Great special effects movie, but if you're looking for a plot.... you might want to look elsewhere.

Rating: Null/10 (22 August 2011)

So I just got done watching the theatrical version and I have to say that I'm kind of at a loss for words. The movie isn't horrible, but it's also nowhere near spectacular. Sucker Punch is definitely a "meh" movie. The special effects, fight choreography, and props are spectacularly well done. You can definitely see the influence of "300" on the cinematography as well. The problem... is the plot... and the acting... and practically everything else.
The first 10-15 minutes do a bang up job of introducing the main character, Babydoll, and the story leading up to her being put into a mental institution by her stepfather after her mother's death. After that, the story and actors just go through the motions of a typical brainless popcorn movie with bad dialog. There's some great action scenes, plenty of 'splosions, and a fairly hefty nod to the steampunk, dieselpunk, and (sort of) cyberpunk subcultures. Dead German soldiers reanimated with steam power and gears, zeppelins, a giant stone samurai with a mini-gun, robots, and even dragons and goblins (huh?) are among the "bad guys" featured in the movie. Plus, what's not to like about a blonde in pigtails and a Japanese school girl outfit shooting guns and swinging a wickedly engraved katana around. Yet, despite it all, by the end of the movie there are so many loose ends to the story line and paper bags left abandoned by actors that couldn't act their way out of them, that a herd of kittens could be kept amused for weeks.
Supposedly the extended version that came out on Bluray is supposed to explain things a little differently (possibly better). However, I doubt that adding 15 minutes of footage could save this movie from being any more than the below average mindless popcorn movie that it is. If you're willing to leave your brain at the door, by all means watch it, but if you're looking for a thought-provoking film, you might almost be better served watching the Smurfs movie.