Movies 141: Sucker Punch

I've been waiting ages to see this film. To start with, such a great cast to help conjure a fanboy's dream. Emily Browning as Babydoll, Abby Cornish and Jena Malone as sisters that Babydoll meets at the asylum. Along with Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung as Blondie and Amber. Which gives you the vibe of girl power mayhem.

Unfortunately, its a very tragic story and a critic's nightmare. You can either sit back and enjoy the ride, or try to decipher all the angles of it.

Babydoll knows her time is limited, and I won't give you any spoilers here. She's also at the hands of Blue (played amazingly by Oscar Issac) the orderly, who also secretly pawns the girls off as prostitutes at his little inside night club.

But Babydoll deals with it. We never actually see the dance she does. Its up to you to decide on the truth of the dance. On one level its possibly a very bad thing. To us we get inside her head to see an action pack adventure with Samurais, Nazis zombies and fierce dragons.

Of course, you might find yourself questioning Snyder's story. Such a visual movie and the music keeps the story pulsing. ARMY OF ME is amazing by Bjork. Emily Browning even gets a chance in the opening with her version of SWEET DREAMS. I have to admit I adored Emiliana Torrini's WHITE RABBIT.

This is a movie that will have you talking with friends for quite awhile, wanting to view it again, perhaps. Some, will be disappointed and will hope the director's cut will clear everything up. Truly, you will find your own ending to this movie. Perhaps its best not to dwell on what really happened in the asylum, but to sit back and enjoy the show.

Some remarkable performances by Glen Scott and Carla Gugino. If only there would have been more scenes with Jon Hamm.

STORYLINE: A young girl (Baby Doll) is locked away in a mental asylum by her wicked stepfather where she will undergo a lobotomy in 5 days time. Faced with unimaginable odds, she retreats to 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 companions battle various creatures and enemies to retrieve the 5 items they need that will allow them to break free from their captors before it's too late.

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8/10