Sucker Punch

Plot synopsis:
In the 1960s, a young woman nicknamed Babydoll (Emily Browning) is institutionalized by her abusive widowed stepfather (Gerard Plunkett) at the fictional Lennox House for the Mentally Insane in Brattleboro, Vermont, after she is blamed for her younger sister's death. The stepfather bribes Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac), an asylum orderly, into forging the signature of the asylum's psychiatrist, Dr. Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino), to have Babydoll lobotomized so she cannot inform the authorities of the true circumstances leading to her sister's death. During her admission to the institution, Babydoll takes note of four items that she would need to attempt an escape.
Babydoll slips into a fantasy world in which she is newly arrived in a brothel owned by Blue, whom she envisions as a mobster, where she and the other patients are sex slaves. In this realm, she befriends four other dancers – Amber (Jamie Chung), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), Rocket (Jena Malone), and Rocket's sister and "star of the show", Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish). Dr. Gorski is envisioned as the girls' dance instructor. Blue informs Babydoll that her virginity will be sold to a client known as the High Roller (Jon Hamm), who is actually the doctor scheduled to perform the lobotomy. Gorski encourages Babydoll to perform an erotic dance, during which Babydoll further fantasizes she is in feudal Japan, meeting the Wise Man (Scott Glenn). After she expresses her desire to "escape", the Wise Man presents Babydoll with weapons and tells her that she would need to collect five items: a map, fire, a knife, a key, and a fifth, unrevealed item that would require "a deep sacrifice" but bring a "perfect victory". She then fights three samurai giants. As her fantasy ends, she finds herself back in the brothel, her dance having impressed Blue and other onlookers.
Babydoll convinces the four girls to join her in preparing an escape. She plans to use her dances as a distraction while the other girls obtain the necessary tools. During her dances, she imagines fantastic adventures that mirror the escape efforts. These adventures include infiltrating a bunker protected by steampunk-inspired World War I German soldiers to gain a map (mirrored by Sweet Pea copying a map of the brothel/institution from Blue's office); storming an Orc-infested castle to retrieve two fire-producing crystals from inside a baby dragon (mirrored by Amber stealing a lighter from the mayor's pocket); and boarding a train and fighting robotic guards to disarm a bomb (mirrored by Sweet Pea stealing a kitchen knife from the Cook's belt). During the last fantasy, Rocket sacrifices herself to save Sweet Pea and is killed when the bomb detonates, which is paralleled by the Cook fatally stabbing Rocket while she tries to protect her sister.
Blue overhears Blondie relaying Babydoll's plan to Gorski, confirming his suspicions that something is amiss. He has Sweet Pea locked in a utility closet and confronts the other girls backstage. He shoots Amber and Blondie and attempts to rape Babydoll, but she stabs him with the kitchen knife and steals his master key. Babydoll frees Sweet Pea and starts a fire to keep the orderlies occupied while they look for an exit. They escape into the courtyard, where they find a throng of men blocking their way. Babydoll deduces that the fifth item needed for the escape is in fact her own sacrifice. She concludes that this is actually Sweet Pea's story. Despite Sweet Pea's protests, she insists on revealing herself to the visitors, thus distracting them long enough to allow her friend to slip away unnoticed.
Back in the asylum, the surgeon has just performed Babydoll's lobotomy. Gorski notes earlier that the girl, during her short stay, stabbed an orderly, started a fire, and helped another girl escape the asylum. The surgeon is baffled by Babydoll's expression, and asks Gorski why she authorized the procedure. Gorski realizes that Blue has forged her signature and summons the police, who apprehend Blue as he attempts to sexually assault a lobotomized Babydoll. While being led away, Blue also incriminates the stepfather. Babydoll is shown smiling serenely, having apparently found freedom within her own inner "Paradise".
At a bus station, Sweet Pea is stopped by police as she tries to get on a bus to Fort Wayne, but she is rescued by the bus driver (the Wise Man), who misleads the police and allows her to board. Sweet Pea thanks the Driver, who tells her they have "a very long way to go".
During the end credits, Dr. Gorski and Blue perform "Love Is the Drug" in a glitzy musical sequence that includes all five female leads.

Tags: dark, murder, violence

Review:
A lot of obvious fake reviews for this movie.
No it's not the worst hood-movie made but it's hardly a good one and I don't believe that anyone who looked at this objectively could ever give it over a 6 tops, even at that I question your judgment.
Anyways.The lead guy in the first 15 minutes is the biggest piece of crap existed on the screen more or less, he drugs and kidnaps young runaway girls and sells them to a big time pimp.
That's his job, so when he get shot it's what any decent person would want to happen to him.However he doesn't die but instead he wakes up and finds God, which could have made a decent idea for a movie I guess if it was made by people who knew what they were doing which they don't.More or less every character in the movie are just plain horrible people that you only sit and wait and hope will happen something really bad to.I'm not gonna spoil anything but yeah despite having occasional moments where it appears to be going the right way it ends of being a very jumbled mess of a movie.Plot is slightly reminiscent of BLOODY STREETZ aka BLOODY CRISIS but that movie is a masterpiece in comparison with this, and that movie is not a masterpiece however a far better choice to watch than this..
AWFUL AWFUL MOVIE!.
It's just a bad film.Not as bad as R.I.C.C.O. but bad.It got me hooked at the beginging then totally lost me after that.The acting was way off then on then going way way way off.Do not see this movie at all costs,TRUST ME WITH ALL MY HEART!!!!The directors who are brothers are not the next HUGHES BROTHERS,who made really great films like DEAD PRESIDENTS,FROM HELL,AMERICAN PIMP,and MENACE II SOCIETY.The only person who made me watch this was the acting of Paris Campbell,who will be a great actor one day if he makes better films than this.Christina Caparoula also did a nice job for what she got.I hope THE FITTEST is 10 times better than this piece of crap!.
Raw, Brutal, & Hilarious.
For a "gansta" genre film, this was so much more enjoyable than the usual empty fare.
This movie is alternately shocking and goofy, the almost cartoony humor setting you up again and again for a jab to the nose of brutality.
The characters aren't quite realistic and not quite archetypal, either, giving the film the feeling of a fable.
The story of Mike's attempt to redeem himself from a life of depravity was compelling, to me, and although the dialog was at times pretty rough around the edges, Paris Campbell deftly handles the material.
His performance carries the film, to be sure, with touches of subtlety that make him sympathetic and human.
The Christ imagery was inventive, and suggested to me that perhaps the whole film was actually an analogy for his inner struggle.
The use of color really added to the sense of watching a graphic novel or comic book, and the Beatnuts' soundtrack was electric, driving the energy of the film forward from scene to scene and accenting both the fun and the sharp edges of the movie.
All in all, I was impressed by Sucker Punch, even if it is rough around the edges in several places..
Real and Spiritual.
I loved this movie.
The cover image makes it look like a mediocre gangster film, but it's really great.
Here's what I like about it: First of all, the acting was really good.
Paris Campbell, who plays the main character (Mike Sullivan), is a really really great actor.
I have no idea why he isn't famous yet.
And he portrays a complex character who is tortured by his own past sins, and is trying to do the right thing.
He is caught up in a world where there are no good guys, and he is trying to save a prostitute who has no interest in his good will.
Mike is definitely a Christ figure in the film, and the religious metaphor is subtle but clear.
I like the fact that in the end, good intentions do not necessarily mean a happy ending, and sometimes there are no good choices.
This is a dark film, so if you're looking for a cookie cutter, predictable action film, this isn't the movie for you.
But if you want to see an interesting, real film that has a spiritual side, you should check out Sucker Punch..
THE PASSION OF MIKE.
J.McGee completely missed the boat on SUCKERPUNCH.
Maybe the point would have been clearly to him if it were spoon fed to him by having Mike crucified on a cross at the end.
I've seen tons of Urban films over the years that touch on the plight of the people that live in the inner city but very few have a soul or characters that I care about.
This is one of the few films like MENACE TO SOCIETY that has as its lead a very bad and despicable character trying to seek redemption for the sins he has committed in life.
SUCKERPUNCH's Mike Sullivan doesn't try to physically run from the horrors of the inner city, he instead goes back into it hoping to cleans it...and he ends up making the ultimate sacrifice for it, just as Jesus did two thousand years ago.
I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in seeing a very talented group of actors and filmmakers delivers a film that takes you on a harsh journey without ap.
Ghetto action and a story of hopeless effort to escape.
This movie has a lot of terrible characters, the story is dark and the comedy even darker.
The setting is urban ghetto NYC and the music is awesome.
Really cool songs.
The story is pretty disturbing...the main character is a very bad thug, but then is inspired to get out of his situation, which leads to a series of things happening to him.
He is a great actor.
And the Russian thug is a terrifying actor.
The story makes you question what you can do about your situation in life.
I liked it-didn't love it-but am amazed that this is an independent movie and not made by a studio, considering how intense and action-packed it is..
Not That Bad. I thought it was a pretty decent low budget crime flick.
The filmmakers did some things not normally seen in movies with the characters.
There are a lot worse movies out there.
Paris Campbell was the highlight.
This movie prompted my interest to see other projects he has been in.
His performance in Ghetto Dawg 2 (very stupid name) was outstanding.
It was a better film.
Will Sierra, the pimp, also showed a lot of talent.
Considering the crap that mainstream Hollywood is making these days, I have found myself more and more interested in watching lower budget indy films.
And if you are a hiphop fan, some classic artists played supporting roles - Greg nice, The Beatnuts & Leaders Of The New School..
Wicked movie!!.
I thought this movie was amazing!
It's dark because it's real.
The acting is phenomenal, along with the direction.
I have to comment on the religious junk everyone else seems to know so much about..
it's art.
It's not for you to tell everyone what the undertones or meaning of the Christianity portion meant, that is for the viewer to determine.
If you see Mike's character as a Jesus like savior then that's what you see.
I saw something much different, along with several others I've shown.
In fact, the religious fallout, in my opinion, is what makes this a comedy/drama.
And that is what makes this a must watch for anyone who appreciates the plight of poverty in our American ghettos.