Review: Sucker Punch

Rating: 4/10 (25 March 2011)

Sucker Punch is Zack Snyder's (300, Watchmen) interpretation of an Alice in Wonderland situation. Upon the death of her mother, Babydoll is locked away in an insane asylum by her vengeful, greedy stepfather. He has arranged for her to receive a lobotomy in five days. Seeing as how such a place can put a price on creating vegetables, it isn't the most comforting of facilities as Babydoll and four other young girls are constantly threatened with beatings, rape and death.
Babydoll resorts to finding comfort within her own mind as she drifts into a fantasy world filled with giant samurai, zombie Nazis, and even dragons as she battles through the demons she faces in the real world. Blurring the line between reality and imagination, the 5 girls hatch a plan to escape from their prison by any means and slow-motion battle necessary.
The most brilliant decision Snyder made in this movie is truly the opening. I'm not referring to the opening scene (which may have been the best storytelling sequence of the film), but rather the cold start involving the WB logo. As the theatre darkens and the silver screen brightens, a gritty stage is shown with the WB logo printed on a curtain. The camera slowly moves towards the stage as the curtain pulls away to reveal the opening set; Babydoll sitting in her room staring into her mirror. Finally, the camera makes its way onto the stage and we are now brought into the story. This makes a very great and obvious argument that what follows is not meant to be grounded. Even the fantastical vignettes of battle royale are still ridiculous in their own world from physics to even visuals, but that's OK: this is the theatre.
Still, these vignettes are nothing without plot. The series of 4 or 5 visually exciting dream battles are tied together with a weak story that these girls must find 5 items (map, fire, knife, key, secret) in order to escape from the Great Deku Tree – oh, sorry. I was confused with The Legend of Zelda. And each time they try to take one of these items or are threatened, Babydoll drifts into a dream world of sexualized violence
Which is where another issue arises. Its no secret that these girls are all thigh, stockings, and boots. As a man, I can appreciate that. But there really is a depressing message that seeps forth in between every action sequence and that is "Girls, if you're about to be raped/traumatized, just go to your happy place." It's uncomfortable to say the least. The reason this review keeps coming back to it is because the movie does too.
Does Sucker Punch entertain? Parts of it do. As a series of stylistic, slow-motion oozing, action filled shorts, yes. Very much so. As a film with interlacing plot-like elements? Expect less there than you already do.
2.5 Creepy Thin Mustaches out of 5
-MovieFloss.com