Packs less of a punch, on more of a suck....but still B-Grade fun.

Rating: 6/10 (30 May 2011)

After the appallingly low approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (currently sitting on just on 22%), I was apprehensive about spending $10.50 to watch Sucker Punch - and although this is far from the huge success it could have been (given director Zac Synder's potential), it is far from the enormous travesty many reviewers are making it out to be.
The outstanding opening sequence reminded me of Synder's gift for visual flare. It plays out almost like a silent film, to a pumping remix of Sweet Dreams, telling the story entirely through visuals. Pretty soon after Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is incarcerated, the screenplay enters b-grade territory...and the cast of beauties ham it up nicely (as does Jonathan Hamm, as the labotimist).The feisty Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish) carries a strong physicality on screen, and possesses incredible beauty. I couldn't take my eyes off Cornish when was within a frame. It was like a vortex. Jenna Malone gives it her all, but Vanessa Hudgen's was weak, but it is Emily Browning who milks it for all its worth, with a bit of 'tongue-in-cheekness' poking through her performance.
And yes, the fantasy sequences are incredibly well staged and there are some stunning, eye-popping moments. Sucker Punch's weakness however is perhaps the connection between the fantasy sequences to the real world. There are no clever flourishes that link the two, and thus nothing feels at stake during the action. They remain pure fantasy within the film, and unlike, say Inception, the action feels gratuitous and self- conscious.
The screenplay flounders in the final third as it tries to ground itself in reality and create emotional resonance. The sacrificial ending is questionable too - something more empowering would have been wise given the subject matter.
Sucker Punch isn't intelligent - but it is thrilling. I would consider it far more of a b-movie than most critics are taking it for - and I am entertained by b-movies. Given the high quality of Watchmen, it is perhaps disappointing to see Synder revert back to his 300 days and it remains a shame that Sucker Punch doesn't strive for anything more, given its potential. Let's just hope Superman will give audiences a bit more to chew (or suck?) on.