Stylish, entertaining graphic novel adaptation

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2012)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
A young girl (Emily Browning) who comes to be known as Babydoll, finds herself institutionalised in a mental asylum by her wicked step father, which is a front for a gentlemen's club, run by the slimy Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac), where girls are forced to perform erotic dances for the amusement of rich men. After being put on the spot to perform her first dance, Babydoll finds herself transported to a mystical fantasy world, where she finds herself under the tutelage of the Wise Man (Scott Glenn) who teaches her to place her mind where her body isn't. From here, Babydoll hatches a plot to break herself and her fellow dancers free.
The graphic novel adaptation craze, started by Robert Rodriguez with 2005's Sin City, is still alive and kicking, as evidenced by Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, which from the opening already appears slightly lost in a case of style over substance, with the blurry, grungy cinematography and deep, heavy goth soundtrack not promising much in the way of an engaging story. But stick with it past this little hurdle and there's a more enjoyable, traditional action thriller to wit here of a group of heroes, here quite pleasantly in the shape of some sexy girls in kinky outfits, taking down a dastardly villain. It's gained some criticism for it's content being a 12 certificate film, and it is easy to see why this is, given the girl's dress sense and some of the quite explicit violence in parts.
It's a bad omen, but probably the most impressive thing about the film is the special effects, stylish, impressive CGI action set pieces, including dragons, fighter aircraft and Nazi trenches, brought to life with a colourful, vibrant quality that makes the film work where it was meant to. Snyder has worked his Watchmen formula to a film not quite as violent or graphic, but which still packs quite a powerful punch, with a plot in reverse twist at the end that helps it make sense a bit more.
Unlike Watchmen, it's wisely a lot shorter and therefore more palatable and works a bit more where that film didn't. The characters are certainly more pleasing to the eye, and to be honest so is the action, so even if it isn't perfect, you're on to a far surer bet with it. ***