Sucker Punch

[JELEINEN]

It wasn't bad, the ending was a let down.

Almost felt like a lifetime movie with a bunch of action.

I think Babydoll created the fantasy world in order to adapt. At the end she imagined Sweet Pea getting on the bus safely.

I think that the imagined world was Seet Pea's (at least the first one of the brothel/burlesque hall, but I think ultimately all of it). We have confirmation in the real world that she escaped. Baby Doll is the agent of the guardian angel we're told of in the opening naration and the dancing was a stand-in for her being molested by the men in the assylum in order for the items needed for esape to be gathered.. Since there's no mention of murders at the end (and they would have been mentioned giving something that signficant), I think that Amber and Blondie (and likely Rocket) were either imagined or never part of the attempt to escape/free Sweet Pea.

It took me a bit of thinking it over, but I've decided that I like the film. It turned out to be a lot darker than I was expecting, but I'm OK with that. One thing I really apreciate is that it took its audience seriously by letting the ambiguity stand and not spoon feeding them an explanation. Most of the negative reviews I've seen have so many inacuracies, it makes me wonder if the reviewers actually watched the movie.

[Gaijin]

I think that the imagined world was Seet Pea's (at least the first one of the brothel/burlesque hall, but I think ultimately all of it). We have confirmation in the real world that she escaped. Baby Doll is the agent of the guardian angel we're told of in the opening naration and the dancing was a stand-in for her being molested by the men in the assylum in order for the items needed for esape to be gathered.. Since there's no mention of murders at the end (and they would have been mentioned giving something that signficant), I think that Amber and Blondie (and likely Rocket) were either imagined or never part of the attempt to escape/free Sweet Pea.

It took me a bit of thinking it over, but I've decided that I like the film. It turned out to be a lot darker than I was expecting, but I'm OK with that. One thing I really apreciate is that it took its audience seriously by letting the ambiguity stand and not spoon feeding them an explanation. Most of the negative reviews I've seen have so many inacuracies, it makes me wonder if the reviewers actually watched the movie.

I doubt they really did. Most would not want to admit they could like something like this. It's like the Oscars admitting sci-fi could be a legit genre.

[wolfx]

This video shows how much the girls were pushed for the roles. Nice.

[treatment]

nice, but i'll just wait for the BD release.

hopefully they finally make live-action Ikkitousen (at least Dragon Destiny) next after this. they really should!

[Negotiator]

This video shows how much the girls were pushed for the roles. Nice.

hoooooooooot

[macrossnake]

This video shows how much the girls were pushed for the roles. Nice.

yes, it really shows. Their action are so well done.

Edited March 29, 2011 by macrossnake

[Macross_Fanboy]

There was nearly twenty minutes cut from the film, including dance scenes like during the end credits.

I would have like to have seen the dance scenes, the whole time during the movie I wondered if we could see the girls dance.

[Macross_Fanboy]

My expectations were pretty much on target for the movie. I wish that they hadn't hyped it so much and blown nearly every action sequence in the commercials, because I think if I would have been surprised by a few of the enemies I would have had an even better time watching the movie.

I didn't hate it, but I also wouldn't go getting a tattoo of the title across my chest or anything either. It was a fun distraction for a couple hours.

That's why you don't watch TV and don't Youtube stuff on the films. LOL, damn I hardly watch TV at all.

[PetarB]

Saw this last night... and immediately afterwards, it took me some time to form an opinion on the movie. But in the end I liked it - not for the reasons I thought I would. The movie is not marketed in the right way, that's for sure. It had a much darker tone that we were led to believe, and once you fill in the blanks as well, you begin to change your attitude. I think a lot of reviewers did not fill in the blanks, and as has been mentioned in the thread, the fact that many of them had got the 'basics' wrong... makes me think this is a tough movie to sell. But for all its faults I liked it, and although it's not for everyone I encourage you to see it on the big screen if you can.

[eugimon]

I liked it as well. I mean, it's not without it's faults. It's almost as if they just took a high school nerd's 3rd period math notebook, took the doodles he was doing instead of learning calculus and decided to make a movie about them.

But as a kind of modern grimm's fairy tales, it works... kinda.

[Gaijin]

I would really like to see the scenes that were cut out to see if Snyder's original vision of the film would solve some people's problems of it "not making a lick of sense"

[Scream Man]

See, to me it did and didn't make sense.

In the basic sense I get it. She creates the alternate reality to deal with what happens to her before she gets lobotomized. That's fine. i get the idea. Within the reality she creates, she dances and takes peoples breath away, and while dancing she imagines a world where she and her friends are superhero soldiers. again, no worries. But it's WITHIN that construct that I think it breaks down.

First off, why spoil the asylum stuff? Have it start with her in the brothel, start putting in weird flashes of 'reality' or whatever, and then keep the ending in place where she is lobotomized (Without a mark on her beautiful face I might add).

Secondly, by making Sweet Pea actually escape in the 'real world' u add problems. So Baby Doll really DID light a fire, stab the guard etc etc; Does that mean the guard really shot Amber and Blondie? If so how did he get away with that? Did Rocket also die saving Sweet Pea from the cook? If so why wasn't THAT mentioned or commented on. The Doctor was all "Oh yeah, she caused problems. stabbed a guard, lit a fire helped someone escape..." Wouldn't "contributed to three deaths" make that list? if they're alive, why didn't they escape as well? And if three inmates were killed, why wasn't the place locked down tighter? We get told baby was only there a week! Does that mean it's kind of half true? She did a version of some of the stuff but not everything?

Thirdly; wise old man bus driver guy....WTF? even aside from the fact he doesnt fit the mental escape scenario since she never meets him, he seemed to be there to give them a mission and then spout a badly worded fortune cookie. And even when some of the lines make sense (which is rare) they're just thrown in with no context!

Despite all that, it was a fun romp. The first three action scenes are great (Though the one on the train is pretty lame) and the girls are all cute. Performances all round were solid, with the main villain chewing scenery quite happily.

It's kind of like if the kid who writes Axe Cop hit puberty and discovered girls, and then they made a movie about it.

[Negotiator]

See, to me it did and didn't make sense.

In the basic sense I get it. She creates the alternate reality to deal with what happens to her before she gets lobotomized. That's fine. i get the idea. Within the reality she creates, she dances and takes peoples breath away, and while dancing she imagines a world where she and her friends are superhero soldiers. again, no worries. But it's WITHIN that construct that I think it breaks down.

First off, why spoil the asylum stuff? Have it start with her in the brothel, start putting in weird flashes of 'reality' or whatever, and then keep the ending in place where she is lobotomized (Without a mark on her beautiful face I might add).

Secondly, by making Sweet Pea actually escape in the 'real world' u add problems. So Baby Doll really DID light a fire, stab the guard etc etc; Does that mean the guard really shot Amber and Blondie? If so how did he get away with that? Did Rocket also die saving Sweet Pea from the cook? If so why wasn't THAT mentioned or commented on. The Doctor was all "Oh yeah, she caused problems. stabbed a guard, lit a fire helped someone escape..." Wouldn't "contributed to three deaths" make that list? if they're alive, why didn't they escape as well? And if three inmates were killed, why wasn't the place locked down tighter? We get told baby was only there a week! Does that mean it's kind of half true? She did a version of some of the stuff but not everything?

Thirdly; wise old man bus driver guy....WTF? even aside from the fact he doesnt fit the mental escape scenario since she never meets him, he seemed to be there to give them a mission and then spout a badly worded fortune cookie. And even when some of the lines make sense (which is rare) they're just thrown in with no context!

Despite all that, it was a fun romp. The first three action scenes are great (Though the one on the train is pretty lame) and the girls are all cute. Performances all round were solid, with the main villain chewing scenery quite happily.

It's kind of like if the kid who writes Axe Cop hit puberty and discovered girls, and then they made a movie about it.

I believe it was only baby doll and sweet pea that actually did anything. The other 3 girls physically existed, but I don't think they were ever part of anything that really happened, that's why there's no mention of them later on. She used their images into her fantasy after first seeing them on the table before she looks up at sweet pea. I interpret the old guy as the "angel" that guides her to free sweet pea.

[wolfx]

See, to me it did and didn't make sense.

In the basic sense I get it. She creates the alternate reality to deal with what happens to her before she gets lobotomized. That's fine. i get the idea. Within the reality she creates, she dances and takes peoples breath away, and while dancing she imagines a world where she and her friends are superhero soldiers. again, no worries. But it's WITHIN that construct that I think it breaks down.

First off, why spoil the asylum stuff? Have it start with her in the brothel, start putting in weird flashes of 'reality' or whatever, and then keep the ending in place where she is lobotomized (Without a mark on her beautiful face I might add).

Secondly, by making Sweet Pea actually escape in the 'real world' u add problems. So Baby Doll really DID light a fire, stab the guard etc etc; Does that mean the guard really shot Amber and Blondie? If so how did he get away with that? Did Rocket also die saving Sweet Pea from the cook? If so why wasn't THAT mentioned or commented on. The Doctor was all "Oh yeah, she caused problems. stabbed a guard, lit a fire helped someone escape..." Wouldn't "contributed to three deaths" make that list? if they're alive, why didn't they escape as well? And if three inmates were killed, why wasn't the place locked down tighter? We get told baby was only there a week! Does that mean it's kind of half true? She did a version of some of the stuff but not everything?

Thirdly; wise old man bus driver guy....WTF? even aside from the fact he doesnt fit the mental escape scenario since she never meets him, he seemed to be there to give them a mission and then spout a badly worded fortune cookie. And even when some of the lines make sense (which is rare) they're just thrown in with no context!

Despite all that, it was a fun romp. The first three action scenes are great (Though the one on the train is pretty lame) and the girls are all cute. Performances all round were solid, with the main villain chewing scenery quite happily.

It's kind of like if the kid who writes Axe Cop hit puberty and discovered girls, and then they made a movie about it.

Maybe baby doll and the rest never truly existed. She's the avatar of courage and strength that fights and dies for Sweetpea....when in fact all those actions in they asylum were done by Sweetpea herself, with help from her fantasy, baby doll. Sweet pea after all was the one that's always in doubt.

[UN_MARINE]

I saw it twice, and here's my take on how the movie makes sense.

All the girls are real, it's one way to explain how the events in the asylum are mentioned at the end. The girls dying is like symbolism of them being lobotomized in the real world; note that everything goes downhill in 1 day. Also, the lobotomy doctor mentions that he's been doing the surgery a lot (under false pretenses).

Sweet Pea escaping most likely happened, but it's only a happy ending in Babydoll's mind; the Wise man as a bus driver & "Paradise Cafe" are something to think about, especially since Blue uses "paradise" when he mentions the plan for a lobotomy on Babydoll.

[renegadeleader1]

I see this movie going 4 ways

1. the blonde gets lobotomized, but thats okay because she is happier in her fantasy world (blleccchhh)

2. escapes the institution and kills her step father for the attempted rape and ends up back at the institution

3. the "shutter island" approach. She is insane she did something very bad and actually deserves to be there

4. the fantasy world IS the real world and she wants to be anywhere but near dragons and gatling samurai

BTW there are 28 panty shots in the trailer if anybody is wondering

DING WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

[one_klump]

See, to me it did and didn't make sense.

In the basic sense I get it. She creates the alternate reality to deal with what happens to her before she gets lobotomized. That's fine. i get the idea. Within the reality she creates, she dances and takes peoples breath away, and while dancing she imagines a world where she and her friends are superhero soldiers. again, no worries. But it's WITHIN that construct that I think it breaks down.

First off, why spoil the asylum stuff? Have it start with her in the brothel, start putting in weird flashes of 'reality' or whatever, and then keep the ending in place where she is lobotomized (Without a mark on her beautiful face I might add).

Secondly, by making Sweet Pea actually escape in the 'real world' u add problems. So Baby Doll really DID light a fire, stab the guard etc etc; Does that mean the guard really shot Amber and Blondie? If so how did he get away with that? Did Rocket also die saving Sweet Pea from the cook? If so why wasn't THAT mentioned or commented on. The Doctor was all "Oh yeah, she caused problems. stabbed a guard, lit a fire helped someone escape..." Wouldn't "contributed to three deaths" make that list? if they're alive, why didn't they escape as well? And if three inmates were killed, why wasn't the place locked down tighter? We get told baby was only there a week! Does that mean it's kind of half true? She did a version of some of the stuff but not everything?

Thirdly; wise old man bus driver guy....WTF? even aside from the fact he doesnt fit the mental escape scenario since she never meets him, he seemed to be there to give them a mission and then spout a badly worded fortune cookie. And even when some of the lines make sense (which is rare) they're just thrown in with no context!

Despite all that, it was a fun romp. The first three action scenes are great (Though the one on the train is pretty lame) and the girls are all cute. Performances all round were solid, with the main villain chewing scenery quite happily.

It's kind of like if the kid who writes Axe Cop hit puberty and discovered girls, and then they made a movie about it.

The lobotomy is performed by inserting the ice pick between the eyeball and the socket wall, piercing the thin bone behind the eye.

As for the old guy, I immediately thought of him as Sweet Pea's guardian angel.

Here is how I saw the move:

In the beginning, the orderly told the step father that there was no doctor on site. That pretty much makes him in charge. He was obviously a corrupt scumbag, so he ran the asylum as a sort of brothel. People came in, paid their cash, and did the nasty with a patient. The patients were in an insane asylum, no one would ever believe them if they talked.

Baby Doll enters the asylum, and creates a world where all of this is still happening, but dressed up a little. They are still forced to do things against their will for the pimp/orderly, but it is dressed up to be almost bearable.

Almost everything else outside the theater is unchanged. Dirty toilets, inbred cook, guards, and locked gates and doors.

When Baby Doll starts to dance, she enters a fantasy world. Maybe dancing is code for being forced to sleep with a client of the pimp/orderly, and she transports herself out of that reality and into something more manageable, somewhere with a purpose.

[Warmaker]

This video shows how much the girls were pushed for the roles. Nice.

*snip*

Oh. Oooohhh... this was supposed to be about the physical training. I see now. My caught myself tilting my head in certain directions for different angles.

[robodragon]

I liked the movie allot. I don't buy DVD's or Bluray'a anymore but this I will buy. I also will get the sound track on CD. I thought it was really well done and left lots of mysteries about it. I like when movies don't give you all the answers, because in real life it's the same way. To me the hot chicks was the first thing that made me notice the previews but in the end they where like the extra added bonus to the film.

[Major Focker]

apparently, babydoll sang on 3 of the tracks. not sure if that's old news..

[Keith]

Just watched this, first 15 minutes didn't grab me, but after that it was full of all kinds of awesome.

[soul.assassin]

Enjoyed the ride till the WTF ending.

The most surprising coincidence about Sucker Punch and Madoka Magica is the uncanny similarity between the heroines and the plot; I mean, there's no way the scriptwriters from either side of the pond knew what was in the other writer's mind .

[taksraven]

I really enjoyed it when I saw it. I think it's really underrated and in years to come it will become a cult action film.

[Gaijin]

Bought the extended cut Blu-ray, the SteelBook Canada Blu-ray too. MIght pick up the Japan Angel Wars set as well.

Also got one of the signed by Snyder limited edition art books too when they were released.

I like this film.

[Keith]

Bought the extended cut Blu-ray, the SteelBook Canada Blu-ray too. MIght pick up the Japan Angel Wars set as well.

Also got one of the signed by Snyder limited edition art books too when they were released.

I like this film.

It didn't deserve anywhere near the amount of hate it got. I'm really surprised by how many things it did right, complete with the soundtrack. Only thing I wasn't big on was the extended versions chicago-esque musical number, but once the first dream sequence hit with bjork, I was there. Hell, I'd pay to see any one of the dream sequences done a full movie.

[taksraven]

It didn't deserve anywhere near the amount of hate it got. I'm really surprised by how many things it did right, complete with the soundtrack. Only thing I wasn't big on was the extended versions chicago-esque musical number, but once the first dream sequence hit with bjork, I was there. Hell, I'd pay to see any one of the dream sequences done a full movie.

Tomorrow Never Knows is one of the greatest songs ever and sounded great in this film. Listen to the drumming in particular.

And yes. This film received waaaay too much hate.

[Keith]

Tomorrow Never Knows is one of the greatest songs ever and sounded great in this film. Listen to the drumming in particular.

And yes. This film received waaaay too much hate.

Agreed, and I hate 90% of all Beatles covers. To have an actress singing it well to boot was just icing.

[Zor Primus]

Amazing movie...saw a net version and proceeded the next day to buy the blu-ray and soundtrack.

Loved it more then anything I've seen this year.

[macrossnake]

I like this movie, very entertaining.

Truth, this movie received way too much hate.

[Keith]

Home sales definately seem to be making up for the bad theatre showing though Definately glad I had the good sense to blind buy it.

[Kanedas Bike]

Ok, just purchased and watched the extended cut on Blu-ray today.

I hadn't seen the movie prior to today but was well aware of the mixed reviews. I have to say I enjoyed it, I can also see why or how an edited theatrical cut would be harder to follow than the extended version.

All in all I'm glad I purchased it and I can see myself watching this on more than this one occasion (even if I have to constantly adjust the volume for my neighbors during the fantasy scenes - damn the music and effects are LOUD).

-b.

[505thAirborne]

As usual film critics are idiots and the masses follow, Just finished watching Sucker Punch and I loved it!! Samurai, WWI, WWII, guns, bullets & Bombs with Emily Browning wielding a sword. I'll definitely buy this one with the extended-version!

[taksraven]

As usual film critics are idiots and the masses follow, Just finished watching Sucker Punch and I loved it!! Samurai, WWI, WWII, guns, bullets & Bombs with Emily Browning wielding a sword. I'll definitely buy this one with the extended-version!

But I thought that critics were always right!

[wolfx]

Ok, just purchased and watched the extended cut on Blu-ray today.

I hadn't seen the movie prior to today but was well aware of the mixed reviews. I have to say I enjoyed it, I can also see why or how an edited theatrical cut would be harder to follow than the extended version.

All in all I'm glad I purchased it and I can see myself watching this on more than this one occasion (even if I have to constantly adjust the volume for my neighbors during the fantasy scenes - damn the music and effects are LOUD).

-b.

Any idea what's the differences?

[Kanedas Bike]

Any idea what's the differences?

...suspect that the extended version is more fleshed-out in terms of story or plot development. Based on the story and premise this is a good thing because if you start editing for time or content this movie has/had the potential to be a jumbled mess.

I'll give the theatrical version a go later this week to see if that theory pans out or not.

-b.