Sucker Punch - Not as Bad as They Say, but........
POSTED BY: SHINYGOODGUY
UPDATED: Sunday, July 24, 2011 03:43
VIEWED: 12485
PAGE 2 of 3
Yeah, it was fun to watch, but I had to not think too much about it.
I agree with others on the whorehouse bit; what exactly was that representing? For example, I think we can safely assume that no inmate sat in an orderly's lap and stole his lighter while he watched another inmate dancing. Also can probably assume that Blue did not threaten Dr. Gorski or shoot anyone in the head. The battle sequences had the obvious symbolism of taking what was needed from the "enemy," but the dancing and all that lost me and made the actual story and actual sequence of events difficult to follow. If the aim of that was scantily clad women, the battle sequences had plenty of them. I would have liked to see some of what was actually happening in the asylum.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Well, the film was shot as a musical, with big numbers and all - that the studio had cut from the flick. that may explain the disconnect between the burlesque house and the other scenes.
"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."
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Quote:
Originally posted by LiLi:
Yeah, it was fun to watch, but I had to not think too much about it.
I agree with others on the whorehouse bit; what exactly was that representing? For example, I think we can safely assume that no inmate sat in an orderly's lap and stole his lighter while he watched another inmate dancing. Also can probably assume that Blue did not threaten Dr. Gorski or shoot anyone in the head. The battle sequences had the obvious symbolism of taking what was needed from the "enemy," but the dancing and all that lost me and made the actual story and actual sequence of events difficult to follow. If the aim of that was scantily clad women, the battle sequences had plenty of them. I would have liked to see some of what was actually happening in the asylum.
I think everything that happens be it in the brothel or the action sequences is a defense mechanism. It was Baby Doll's mind turning a horrific situation into something fantastic and grandiose. You're right about a couple of the scenarios not making sense, specificly Blue popping off 2 head shots. I don't care how corrupt that place was there is no way anyone was getting away with that.
As to the business of their costumes. I'm pretty sure the entire movie is meant as kick in the groin towards male oppression. Everyone knows how stupid men can get in the presence of attractive women in sexy clothing. It is plausible that in the real world one of the girls was distracting the target while one of her cohorts was stealing the map, lighter, or key. Whether that distraction was in the form of dancing or sex will have to be left to our imaginations.
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We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.
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Ignoring the moronic ending, as I usually do in movies, the story is about Babydoll, per the rules of writing. The ending is essentially fascism, which is par for the course for hollywood:
Select to view spoiler:
The actually sane person gets to go live a normal life, despite how intolerable she is, and it's acceptable that all the inferiors die to assist her.
The bordello fantasy world is sitting in the middle interfering with what might be trying to be a story, but seems to be stolen from many other books and films. There's no emotional pull, and the three levels are not connected with one another. The unintented message is "killing is right" I might add, if you track the story flow back to the beginning.
The action scenes were fun, the schoolgirls battling videogame monsters was entertaining, thought the first scene was better than the ones after. The story itself is moronic.
I enjoyed the film, but my expectations were very low. I was expecting steam punk schoolgirls, and was a little disappointed on the steampunk end. Also, I find the standard issue contradictory message programmed to endorse self loathing incredibly mainstream, masquerading as counterculture, like Frank Miller's Sin City.
It's trash, and like The Cell, thinks it has something to say, which hurts it, because it doesn't. If it embraced being trash a little more, it would do better.
I've actually had the experience, being institutionalized and slated for lobotomy, and having to escape. I think that the Map, Fire, Knife, Key was actually not the working plan.
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You got it too Singate, exactly!
Along the line of "your whole life flashing in front of your eyes".
It was exactly that. Her life, her fantasy and how she coped with being lobotomized. As she is brought in by her step-father she sees the map, key, lighter (fire), and knife. It was well-disguised by Snyder. Upon second viewing I caught that and the statement that Sweet Pea made about making a play about scantily glad women. Snyder is a mad genius and, like Firefly, presented a glimpse into his warped sense of style and storytelling that may not be appreciated until some time has passed. I still say though that his direction was somewhat lacking and the dialogue was, at times, cheesy and melo-dramatic; but, all in all, I'm really beginning to appreciate this film more.
I agree that people most likely stayed away due to the overwhelmingly negative comments by critics pretty much across the board. I found a handful that actually critiqued this film with the skill of a surgeon, while most went with the "bludgeon-it-to-death" route. Check Rotten Tomatoes and you'll see what I mean. I read through a bunch and found most lacking any skill reaching for the blunt object, instead of a scalpel. It seemed to me that those critics didn't even see the film, judging from some of their comments. Several commented that the opening was horrid, while three (that I read), found the opening sequence to be inventive and well done. I held out hope during the opening of the film because I found it to be quite good.
"Heck, just on reputation alone Snyder should have drawn in a bigger crowd."
Agreed. The trailer at ComicCon and Snyder's name attached to this project had my sci-fi heart pounding with anticipation. I expected a lot more. Like Scott Pilgrim, it's a game-changer and ahead of it's time. If anyone could understand that, it would be a Browncoat.
SGG
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"One thing I have learned, though: Any movie with blurbs that claim it will "blow your mind" is almost guaranteed to leave my mind thoroughly un-blown."
Yeah, the marketing people did a lousy job in promoting this film. It was redundant to say it will blow your mind. "You will be unprepared" was a bit closer to the film's theme, but silence would have been best. Sucker Punch was definitely a love letter to the fanboys out there, a video game come to life.
SGG
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"I would have liked to see some of what was actually happening in the asylum."
The brothel fantasy was all in Baby Doll's head. Hell everything was in her head. She played the hero in her mind and saw herself in a valiant battle to escape and take her homies with her. It was her coping mechanism. Much like a little leaguer dreams of hitting the game-winning homerun, or scoring the winning touchdown (the crowd goes wild!). Perhaps there was sexual abuse in the asylum, mistreatment and just general bad-guy stuff.
Now, having said that, I found the whole fantasy-within-a-fantasy angle quite brilliant. She went deeper into her mind to overcome whatever obstacles were laid before her, to reach each goal. The moves she made in her action-fantasy world were her "dance" moves in her brothel fantasy world. That "look" she gave the "High Roller" at the end was satisfaction. She sacrificed herself to save Sweet Pea, who so-loved her sister Rocket and, in turn, went peacefully into "Paradise" having redeemed herself for the accidental killing of her little sister at the beginning of the film(remember Rocket's sacrifice during the Train Job). It just came to me.
With better execution and direction this film could have been the next Matrix.
I must see it again. Maybe in a couple of weeks or when it comes out on Blu-Ray.
SGG
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Quote:
Originally posted by Storymark:
Well, the film was shot as a musical, with big numbers and all - that the studio had cut from the flick. that may explain the disconnect between the burlesque house and the other scenes.
"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."
Yes, I remember seeing a type of Broadway number in one of the trailers promoting the movie. I hope that its included in the Blu-Ray in a director's cut. Methinks Warner Brothers fucked up, in an effort to bring it under 3 hours. Hence the choppiness.
SGG
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Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
"I would have liked to see some of what was actually happening in the asylum."
The brothel fantasy was all in Baby Doll's head. Hell everything was in her head.
Yeeeah, I got that the fantasy was in her head, but she did actually help Sweetpea escape in her time there, according to the doctor. I also got that her moves were a dance. Those had a very clear metaphor to them, even if it had gone from the asylum to the battles. The brothel did not have such clear metaphors, and dropped the thread of the story a little bit. Interesting to find out there was supposed to be musical numbers. They probably should have kept those; most musicals do a lot of exposition in song, it seems.
Facts are stubborn things.
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Quote:
Originally posted by LiLi:Quote:
Originally posted by SHINYGOODGUY:
"I would have liked to see some of what was actually happening in the asylum."
The brothel fantasy was all in Baby Doll's head. Hell everything was in her head.
Yeeeah, I got that the fantasy was in her head, but she did actually help Sweetpea escape in her time there, according to the doctor. I also got that her moves were a dance. Those had a very clear metaphor to them, even if it had gone from the asylum to the battles. The brothel did not have such clear metaphors, and dropped the thread of the story a little bit. Interesting to find out there was supposed to be musical numbers. They probably should have kept those; most musicals do a lot of exposition in song, it seems.
Facts are stubborn things.
Yep, from the moment she saw Sweet Pea up on the stage when she was first brought to the "Theatre" Baby Doll went into her fantasy, but everything was actually happening; the map, the fire, the knife and the key really took place but we were in Baby Doll's mind viewing her fantasy (her coping mechanism). Ok, I know, that's been established. But why the brothel? I am guessing here, but I think it was her way of coping with the treatment the girls were getting throughout. If they were being abused, then that is how she saw it. Blue was no longer the sadistic control lunatic with power issues; he was a wanna-be pimp sadistic control lunatic with power issues. He was making money peddling flesh to the perverts in town, she just found a way to make it fit into her dreamworld. And, of course, to keep in theme with the metaphor motif and keep it PG-13 so as to draw in the most cashy-money.
It's like Prince's song Lil' Red Corvette. There are those that think it's a song about a car.
Two things: 1- I agree they should have kept the dance numbers in, it would have made for a better film; better transitions from one sequence to another.
and 2- TPTB at WB wanted Snyder to have a happy ending. In other words, to have Baby Doll escape along with Sweet Pea.
So maybe that was their decision to cut the musical numbers and make it about the action. Snyder had an ambitious visionary film in his mind and it could very well be that Warner Brothers totally chopped it up beyond recognition. Remember how Fox screwed up Joss' story sequence. Same thing.
SGG
"Swim?!, the fall alone will kill ya'"
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