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The first impressions of Sucker Punch before seeing it was that it perhaps looked the corniest film to be made as far as dialogue is concerned, but it did look like a good bit of fun with it's breathtaking effects and production design. However, despite the fact that there quite frankly wasn't very much to expect from this film, it truly is a very dry, empty and quite boring film to watch. Unfortunately, those three main keywords define some films that have high budgets but with little brains. As quoted from Zack Snyder himself: ''It is like Alice In Wonderland but with machine guns''. News flash! It really is not that because the story of Alice In Wonderland is fun and magical with a lot of lovable characters but sucker Punch really wasn't. In fact, it wasn't even a badass film either so, in simple words: it just didn't work.
As always, a high-budget film is going to have stunning effects and for that, the film does deserve credit especially with the hot females. However, the most annoying thing is that just because a film has great effects doesn't make it a great, fun film all around. It needs to feel exciting, to have at least satisfactory character development and a solid enough story for its target audience, and that is all what Sucker Punch really lacked. If there is any similarity that Sucker Punch has with any other film, it would be Frank Miller's The Spirit because, to be perfectly honest, they both have the exact same faults but also the exact same strengths and positives.
A young girl (Baby Doll) is locked away in a mental asylum by her abusive stepfather where she will undergo a lobotomy in five days' time. Faced with unimaginable odds, she retreats to a fantastical world in her imagination where she and four other female inmates at the asylum, plot to escape the facility. The lines between reality and fantasy blur as Baby Doll and her four companions, as well as a mysterious guide, fight to retrieve the five items they need that will allow them to break free from their captors before it's too late...
Seven years ago, Emily Browning appeared in Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events as Violet Baudelaire, but now she goes into her first big major film since then but not as a little girl anymore. Now, she is a grown woman who gets into a more adult-friendly and graphic film. Although I wasn't entirely impressed with Browning in her previous major film, she may have looked hot in Sucker Punch but her character felt as dry as a dog's bone and just had no character. Baby Doll bought back resembling similarities with Spirit in The Spirit Dawn Of The Dead remake, 300, Watchmen and Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole, but now he goes on to make something of his own. So, even after a first attempt of writing and directing a film of his own making, he unfortunately makes his weakest film to date. Unfortunately, the majority of his films have consisted obviously of fantastic effects but story wise, they have felt a tad bit dry. Sucker Punch felt more like a film that Snyder came up with in his head really quickly and took no patience to do it, and decided to rush it, especially after working on previous films Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole and Watchmen. So, after this one and the fact that Snyder focuses more on effects than dialogue, characters and acting, there are perhaps some uncertainties about a satisfying new Superman film set for 2013.
Overall, Sucker Punch is a dull and rather empty visual stunner that perfectly demonstrates how some film directors prefer adding effects than a strong story, characters and script. If you're looking for a film just for stunning effects only, this is one for you but if the other way round (which is the better way), then perhaps not. I wanted to like this because it did look fun to start off with, but it just wasn't fun or entertaining, so makes it one of the worst films of 2011. Zack better improvise with Superman: Man Of Steel!
4/10
