Sucker Punch
Reality is a prison. Your mind can set you free.
LOVE.
The acting is absolutely top-notch, with every performer delivering something unforgettable. Emily Browning’s first twenty minutes of wordless storytelling is truly awesome, and Carla Gugino brings a humane bittersweetness to her role. Abbie Cornish’s Sweet Pea feels emotionally suppressed and yet vulnerable, and Oscar Isaac is perfectly rotten and unsettling. You can tell how much care and passion went into this project despite its ambitious vision, it feels crafted with a lot of love and effort from everyone involved.
Zack Snyder is known for having a much longer version of his films that end up being cut, and Sucker Punch is one of those. Although I have yet see the extended cut, his vision is clear enough in the theatrical release to convince me that this story is both genius and camp in the best way, while also complex and compelling. Snyder’s action sequences are super impressive, and many of the film’s critics seem to take issue with them, arguing they should have been removed. I completely disagree, without those sequences, the movie would lose its most imaginative and emotionally expressive layer and become far less interesting. The main characters literally go from a coping reality in which they are objectified and vulnerable to one in which they have the power and are unstoppable, literally fighting their personal demons.
Babydoll and Sweet Pea make sense of the mess and find reason in it, pushing themselves to fight their way out of their depressive state. Yes, the movie IS literally that deep.
Visually and stylistically, this film reminds me a lot of Hellboy (2004), one of my favorite action and “superhero” movies. That connection definitely contributes to my love for Sucker Punch. It also echoes Alice In Wonderland, a tale I’ve always adored, with its blend of fantasy, escapism and darker emotional undertones.
In the end, Sucker Punch is full of strengths, from it’s performances to it’s story and writing, the music and costumes… and it impersonates exactly the kind of action film I love: bold, emotional, visually appealing, and unafraid to be exactly what it needs to be.