Move Review: Sucker Punch: A + for Effort…C for Everything Else

I wanted to fall in love with this movie and just rant and rave how AMAZING it was, but I can do that for only part of it. Zack Snyder’s new creation, Sucker Punch, was a lil bit of a mess. He’s the guy who did 300 and Watchmen if you didn’t know. Yes it is cool to throw the viewer for a loop and keep them guessing about key things but this…was a wee bit too much. It lures you in with Kickass music, unbelievably digitally mastered cool graphics but your left like, “What the hell was that?”.

Snyder loves showing you Amazing larger than the life detail even down to a button twirling around on the floor like a dancer. You feel like you are right there like a virtual reality video game. The ladies of the movie were also very awesome and each one had a distinct character so it wasn’t just a blob of flying skirts. It was nice to see Vanessa Hudgens out of a Disney Movie and unexpected to see Jena Malone, Gretchen from Donnie Darko, in a main-stream big movie. You start to feel sympathy for them and you want them to get out of the mental hospital/stripper/dancer club place. You really do.

But then the plot came into play for this movie and messed it all up. These captive girls are stuck in a place your not quite sure where and are trying to escape because the main girl, Baby Doll, is going to have a lobotomy or have to sleep with a high-roller or was having the lobotomy and this is what happened after or she really is just a messed up girl who doesn’t know what is going on, but the girls are call-girls who give services or they are working in a kitchen or they are dancers or…um…I’m pretty sure I’ve lost you and don’t worry this is what I felt in the movie.

It couldn’t quite hold on to any a pathway of understanding and it was too much with all the graphics going on. I’m really happy Cj and I didn’t pay the ridiculous amount of money to see it in Imax and caught a matinee.

OH and another thing. I think Synder COMPLETELY UNDER-USED the talents of John Hamm of Mad Men and Carla Gugino of Sin City & Watchmen. John Hamm is so hot, dreamy, and talented with his sexy voice and I think he uttered 2 lines in the whole picture totally about less than a minute screen time. Carla Gugino usually gets so into her role and is not afraid to play a raw dominant character but she was barely utilized as a dance teacher/doctor(I think). It was a shame.

If your looking a movie with too much plot going on that comes to too little at the end go see it or just watch it for the graphics make sure you hit up a matinee. Sorry Zack. I wanted to love this but couldn’t. C+.