Sucker Punch

Released: 2011

Directed By: Zach Snyder

Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens

Certificate: 12A

Reviewed By: Richard O’Toole

After watching Zach Snyder’s Sucker Punch for the first time.. i was left wanting to watch it again. After getting over the utter ‘laugh out loud’ way Snyder and Steven Shibuya chose to transition from the ‘dream world’ to the ‘fantasy world’ i began to thoroughly enjoy the film. In reality the protagonist Babydoll has been put into an asylum to be lobotomised. In the week leading up to her surgery she imagines she is in a dream world, leaving reality behind – or so we think. In her dream world she has been put into a brothel that is owned by a mobster. Whilst in this dream world she creates a fantasy world that she visits, whilst she’s actually erotic dancing in her dream world. Confused yet?

So it’s set out as, reality > dream world > fantasy world.

The opening five minutes, were beautifully shot and set the narrative up perfectly with little need of dialogue – in fact the only words spoken were that of a narrator. Snyder’s typical over use of CGI embodies the film in its entirety, which for me only adds even more appeal to the spectacular visions he creates.

This was the first film i’ve watched with protagonist Emily Browning in and she did not disappoint, her acting was believable and strong – something i don’t believe the first choice for the role Amanda Seyfried would have lacked (saying that, i’ve only ever seen her in Mean Girls..). The rest of the cast fulfilled their roles adequately, especially Oscar Isaac whose protrayal of the evil Blue Jones, i thought it was superb.

I don’t want to spoil the ending so all i’ll say is, it comes back to reality with a vicious bump and doesn’t upset, well it does- but not in the way i meant.