TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY, Do NOT be Deterred by some of the Negative Reviews for this film!

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2012)

I'm staggered to see just how many bad reviews there are on here for 'Sucker Punch' - mostly people complaining that this film is all special effects with no substance or character development.
But they're wrong. This film is leagues better than 300, and it annoys me to see people trying to tar this film with the '300, all style no depth' brush just because its directed by Zack Snyder, the same director.
To truly appreciate this film, you have to totally let go, as it is steeped in multiple perceptions, realities and metaphor. The best way I can describe it is as a cross between Sin City and Inception, with a hint of a Scott-pilgrim-esque edge thrown in as well. I've read lots of reviews that argue that the characters don't get explored in enough depth, that you never really 'connect' with the main character on an emotional level. But I totally disagree, and I suspect those that argue this were perplexed by the surreal nature of the film, and were unable to appreciate it fully because they were holding on too tightly to their interpretations of the literal, rather than what was actually transpiring in the story.
I'm not going to give anything away - all I can say is that by the end of the film, I felt deep empathy with several of the key characters in it, as well as the protagonist.
Also don't be put off by those saying it's 'sexism/objectification of women at its worst'. They obviously don't understand the world of alternative dress all that well, and immediately associate any attractively-put-together, female sci-fi warrior costumes as sexist, offensive and degrading, when in fact any fantasy fan appreciates that they represent the exact opposite. Because from where I was sitting YES, the main characters looked pretty sexy and provocatively dressed in several scenes, but they were also INCREDIBLY EMPOWERED. And this is from a strong minded young woman!
So all I can say is if you like sci fi, fantasy, and films with that something a little bit different, then Sucker Punch really is a film for you. I appreciate that Sucker punch isn't for everyone, but at the same time I can't help feel a little bit bad for anyone who's rated this film at any less than 5 stars - as they obviously find it extremely difficult to escape once in a while and let themselves go into the throngs of fantasy.