Dive into the Imagination

Rating: 9/10 (26 March 2011)

It's an excellent visual and musical adventure: a cross between Inception, Labyrinth, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. No David Bowie, but it is pretty dark and bleak. It is an atypical movie that uses music and strange visuals to convey emotion, not unlike a music video. Despite many critics being unable to see beyond their preconceptions of how filmmaking should be done, I have to rate this film an amazing success. I admit, I felt the sucker punch but rolled with it (yes, it will throw layers of reality at you without warning).
I only offer that if there hadn't been pressure to keep the running time moderate and the rating to a PG-13, then Sucker Punch could have perhaps resonated even more strongly with viewers. Yet as the movie appears to be largely from Baby Doll's perspective, spending more time in "reality" to develop other characters more would perhaps have been counter to the film's theme. After all, what we are treated to is her perception of reality that she uses to deal with the horrible events occurring to her.
It is a vivid journey through the imagination of a girl attempting to escape horrible realities, such as the dehumanization of children and the enslavement of women. Therefore, we journey into alternating realities where on one hand, women are treated as objects, and on the other hand, where they are empowered. So if you are willing to travel into the id with a girl brave enough to fight against oppression, authority figures, and abusers, don't hesitate to do so. However, be prepared to battle dragons.