucker Punch is a labor of love for director Zack Snyder,
who co-wrote the screenplay with Steve Shibuya, and produced it
with his wife, Deborah. The director, best known for his work in
300 and Watchmen, guided the project as if he was
the character playing the Wise Man (which, in the film, was
portrayed by award-winning actor, Scott Glenn).
The main ensemble cast was composed of up-and-coming young
actresses. The nearly unrecognizable, Emily Browning, was born to
play the daunting role of the heroine, Baby Doll. The camera loved
the flawless beauty, and she, in turn, gave a flawless
performance.
Emily Browning as Baby Doll © 2011 - Warner Bros.
Pictures
The other four girls, who composed Baby Doll's fearless
entourage (Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea, Jena Malone as Rocket, Jamie
Chung as Amber, and Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie), were equally
outstanding in their performances.
© 2011 - Warner Bros. Pictures
Even the antagonists were superbly casted: Carla Gugino, as
Madam Vera Gorski, was sympathetic as she balanced the good and
evil sides of her character's persona; Oscar Isacc was a believable
villain in his dual role of Blue Jones: orderly and pimp; and
lastly, the stepfather, played by the outrageously wicked Gerard
Plunkett.
Sucker Punch is a feast for both the Gamer and the CG
artist: a stylized movie stew. It is the perfect mixture of anime
comic book action heroines, CGI vs. live-action brilliance, blended
with a generous dose of Matrix-like combat scenes. The
movie also pays homage, rather than "borrows" from, iconic movies
such as: Terminator, The Wizard of Oz, Alice
in Wonderland, Batman, and 300.
© 2011 - Warner Bros. Pictures
The fantasy elements of the film have a "video game" feel:
requiring the "Gamer" to take on tasks to earn points, allowing
access to the next level. Among the action-packed scenes: Baby Doll
encounters a ten-foot Samurai Warrior brandishing a machine gun, an
army of Nazi Zombie soldiers, a bevy of Terminator-like
militia, and my favorite, an enraged mother dragon (the most
"realistic" dragon ever created for a movie).
© 2011 - Warner Bros. Pictures
Sucker Punch's music plays a pivotal part of the story,
and is woven so tightly into the movie's plotline that each song
should be listed in the acting credits. The songs (a blending of
old tunes revised by new artists and fresh arrangements) transport
the girls from one dimension into another, and back again. A true
genius was behind the soundtrack's selection.
The magic of the camera positioning added to the delicious
visual confusion that composed the storyline. In one scene, the
girls are gathered in a dressing room, adjusting their makeup. At
first, the camera is positioned behind the girls, shooting their
reflection in the mirror. Then, with the smoothest movement, the
angle morphs into and through the mirror, shooting the girls from
the front, as if looking through the looking-glass.
The only flaw in the film was the slight overkill of clichés.
The verbal clichés often came across as cheesy, even comical. Yet,
to the delight of film buffs, hidden within the movie are tons of
"Easter Egg" surprises. Often where logic is nonexistent, these
embedded visible clichés become a vital part of the plot, creating
coherent segues through the altered worlds.
[left to right] Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie ~ Jamie Chung as Amber ~
Jena Malone as Rocket ~
Emily Browning as Baby Doll ~ Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea © 2011 -
Warner Bros. Pictures
Even with its PG-13 rating, Sucker Punch is filled with
implied adult situations, and while the film has been
"rating-sanitized," Sucker Punch is not a children's flick!
The "body count" was high. Yet, amazingly, with all the carnage,
there was little blood shed. There were several scenes that
portrayed the brutal and grisly conditions that Baby Doll was
forced to endure. However, the director saved the audience from the
visuals; allowing instead to let the viewer's imagination envision
the scenes.
The computer-generated action scenes are breathtaking. With the
main Special Effects by the Quantum Creation FX team, and Visual
Effects by Animal Logic, Pixomondo, Prime Focus, and MPC, without
question, Sucker Punch has the best CGI execution to date.
The interaction between animated and live-action was flawlessly
seamless and pure perfection.
Emily Browning as Baby Doll and Jamie Chung as Amber © 2011 -
Warner Bros. Pictures
From the storyline, to the CGI action scenes, there is nothing
typical about Sucker Punch. The movie messes with your
mind's perspective (visually and logically). Sucker Punch
demands repeat viewing. When the credits rolled, my brain gasped
for logical explanations to the storyline; and after hours of
pondering, I came to the conclusion that there were none …
because my mind just got … yes, you guessed it … Sucker
Punched!
© 2011 - Warner Bros. Pictures
More than a movie, Sucker Punch is also an interactive
experience. Visit the official Warner Bros. Pictures' site and
submit your own painted frame from
Sucker Punch's Trailer
- Sucker Punch,
directed by Zack Snyder, is a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
- Rated PG-13: for thematic material involving implied sexuality,
violence and combat sequences, and for language.
- Running Time: 109 min.
All supporting images are copyright
©Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Images cannot be copied or reprinted without permission.
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