If you’re expecting a raunchy, violent romp of a film with Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch,” you truly will be unprepared. The movie blurs all lines of reality, and the viewer has to try to realize just what is going on in the fantasy and the real worlds. It’s filled with amazing visual effects, incredible backgrounds, an astounding soundtrack, and good acting.
In a nut shell, “Sucker Punch” is about a girl, Baby Doll, locked away in an insane asylum by her abusive stepfather after her mother and little sister die. She and four other female inmates (Rocket, Sweet Pea, Amber, and Blondie) escape into imaginary worlds that parallel with their plan to escape the asylum. The lines between reality and imagination are skewed as the women fight against everything from robots to dragons to giant samurai made out of rock. However, the story is not all fighting and combat. Each of the inmates is fleshed out and given a nick name that reflects their personalities, and each go through their share of horrors
Not only is the plot of “Sucker Punch” immersive, but the soundtrack and special effects are breathtaking. Zack Snyder creates visually stunning worlds and directs his cast into heart-stopping fights, filled with his signature slow motion shots. The costume designs and lighting in each of the worlds are also amazing, quickly setting the moods for each one. The soundtrack is a fast barrage of classic rock remixes and original songs that beat down on the audience from all sides, providing smooth transitions from one dream to another dream and finally to reality. Among the songs remixed are “Army of Me,” “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “White Rabbit,” and a mash up of “I Want It All” and “We Will Rock You.”
The most impressive thing about the film is just how tough and heart-wrenching each actress makes her character. Emily Browning, who plays Baby Doll, plays wide-eyed innocence and naivety, and also vengeance and cruel persistence, amazingly well. Vanessa Hudgens, who plays Blondie and is mostly known for her role in teen romance flicks, does a complete turn in the role and proves herself to be a formidable action heroine. The close relationship between sisters Rocket and Sweet Pea is also believable and incredibly moving because of the acting skills of Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish.
Overall, “Sucker Punch” was a thoroughly enjoyable not only for the spectacular special effects and fight scenes, but also its soundtrack, performances, and twisting plot. I highly recommend it for adventuresome movie goers and those who enjoy visually appealing films.
“Sucker Punch” is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language.
