Sucker Punch (2011)

After absorbing myself in the world of Zach Snyder's "Sucker Punch" for a while, including one viewing at IMAX, one in my local theater, and multiple listens to the soundtrack, I felt the unusual calling to dump my thoughts out regarding this haunting, beautiful, polarizing, and brilliant film.

From the first trailer I saw, I'd been anticipating the release. Usually this is bad, as it means my expectations are built up and it will take an outstanding performance to meet those expectations. Turns out, Sucker Punch is everything I'd hoped it would be, and more. Some would say that in art we see what we want to see, though maybe it's true also that we see what we are prepared to see. Here's what I saw and felt about the film, why it resonated with me and why many people didn't like it: Within the first five minutes, I knew I was in for a treat. The film opens with an excellent cover of "Sweet Dreams" by the film's lead actress. The initial scenes are otherwise silent and the storytelling is all visual. Yes, you're about to experience a film that is basically a 120-minute music video. But that's not all. It's also an action extravaganza AND it's cerebral to boot.

Right out the gate, from as early as the opening sequence (where we enter through a state and later rain on a car window forms the movie's title), this film announces that you should shut off your disbelief. It's fantasy at all levels and doesn't have to make sense to entertain or ask provocative questions, both out loud and suggested.

Thank goodness for the fantasy elements as had this been a movie about an escape attempt from an abuse-steeped asylum, it would have been immeasurably depressing. Snyder's vision protects the audience from what Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, and the rest were experiencing in the "reality" of the film probably more effectively than Baby Doll's fantasies protected her from those horrible experiences. As it is, the film is sad enough in its portrayal and suggestion of certain negative themes like incarceration, lobotomies, aggression, rape, corruption, and betrayal. On the other hand, it's also a film that is both empowering and moving.

In contrast to the dark themes, we also have several positive themes like the individual's search for freedom, teamwork, giving, love, forgiveness, risk, and courage. This film likely upsets many viewers because it doesn't exactly have a happy ending. (An approach which tends to spell failure at the American box office.) I enjoy the apparent contradictions it presents to the audience. One popular debate is whether the film is empowering to women. I think this debate in particular misses the point of the film, and takes too much at face value, but it does show how polarizing the movie is.

The conversation, both internal with yourself and external with others, about what is portrayed in the film can be difficult for one to consider, which is likely why it's a turn-off for so many. The critics may be upset by the questions it provokes about themselves. Cognitive dissonance encourages them to just forget all the issues, label the film a piece of garbage, and move on. Other viewers were likely upset by the film's darkness - it certainly made me uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean the movie was bad. For those of us looking deeper, there are all manner of important questions provoked.

People are being abused. What are you doing about it? Is reality a prison? If rea

Fmovies: But aside from her gorgeous face and slender legs the story is fun, the fantasy wild and the worlds she visits completely entertaining and wonderous. She is completely entertaining and wonderous. What an eye candy!

Here's the thing about this movie, its demanding. You have to be able to let go, realize that it's stylized after a modern comic book (of the adult genre), and just go with the movie. Let it take you on its ride, which is a beautiful/wonderful thing.

You also have to pay attention. This movie is layered in metaphor and is way more cerebral than one might expect. You have to work to understand what's going on and part of that work is letting it take you away.

If you can do this, and your friends can do this, you will have hours of conversation afterwards about what it all means, what the metaphors mean, and what was actually happening in the 'prime' reality of the insane asylum.

If you can't do this you will probably think the movie is stupid, contrived, and pointless. But you would be wrong.

Oh...and beyond all that stuff above...the fight scenes are an absolute nerdgasm, a sci-fi/fantasy orgy of epic proportions.

Steam-punk Nazi Zombies... I came out of that movie feeling like I just had a threesome with Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffery.

I absolutely loved it.

Sucker Punch fmovies. I originally wrote a review the day after I saw Sucker Punch. I panned it. To me my initial feelings were rather lukewarm at best.

But then I gave it some time.

And as I went through my days afterward my mind would wander back to the story and think about the visual food for thought.

Yeah, the girls are hot. Yeah, the action is over the top, but if you look at the emotional landscape that is being explored in a more literal fashion via the action then yeah, this is a pretty cool idea.

Sometimes films come along that are a "sucker punch" in terms of originality. The general public usually reacts negatively to it which leads to poor box office results. But later on the audience has had a chance to digest what was given and revisits the film and breaths new life into it.

My prediction is that such a situation will happen with Sucker Punch. It'll probably not recoup its initial budget at the box office. People will flood the IMDb forum with reasons why it did not work. We will probably see about a few dozen threads at least where people will vent their reasons why they hate the film and why you too should not see it.

But given some time it will recoup via video sales and other distribution deals.

Why?

Because it's still a solid story. The style of the movie is an Otaku's wet dream, but overall result is still the same: it does surprise and give ample food for thought.

Think of it as stylized parable about repression, personal will and sacrifice. Because sooner or later after all the negative backlash and reviews blow by those emotional messages will be all that will be left.

And people will remember it for that reason.

You know why I own it on DVD? Because when I watch movies I want action. I want violence. I want force. I want flaunting thin babes showing me their slender bodies. Sue me. I am a man. I don't want a film that looks like my day-to-day when I walk by the shopping plaza and fat women are munching on donuts and coffee. This was fun, had good CGI, there was action and the babe was super thin. I will rewatch this often (sorry all the stupid remakes out there!).

What more could you want?

There was also a show, a brothel, Nazis, a monster, a samurai sword and even more babes running around and defying the odds.

I loved it.