Zack Snyder's cruelty once again finds it's audience

Rating: 10/10 (10 April 2011)

Listening to Emily Browning's adaptation of Eurythmics's Sweet Dreams, i must say i found some decisions in the movie-making process very bizarre, decisions made mainly by Zack Snyder, coming right out of the blue.
For example, he wrote the script directly as a PG-13 movie, something very untypical for him.In an interview, he stated, that the movie was already to cruel and the story itself was too hard on viewers for him to make it an R-rated movie.So he did it directly for PG-13.When does that ever stopped him to do it.In Watchmen, there were some pretty intense and gross, so to say, scenes, that it was hard to bear.And in Sucker Punch, the opening scene was intense, full of emotions, so was the ending as well, but that's not a reason for Zack no to do what he's best at.So that was a sucker punch for the audience, and as well a reason for the movie not to fit in to the frame of most Zack Snyder movies.Even his remake of Romero's Dawn of the Dead was performing better at the domestic box office in it's start, not to mention Watchmen and 300.
Besides that, there are some plot holes to be seen here or there, acting to be improved and some other details, that need to be touched to be perfect.
So saying all that, i shall explain why i'll rather give the movie the full note than apply those weaknesses to the note.Zack Snyder has those skills, i personally think no other director has.He has the ability to speak to the audience with his style with what we see on screen, combined with the powerful soundtracks and songs he and Tyler Bates, the composer, use.He lets his visually rich and upgraded style speak for himself, and that's very unique for him and for the movies he make.There literary is no dialogue in the first few minutes of the movie, he allows the viewer to see and be a part of the experience, of those frames.The feeling in the viewer is stronger when it's all shown, rather than spoken of.Actions are stronger than words.And Zack Snyder knows that.With him words are not necessary for the strenght of a movie.And that he makes perfect good use of.That's what's impressive with his work, and that's why i'll give the full note to the movie, as i did to 300 and Watchmen despite some flaws and holes.
Otherwise, the CGI was great, the movie as a whole is a visual masterpiece and people will see that a lot of effort and commitment is sacrificed for the quality, the movie has.The crystal clear shots, made a little 60s like, are great and the fight sequences and than the train and castle sequences in the imaginary world, that Babydoll's in are great.So there can't be any complaints about that.
The acting was something that could've been up a little bit.Emily Browning is very lovable and convincing in her role as Babydoll, a young girl, who experienced the death of her mother and sister, and her stepfather, involved in it.He institutionalizes her and she reprises this part of her role almost perfect.She has the needed experience from her last movie, The Uninvited, where the role is very similar to this one, at least most of it.Shid did a perfect job with the other part of her role as well, being a somewhat silent but very skillful and good looking deadly warrior, killing everything in her way to survive in the imaginary world she creates, in the brothel and in the mental institution she's at.Abbie Cornish was also solid in her role as one of the girls in the facility.Vera Gorski and Blue Jones, played by Carla Gugino and Oscar Isaac were good as well, although his role is very unpleasant so to say.
So the acting was good and it's obvious, that the cast had a great time together.That's mainly because of another great choice Zack Snyder and Tyler Bates've made.They let Emily Browning, who, aside from her acting skills, is obviously a talented singer as well, perform some of the songs, for example Sweet Dreams and Asleep, both of witch were reprised and remade perfectly for the film.The voices of the other actresses can be heard in the background of the songs.So that made a great bond between the actors and what helped to improve the movie.
So with some great decisions from the team and some great performances from the cast (mainly Emily Browning pulling the movie forward), the movie ended up as a very entertaining movie-going experience, sad and intense at moments, breathtaking and cool in others.All in all, it could've been better but i liked it like that as well and in order to get some things straight, i'm ready to see it once more.
I liked it, one of the first movies a really liked this year, and although this wasn't Zack Snyder's best effort financially, the movie definitely has it's fans, and so it marks the true beginning of the movie season.
Not Zack Snyder's best, but i'll give it the full note anyway.Bring on Superman:Man of Steel!
10/10
P.S.There are tributes to some classics in the movie, classics such as LOTR, i'm sure you'll notice them :)