I heard nothing about SUcker PUnch until a friend talked excited about it, since it was someone whose opinion I trusted I decided to check it out and at the time the latest traielr was the SDCC teaser. It completely got my hyped with what this movie could be. It seemed like an unapologetic live action tribute to anime and video games. I first watched it and was a bit disappointed with it, I gave it a second chance years later and found out it was better than I had originlly thought. Recently watched the Extended Version and man I’ve realized that despite it’s flaws it’s an amazing one of a kind movie that we’ll likely never get again. Hopefully Zack Snyder’s Cut comes out one day and fixes some of the issues with the movie. So here is our little shrine to Sucker Punch.
Story has never been Snyder’s stronger points and you can see this here. The idea of a girl in an Asylum as she’s fantasizing in other worlds is a neat one, I don’t know if 2 imaginary worlds were really necessary as perhaps only 2 could’ve worked better. Esepcially since you barely spent time in the real world. The whole ending with Babydoll not being the main protagonist is also such a weird choice and I’m not sure what that was all about. The concept is really good on paper but it’s executed poorly. Some slight changes in the story could’ve gone a long way in this movie.
I feel the characters are lacking in such a stylish movie. They’re all so serious when each should have their defined personality. Counting its influences I’m surprised everyone had to have the angsty gritty personality. Some fighting between them could’ve been done much better if i happened and it would’ve given more room for you to like most of them. I also feel there was not enough diversity in the cast, itoo many brunette/blondes. They were going for a certain aesthetic and every girl looking different like say the spice girls coudlve helped give them more individuality.
This being a PG-13 movie really hurt it, you can’t make a fanservice movie without including well enough fan service. By cutting that off you’re not going to convince the normie audience and you won’t get people who are into this. It’s a lose lose. It definitely needed to be sexier, and perhaps include a nude scene or two. You can’t go halfway with it. Similarly it coudl’ve done some far geekier obscure references to stuff instead of keeping it so generic at times. More blood and action to set this apart from any generic superhero movie, that R rating would’ve helped so much. It should’ve been unashamed of what it was, it’s what limited it.
Now after ranting about the stuff I don’t like, I have to say I do love the movie. The whole aspect of doing something in reality while your mind is in another place is a fantastic idea. I loved finding the little hints in the real world that inspired the look of the dream world. Very rugrats esque. I like that they don’t explain how exactly they get to the other worlds or how things are being played out in the real world. Just knowing it had something to do with the music and dancing was a good enough hint for us to think about.
The action scenes in the dream worlds are great and full of imagination, they do feel like AMVs but that’s not a bad thing, that’s a good thing actually. The music and soundtrack hit all the right places. It makes you enjoy and have fun. I wish there had been a video game about this, how did it not happen? It was perfect for one. Hell it didn’t even get much merchandise either, I had to kitbash a different figure to make my babydoll.
I don’t know if I’d like a Sucker Punch 2 with the same characters, I feel it’s a one and done story but I do think that another movie in this exact style would be awesome, new set of characters new ideas but as a tribute to all things cool like this one. I mean an animated adaptation of this movie as either an anime could also work, I just think it’s too great of an idea to be left alone. Someone can see what worked here and make a fantastic movie or show.