Prepare to be wowed by Zack Snyder's latest, Sucker Punch. Also get ready to be confused, inspired, and disappointed -- if ever so slightly. For his first original effort since hitting the cinematic scene with the terrific Dawn of the Dead remake, the "visionary" director of 300 and Watchmen (who also had a hand in the scripting) takes on a familiar theme -- female empowerment -- and sets it within a surreal, psychedelic realm which combines eras, ideas, and knotty narrative parallels into epic eye candy so entertaining that you don't really notice the subtle missteps along the way. By the time the final reel finishes, you don't really care, either.
The story centers on Baby Doll (Emily Browning), the newest inmate at a sinister asylum. Sent there by her wicked stepfather -- whose motives involve inheritance and an incestuous obsession with her sister -- our heroine is scheduled for a lobotomy in five days. Quickly learning the ropes, she befriends fellow crazies Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung). Plotting an escape, all five are swept up in a fantasy involving a gentleman's club, an evil boss (Oscar Isaac), his right hand Madam (Carla Gugino), and a mysterious man known as The High Roller (Jon Hamm). Within this alternate universe, the girls fight for survival, seeking wisdom and guidance from a muse known as Wiseman (Scott Glenn) while gathering five secret objects that will hopefully help set them free.
Sucker Punch is a chick flick with mega-balls. It's Steel Magnolias where the aforementioned metal is actually artillery shells spewed from a hand cannon the size of a small nation and hand-wringing scenes of manipulative emotion are replaced with awe-inspiring action sequences that simply dazzle. Make no mistake about it -- Snyder knows his stuntwork set-pieces. From a bizarro world journey into World War I where steam powered German zombie soldiers battle our babes to a medieval castle guarded by knights, Orcs, and one very pissed off Mama dragon, the sequences involving the various "goals" have a video game appeal that's hard to ignore. But Snyder remembers to add some human emotion amongst his CG gadgetry, and it's within the characters where Sucker Punch finds its lasting charms.
Browning is given the mostly silent role of leader, her barely underage sexuality suggested while her fighting skills are outlined in endless battles. Cornish and Malone make sister sibling rivalry almost endearing, while Hudgens and Chung are first-class accomplices. As far as the villains go, Gugino has the harder role. While Isaac and Hamm play variations on the "men are pigs" paternalism of the male species, she is required to walk a fine line between compassionate and cruel. That just leaves Glenn to step in every once in a while and play goofball guru. With his catchphrases and matchbox cover philosophizing, he's a hoot. As usual, Snyder is also a star here, showing a flash and directorial verve that borders on the arrogant. But since he consistently meets his often lofty ambitions, there is little we can do except sit back and stare.
This is the kind of movie that will have college cults springing up within days of its release. Fans will sport Baby Doll-based body art while others fashion themselves after the burlesque-meets-battle-fatigues feel of the costuming. More than just the mere sum of some arguably amazing parts, Sucker Punch is a geek gal's BFF. Guys will love it as well, considering the sly combination of strip tease aesthetic and brazen babe butt-kicking at play. In the end, it may be a case of style over substance, but what a brilliant bit of technique it truly is.
The story centers on Baby Doll (Emily Browning), the newest inmate at a sinister asylum. Sent there by her wicked stepfather -- whose motives involve inheritance and an incestuous obsession with her sister -- our heroine is scheduled for a lobotomy in five days. Quickly learning the ropes, she befriends fellow crazies Sweat Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung). Plotting an escape, all five are swept up in a fantasy involving a gentleman's club, an evil boss (Oscar Isaac), his right hand Madam (Carla Gugino), and a mysterious man known as The High Roller (Jon Hamm). Within this alternate universe, the girls fight for survival, seeking wisdom and guidance from a muse known as Wiseman (Scott Glenn) while gathering five secret objects that will hopefully help set them free.
Sucker Punch is a chick flick with mega-balls. It's Steel Magnolias where the aforementioned metal is actually artillery shells spewed from a hand cannon the size of a small nation and hand-wringing scenes of manipulative emotion are replaced with awe-inspiring action sequences that simply dazzle. Make no mistake about it -- Snyder knows his stuntwork set-pieces. From a bizarro world journey into World War I where steam powered German zombie soldiers battle our babes to a medieval castle guarded by knights, Orcs, and one very pissed off Mama dragon, the sequences involving the various "goals" have a video game appeal that's hard to ignore. But Snyder remembers to add some human emotion amongst his CG gadgetry, and it's within the characters where Sucker Punch finds its lasting charms.
Browning is given the mostly silent role of leader, her barely underage sexuality suggested while her fighting skills are outlined in endless battles. Cornish and Malone make sister sibling rivalry almost endearing, while Hudgens and Chung are first-class accomplices. As far as the villains go, Gugino has the harder role. While Isaac and Hamm play variations on the "men are pigs" paternalism of the male species, she is required to walk a fine line between compassionate and cruel. That just leaves Glenn to step in every once in a while and play goofball guru. With his catchphrases and matchbox cover philosophizing, he's a hoot. As usual, Snyder is also a star here, showing a flash and directorial verve that borders on the arrogant. But since he consistently meets his often lofty ambitions, there is little we can do except sit back and stare.
This is the kind of movie that will have college cults springing up within days of its release. Fans will sport Baby Doll-based body art while others fashion themselves after the burlesque-meets-battle-fatigues feel of the costuming. More than just the mere sum of some arguably amazing parts, Sucker Punch is a geek gal's BFF. Guys will love it as well, considering the sly combination of strip tease aesthetic and brazen babe butt-kicking at play. In the end, it may be a case of style over substance, but what a brilliant bit of technique it truly is.
