A video game without the controller.

Rating: 6/10 (9 April 2011)

Visual artist and director Zack Snyder brings us the latest in his unique filmography of stylized violence following on from recent works such as 300 and Watchmen. If you believe all the negative hype utterly rubbishing this movie, you might just (as is the case with most movies with preconceived low expectations) be pleasantly surprised. Because while Sucker Punch is no masterpiece, it performs admirably in the action department, coupled with a frenetic pace; all but overwhelming its weaker attributes.
Young adult Babydoll (Emily Browning) has lived a life of abuse under her stepfather, until she finally cracks in an unsuccessful attempt at murder. The authorities lock her away in a mental asylum for her crime, but she soon learns it merely acts as a front for a burlesque theatre run by the power-hungry Blue (Oscar Isaac). Determined to escape the facility, she enlists the help of several other detainees when it becomes apparent that her dance leaves all the orderlies in a state of trance, while transporting the inmates to a fantasy world where they must face monsters conjured up by their own mind, and where their actions in this parallel universe mimic ramifications in the real world.
Okay, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, the plot is bizarre to say the least, but don't be turned off by its outward nature. The director makes it very clear that this film takes place not in our world, but in the Snyder-verse, which abides by different laws and powers to ours. Hence, it becomes contextually easy to suspend disbelief throughout. In fact, while the whole notion behind entering different worlds through the mind has been touched on by a whole host of earlier films, the idea that both fantasy and reality are eerily related, as in Sucker Punch, offers some food for thought, even if it isn't delved into as much as you might hope.
The few scenes that occur in the real world that involve the girls planning their next move only serve as some sort of plausible link between one exuberant action scene and the next. They almost feel like cutscenes to a video game before the actual level starts, and the fact that they must collect 'five items' to complete their plan of escape does little to dispel that illusion. And make no mistake, each new mission, although entertaining and visually spellbinding, is a conglomerate of fan-serving stylized madness including, but not limited to, robot samurai and zombie Nazis. So beware if you don't consider yourself an over-the-top action kind of guy.
A film that opens with such a compelling scene (and an excellent example of how to tell a story just through pictures alone) disappointingly falls into a fairly formulaic series of events from that point on. A dull script and occasionally wooden acting don't help either, and although I admit that the ending could have been a lot worse, it is a case of the filmmaker trying to do too much with his subject matter. Questionable character motives, as well as the casting of Jon Hamm as two polarising characters casts doubt on the authenticity of the story; an unnecessary add-on that fails to remain in line with the rest of the film's tone.
However, as mentioned, the positives of Sucker Punch do a decent job of outweighing the negatives. The voice-over narration is used sparingly but effectively for the most part, and the soundtrack may just be the film's biggest highlight in any way that doesn't pertain to magic dragons and flying robots. It's a unique piece likely to differ from person to person more so than most other films would, but I felt it was by no means a bad effort.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review.*