"Everyone has an angel, a guardian who watches over us. We can't know what form they'll take. One day an old man, the next day a little girl. But don't let appearances fool you. They can be as fierce as any dragon."
--Sweet Pea, Sucker Punch
Zach Snyder is a very hit or miss filmmaker, with movies like 300 at the high quality end of his more popular films and Batman v Superman far closer to the other side. Sucker Punch is nearer to 300 than Batman v Superman. 300, Watchmen, and, to a lesser extent, the DCEU's Man of Steel and Batman v Superman are all adaptions of material from graphic novels or comics, but Sucker Punch steps away from this pattern. It is an original film that is not connected to any prior work of any medium. Moreover, it is a far better movie than it has often received credit for thanks to its imaginative settings and action choreography.
Production Values
Snyder's signature style is on full display throughout the entire runtime, though it is particularly evident in the action sequences, many of which are rather unique in their components and execution. A giant Samurai-like figure brandishing a machine gun is featured in the first one, for example, and a mech suit appears in the second action scene despite its World War I setting. Slow motion is used at strategic moments, just like in 300--though it is used far less in this case.
The action might be the best part of Sucker Punch, but its performances are not weak. Emily Browning's lead role sees her speak only in her imaginary escapades from the hellish asylum her character is taken to early on, but she speaks and acts confidently in this private mental landscape. This nuance adds depth to a performance that would otherwise be very limited. Emily Browning's cover of Sweet Dreams even plays in the opening scene! The supporting cast also manages to give competent performances, with Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, and Oscar Isaac being some of the performers who make appearances.
Story
Several spoilers are below!
A young woman is brought to a mental institution after she threatens an abusive stepfather with a gun and runs away, where she is scheduled for a lobotomy. As she waits for the arrival of the doctor who will perform the lobotomy, she carries out a plan to escape with the help of several other female inmates. However, almost none of this is shown; the focus is instead on an imaginary alternate story in her mind that parallels her situation in the institution.
Intellectual Content
Sucker Punch is an overtly philosophical film, exploring the potential of the human mind to experience a sophisticated series of events that do not correspond to any external stimuli and the personal ramifications of such an experience. Ultimately, Baby Doll's imagined experiences are manifestations of self-empowerment that bring her to celebrate how her attempt to escape the institution instead led to someone else receiving the opportunity for their own freedom. The imaginary sequences are not specifically used to suggest that the external world is an illusion (which is demonstrably false [1]), nor are they used to expose the epistemological limitations of the senses, but they are used to illustrate the philosophical distinction between the mental plane and the sensory plane all the same.
Conclusion
Those who complain about the perceived oversaturation of cinema with sequels and reboots--neither of which are negative in themselves whatsoever--need to celebrate films like Sucker Punch even if the style is too niche to appeal to the entire group. It is movies like this that exemplify the potential creativity of storytelling that is not based on previously established works (not that franchises have no similar potential). Zach Snyder may be behind some very mixed or mediocre projects, but Sucker Punch is not one of his lesser offerings. Its creativity and visual flair easily surpass those of many other contemporary films.
Content:
Violence: Numerous characters are killed onscreen with bladed weapons, gunfire, or other means (like the mech suit).
Profanity: A handful of words like "shit" and "bitch" are used.
[1]. https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2018/08/matter-is-not-illusion.html
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