Film Review: ‘Sucker Punch’

Snyder goes all out on first original and it’s a knockout

Posted on March 27, 2011, at 9:24 p.m.

The marketing campaign for “Sucker Punch” gleefully taunts, “You will be unprepared.” I can steadfastly agree.

Zack Snyder’s latest film is an orgy of pop imagery — a psychological thriller filtered through every fetish and compulsion Snyder’s ever had. This is a film that takes everything its director has ever had any interest in, throws it into a blender and pours the contents over a few reels of celluloid.

Scorsese has “Gangs of New York,” Tarantino has “Kill Bill,” and Nolan has “Inception.” Now, Snyder has “Sucker Punch” and like those three films, his movie rewards those who are patient and turns off those who aren’t.

“Sucker Punch” is the kind of movie that has some serious flaws, but those who love it will gladly overlook them as they vibrate with empathy. Snyder evokes specific reactions with his imagery, and by the time the end credits rolled, I couldn’t help but be seduced by them.

Your mileage may vary, but you can’t deny that Snyder has gone whole-hog with “Sucker Punch,” delivering an incredibly ambitious film that refuses to toe the line of reality or simplicity.

The film opens on a closed curtain with the Warners’ shield painted on it, and right away we see the theatrical nature of the film assert itself. Telling the tale of Baby Doll, a young woman sent to a mental institution by her wicked stepfather and scheduled for a swift lobotomy, the film fluctuates between heightened reality, a hallucination and a dream world within that hallucination.

On occasion, the layers spill over into each other as Baby Doll uses them to make her way through the institution with a group of girls, all determined to escape their cruel overlords.

These delusions involve brothels, ogres, dragons, zombies, Nazis, fighter planes and any other remotely cool object from the past hundred years. The action scenes are perfectly paced, delivering thrills and adrenaline shots in all the right places. With “300” and “Watchmen” on his résumé, it’s no shock to see Snyder deliver superb action pieces.

What is becoming increasingly obvious is Snyder’s desire to not be a simple gun-for-hire action director. “300” dealt with post-9/11 military mindsets; “Watchmen” took superhero films to their logical conclusion; and with “Sucker Punch,” Snyder looks at the tricky situation of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. It cements the notion of sexy, empowered female geeks as a force to be reckoned with — a new breed of woman that is ready to go and happy to be here.

So many filmmakers aim for easy targets and hit perfect bull’s-eyes. Snyder has some lofty goals, using every weapon in his arsenal to pull off a huge hit, and even though he doesn’t always connect, you can’t take your eyes of the spectacle on display. This is a film to be seen, discussed, digested and discussed again.

There will be plenty of incompetent boobs trying to dismiss this film. Don’t let them. Challenge them on it. Call them out. There’s a lot more to “Sucker Punch” than meets the eye. This is the first major release this year that absolutely demands your attention.

Grade: A-

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 27th, 2011, 9:24 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.