This is an original movie based by Zach Snyder that is not based on any graphic novels like Watchmen or 300.  Although thetrailers of the movie portrayed the movie as more of an action film, I would not perceive this movie in that manner.  In more ways than one, it is more like Inception combined with Japanese anime and 300-style effects.

Now to the movie review:

Sucker Punch

Cast

The movie stars many beautiful women including Emily Browning as Baby Doll, Abbie Cornish as Sweet Pea, Jena Malone as Rocket (Sweet Pea’s sister), Vanessa Hudgens as Blondie, and Jamie Yung as Amber Jones.  Carla Gugino, as Dr. Vera Gorski, plays as their mentor, and Scott Glenn plays the Wise Man/Bus Driver. The main antagonist is Oscar Isaac as Blue Jones, and the secondary antagonist is High Roller/The Doctor who is played by Jonn Hamm. Lastly, Malcolm Scott plays the Cook, and Gerard Plunkett is Baby Doll’s stepfather.

Plot Synopsis

Baby Doll’s mother dies, and since her mother, presumably wealthy, distributes the inheritance to her daughters, Baby Doll and her sister.  In a fit, Baby Doll’s stepfather attacks both Baby Doll and her sister.  Unfortunately, Baby Doll shoots at her stepfather but misses and kills her sister instead.  Her stepfather brings Baby Doll to Lennox Manor for the Insane whereby she and four other inmates decide to find a way to escape.  In the facility, Baby Doll and her companions find a way to escape through breaking with reality in fantasies choreographed with rock music.

In the first dream sequence, Baby Doll obtains her weapons, a Japanese sword and a pistol.  She fights off three giant samurai, but in reality, it is her dancing in real life.  This dream sequence is her manner of dealing with reality.  She is also told by the Wise Man to obtain five items: a map, fire, a knife, a key and a mystery item.  The second action sequence involves landing in steampunk Nazi Germany to obtain the map of the facility.  It was an intriguing sequence to say the least.  The next dream sequence involves fighting against a dragon to obtain fire, or a lighter in real life from the mayor.  The fourth and last sequence involves obtaining the knife from the Cook.  Baby Doll dreams that she and her comrades were deactivating and airlifting a bomb.  After obtaining the last item, the key from Blue, she and Sweet Pea find their way out of the facility.  However, not to spoil it, one of them won’t be able to escape.  Much of these action sequences are triggered by rock music which Baby Doll loves dancing to and helps her comrades do what they must in real life.

Special Effects

This is Zach Snyder’s bread and butter.  Much of the movie includes effects from 300 with oversaturated film and slow-motion effects from Watchmen.  Much of it is not new to who have watched Snyder movies.

Recommendations

This movie is a great date movie since it does have a slight feminist bent to it, and the movie is a solid action movie for those craving it.  Although it has received negative reviews from movie critics, they may have misinterpreted the movie.  The movie is a fantasy movie, without Harry Potter, flowers and rainbows. Instead, it is replaced by giant samurai, steampunk Nazi soldiers and metallic robots.  Remember first of all, this movie is from Baby Doll’s point of view.  To survive in her reality and in ours, we already have the weapons available at our disposal.  We simply need to use them to ultimately win life’s battles.

The only minor criticism of the film lies in Baby Doll’s origin of Japanese fiction in her dream sequences.  It was never explained although quite possibly there was a deleted scene or two in the beginning where her affection for all things Japan.  However that should not deter one from watching the film.

Overall, it is a solid 7.5 to 8 out of 10 for me.