Sucker Punch (2011)

Director: Zack Snyder


Review:

Before I went in the theatre my friend warned me that this movie is not gonna be one of the best movies, but only something visually stylish. I was fully aware of that but I have too heightened expectation from Zack Snyder, since he has yet to make a bad film. Although this is not really bad, but it easily be his worst.

All things aside the opening credit is good. Zack Snyder made some very good opening credits in the past and this one is no exception. We see how the girl became an orphan, how his stepfather was pissed because she and her sister inherit all the wealth, and how she accidentially killed her sister and be committed. This is done without saying any dialogue and with some girly punk rock music to perfectly suit the girly theme going on here. However it is all going down hill from here.

The film is filled with different incoherent action sequences, from fighting in a Japanese Temple, the castle in "The Two Towers", the train in "John Carpenter's Ghost on Mars", to some futuristic war zone. Each fight represents a dance that the girl has to perform to get other's attendion while other girls steals some tools for their escape.

While these action scenes are nicely shot, and stylish, they are boring since we are not emotional invested. As long as we can tell they just fight and fight for some goals we fed right before, and though the computer graphics do look beautiful, it felt flat and meaningless. At the end when the narrator spills some words of wisdom we feel nothing cause what we have witnessed is just some beautiful girls in pointless action.

The plot is reminiscent to the 1962 short french film "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", and the ending should be the same too. I looked upon this movie since I played a video game when I was small, called "American McGee's Alice". The story of the game is that Alice's (that Alice in wonderland) family was burnt to death in a fire accident, and tormented by guilt of inability to save her family, she was mentally ill and shut down in a mental hospital. When she was locked up, she visited the wonderland once more but this time it turned into a dark and brutal world.

Americn McGee's Alice

The movie should have done the same as the game: the action should be symbolize something of her mental problem and some obstacles that are tormenting her. And through the action she gained revelation and redemption.

I was hoping "American McGee's Alice" would be made into a movie. At first Tim Burton would be the perfect one to direct it but he failed with his "Alice". Now Sucker Punch also failed, and there is little hope on the official film adaption. Maybe it's for the best, and let the game exists as it is.