Sucker Punch - Movie Review 

RU-vid commenters are the worst. Can't believe people defend this movie.

This movie tries to be smart by putting layers upon layers of "depth" but it just falls flat on it's face, it's a dumb movie.

Am I the only one that loved this movie? Not even for the fight scenes but for the main story... Plus I'm a chick so it wasn't for the actors either.

This movie held my attention throughout there were head scratching parts but in it's entirety the texture and thoughtfulness were there and this movie was indeed awesome and satisfying...albiet dark.

i feel like this movie will be more appreciated once more and more people start to understand it. but for now, let's just allow the hate wagon to roll over it, overlooking the entire point of the film

DUUUUUDEEEE!!!!! The fight scenes meant everything!!! for example, Rocket dies in the train and dies in real life! They're all metaphors of each other!!!

this was one of the most powerful movies iv ever seen! i like that it didnt dumb itself down and shove its point in everyones face because that wouldv taken away from it. if you missed the point , too bad.

love this movie, was actually watching it last night! fabulous soundtrack, sexy chicks, terrific costuming, & mind blowing graphic comic style! favorite

I totally disagree. I love this movie at least, someone is trying something new and original.

This movie went straight over their heads, like a spacestation

You have to pay attention to the movie: The main character speaks to the audience at the beginning: "This is my fantasy guardian angel, sometimes a little girl, sometimes an old man. They help me through life". When the "angel" goes to the mental institute, she sees the main character on the stage, where she just re-acted the opening scene. The "angel" goes through all the same problems that the main character did. Only this time as a mental journey, through layers of fantasy. the main character has been under pressed by men all her life, and that's why she imagine her angel living in a brothel. Later she makes her "angel" take control over the situations where usually the men are the dominant one. The "angels" "dance" is her mental way to be free from a mans dominated world, but she just re-appears in another fetish mans fantasy world, but this time she has weapons to take the control herself. The old man that appears is just another "angel" that tells her to be strong, and take control. In the end the main character (not her fantasy "angel") is the one that is able to escape mentally from the brothel, the world of being seen as an object. In the mental institution, her "angel" ends up the same way as she did, mentally gone, no men can harm her or tell her want to do. The movie ends with the Main Character basically finishing with the words: "now it's your turn to fight for who you are, and don't be suppressed and used as an object by others"

I loved everything about the movie. I feel you guys didn't really understand it.

Ok im sorry, did this chick really just say "chinese gladiators"? How about SAMURAI! Part of the JAPANESE CULTURE!

It's interesting to see so many people defending the movie, kind of on the premise that those who dislike it don't understand it. The people in this video seem intelligent enough to me, and I think most people do understand the movie.. if they managed to sit through it all that is. It's not that hard to understand really, but a lot of the metaphors or imaginations or whatever we should call them, are still really badly written. People saying it has a lot of depth and hidden meanings, I don't believe that, but even if you're right, they obviously didn't do a great job with this movie otherwise people would have deemed it worth watching again - and then they probably would have eventually figured out those 'hidden meanings'. Also, I'm not offended by the hot women in sexy outfits - but it's painfully obvious the real reason that it is in the movie, and it is one of the reasons it is so flat and annoying. Don't try to tell me the burlesque thing is the reason for hot outfits either - the hot outfits are the reason they used the burlesque thing lol. There is some talent in this movie but I think a lot of it is badly written and not very tasteful.

Sucker punch fails on so many levels. 1. There is no depth to the characters. It's basically what you see is what you get. 2. The entire story is told from the perspective of a crazy person so we don't know what actually happens. 3. The cinematography was super blatent with it's use of color; looked like half the scenes were shot with a quintuple blue on a 5k. because you know, this isn't a point where we're supposed to be happy or excited. 4. The action scenes were beyond terrible. Like, sure the choreography is good I guess, but it falls apart with virtually everything else; who is the opposition, why are you fighting them, why are you going from fighting giant samurai to steam powered zombies in the trenches of ww1 to orcs to faceless bland robots on a train, why are we supposed to care when we know that none of this is actually happening and why do these scenes just go on and on and on... 5. The brothel delusion isn't even consistent as a metaphor for the asylum since "blue" was just some random asshole orderly while the "dance teacher" was the head honcho. 6. The climax is telegraphed twice so it's hard to care about what happens for 90% of the movie. 7. The section with the bus is beyond idiotic. The bus driver has no reason to lie to the police to help the girl who escaped from an insane asylum and was being detained there for reasons that are completely unknown to us; for all we know she was caught wearing a santa suit reciting John galt's speech while deflecting newborns off the glass of a maternity ward and was able to escape because "babydoll" was so terminally idiotic that she let her loose to achieve "a perfect victory". But perhaps the most galling part of this, is that what I paid $12 to see wasn't what we were suppose to get because the editors fucked up. Which is funny, because it's the only part of the film making process where he didn't have absolute authority.

I just watched it and LOVED it! If it was boring it must have gone over your head! The story is simple, yet powerful and inspiring. The action scenes were metaphors for their fight for survival. The movie was about taking risk and standing up for yourself and your friends. It was classic good vs. evil and how if good people are passive out of cowardice and selfishness evil wins. Better to die fighting than live as a slave.

They should watch the extended version. Rated R and all the scenes that helped to explain what's going on were left in. More exciting and more cohesive. Definitely worth watching even if you hated the theatrical version.

If your a stoner like me or just like watching chicks fighting this is for you. Dont listen to what they say. Btw the action scenes are epic.

I liked this movie based on esthetics and special effects and story. I didn't see anything wrong with it. It wasn't really a brothell, it was more of a burlesque show. THEY ARE ESCAPING THE BURLESQUE, that's the point of the movie. I don't see how that's unethical.

agreed, i cant believe how harsh the critics have been on this movie

@Xenomorph237 1)The same way we ALL imagine ourselves in a different place than where we really are. We all do this at least once a week 2)The brothel wasn't a dream but an IMAGINATION, and the action scenes were what she was imagining in her head while she danced. The 1st one gave her the plan to escape, the 2nd was about her team getting the map, 3rd getting the fire, and 4th about getting the knife 3)She never got freed, her FRIEND was the one who escaped via Baby Dolls help in real life

thank god there is someone out there that got the movie, i was beggining to wonder if i was the only one, i think the only flaws in the movie were the fight scenes, the metaphors for the diferent fight scenes were very badly thought of, the main idea was there but there were a lot of things in the mix that didnt make any sense

Not once did I feel like I was watching a proffesional film review. I felt like I was watching 3 friends sitting in a bar, slightly buzzed, and talking about how much they didn't like the movie, a topic that was seperated by moments of inside-jokes and funny stories. Once again, I was reminded to watch a film and make my own determination and not to rely on the opinions of those with a lesser degree of mental functioning.

@help4343 (continued) The biggest flaw was that the girl stated that the "titilation" of the girls isn't effective, yet they go on to talk about it. Getting you to talk about something means it was effective. You can tell by the way they described Zack Snyder that they already had their minds made up going into this one. This film was a lot smarter than people give it credit for, just too subtle for its own good. There are negative reviews for it that are good, this just isn't one of them.

@SoCalAries His argument is about how we care about the character. People care if a character that we've grown attached to dies. We don't care if that character is not put at risk at all, but instead is in a fantasy of a fantasy.

I was hoping these guys would give a different perspective on this film than the critics who have been giving it negative reviews, but unfortunately no. They clearly didn't get this film. The battles in her fantasy world are significant and important because they are symbolic to what's going on in the real world at the same time.

I think the main point is that this is a tale from a kid. How she perceives this world, so the parallels are usually games/quests (videogames). Yes reality is boring, but that's the point, kids make boring reality become extraordinary. Adults are evil, and they need to get away with stuff. The sexual part is also interesting, reminds me of Precious, how she just re-format her situation from being an ugly girl into this beautiful girl who will soon break out of her sad state. Sucker punch did acomplish her goal which was save her friend by taking her place for the lobotomy.

I watched Sucker Punch. The imagery was striking but the story was a mess. No love.

I mean ya the movie is far from perfect (a lot of small flaws and contradictions that by the movies end turn into a big flaw) but zack truly did out do himself when compared to his other films (which I hate) this one is really a trip through the Imagination.

Sucker punch is a movie that suffers more from people being so overwhelmed by the visual nature of it that they don't think about what is going on. Sadly even you guys on WTF didn't get it, and it wasn't exactly hidden. The "high roller" is the doctor coming to give her a lobotomy, this is explicitly clear, obvious the "brothel" and sexual references are a rather interesting way of portraying the psychological invasion of the mind by the doctors and staff there. This is a layered and rich movie

It was okay. I'm not always going to analyze the meaning behind every single movie I watch (which is a lot). Maybe there are hidden meanings or whatever. But I didn't care enough about the characters to be honest. It's a movie for people who just like a lot of action and shooting.

I think it was shown perfectly, Me and my friends were actually crying at the end of the movie, which is shocking because i dont cry because of movies (but this time..i actually did o_o) and i have deffo watched a lot of them. What did you not like about the movie?

these ppl are rediculous this movie was so awesome and badass. some of the best action scenes ever. these ppl always over analyzes things. which is prolly why inception was rated high for them

@crazygreen89 ive seen it, and dont listen to these guys, they have no imagination. i will tell you there are only two characters who dont have much depth. but altogether, the characters are well developed.

@MasterKingJC4ever don't tell me what to like, i watch films that i am interested in, i actually like the fact that i have my own mind and dont let people dictate how i enjoy film. the stylistic factors are why i watched this film and i got what i wanted so i was satisfied. I just watch reviews to compare opinion and maybe point out things i missed and help me understand it better. I have VERY varied varied film taste so dont judge me, I don't bow to pressure and criticism.

I don't understand why so many critics hated this film. It was quite awesome. Visually amazing, and as far as the plot, it's really left open for the viewer's own interpretation. Sexy as hell, too. Thumbs up if you agree and enjoyed Suckerpunch, if not just for a good popcorn flick.

@gentlemin Hey, just to let you know...The guy shot two chicks on the fantasy world...not the real one. There is no mention that anyone was killed on the real world.

Interesting that EVERY critic apart from Moviebob hated this film. But he gives it a strong recommendation... i gotta see it now.

"Nobody says any fuck words." This is my favorite phrase of the day

I agree about the Movie rating system in America, which is the MPAA for those who don't know. If anyone is interested, there's a great documentary/expose on the MPAA called, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated." =)

This review made me think of how they should make an American McGee's Alice movie.

"A steaming pile of dog shit" should be the quote on the DVD

I have to admit I really like this movie. I know it's a steaming pile of dogshit but I just really like it for some reason. It's like my guilty pleasure lol

I don't know if you were joking with the big Chinese gladiators line, but if you weren't, please look up the difference between China, Japan, gladiators and samurais.

@painandpyro Mr. Painandpyro, I tried making my point clear. If you cannot understand english, I suggest you should refrain from using it.

The story behind showing the abuse is noble and true, and i am 100% with raising awareness to the issue, but the execution ...well i would beg to differ.

3:33 Aren't all movies fantasies to some extent? What is at stake? Well, they're in combat so... they could die or get injured. They're also trying to collect those 4 items to escape, so they could get caught. Also, "caring" is entirely your problem. I cared enough to sit down and watch the movie. 5:35 I imagine she has a rich and multifaceted life which create all kinds of considerations in her decisions... yeah. 5:43 Putting it into your review, also implies that it's effective. 6:30 Oh...

@SoCalAries I don't expect some deep meditation on female empowerment, I like fun stuff, but I just expect things to make sense like "why a character does this", not stuff happens cause it has to happen and is just pulled out of then air to make it happen. When that happens in a movie I'm hoping to have fun in then I stop having fun because now I have to deal with this hiccup. Creative thrill rides can get stalled on the tracks when stuff like that happens.

I watched the movie despite this negative review and O'm glad I did. I like WTF and mostly agree with their ratings bit this time they are way off. The Quests are not pointless - they are the steps of the escape plan. The protagonist just imagines herself being a superhero while doing so to cope with her fears - but we get to see her minds version instead of the real xeroxing of the map, stealing of the lighter etc... Same with the high-roller - it's just a lesser threat than death by lobotomy.

I think that there are some movies that are meant to be taken seriously and some that are not, this is in the latter category. I liked it.

I personally enjoyed it, despite the fact that it kind of brought a shadow from my own past back out of my closet. Understanding what's going on with oneself having a similar situation to it is the best way to look beyond what these bullshit critics say.

Great movie, filled with hidden meanings.

Poor interpretation. No, they either A) didn't understand it b) were afraid to SAY they understood it because of all the people who were a) and would shun them.

@Relugus You just didn't understand it. The alternate reality of the brothel and the action sequences weren't random. They were symbolic of what was happening in reality. The action sequences were filled with phallic imagery and the brothel reality was a true representation of the asylum. The girls were getting sexually abused. Both realities were a representation of that.

She has sex with the orderlies and cook to distract them; an idea she finds repugnant leading her to mask her actions in her mind with "her dance." And in order to feel like she is not being used or submitting, she overlays her trysts with action scenes to feel as though she's fighting back. She fights the good "fight," loses a few friends along the way, and ultimately has to sacrifice herself to help her friend escape.

"Can i say this movie is a pile of steaming dog shit" took the words right outta my mouth

Movie Critics on Rotten Tomatoes: 20%. Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes: 65%. If you like costume dramas, you will agree with the critics. If you liked 300, Watchmen, or Sin City, you will agree with the Audience. There you go guys, fixed your review for you.

the thing is.....it's a rediculous action-driven movie. the story is self-consistent. which is more than you can say for most movies of this type. the style/SFX/action was awesome. but the points about sneaking it into a PG rating are valid. for the what it tries to be, it succeeds

I rated Sucker Punch a 9/10. It was nearly perfect. I cant believe so many people fail to see the art and story this movie creatively puts forth.

Ratings systems suck anyway. Especially when people can be denied entry because of their age.

WOW, 1.5? Jeez, this movie is at least a 7.5. Plot isn't too too great but movie as a whole is awesome. Loved it.

I didn't like the movie too much but I respect it and I can at least say I actually understood it...like everyone else.

I enjoyed this movie. I did not go expecting a good story or any plot, instead i went with my three geekest friends, got psyched up, and had a ball. If zach snyder intended it to be viewed in any other way he failed.

I really love these reviews, there's no pretentiousness or bs.

To me, this video review was over at 2:10 . Couldn't have said it better myself.

@SoCalAries Yes, but some movies magically create dangerous events, scenarios and tension that feel real and create characters you give a crap about what happens to them in those scenarios. He's saying none of THAT happened in this movie, because its a fantasy in a fantasy with no consequences in that fantasy if she fails a task, therefore nobody cares cause the action is there just to have action. I'll just play a videogame.

Regarding the girl's costumes my issue was the lack of imagination. It being in a fantasy world they should have been colourful and vivid, not generic black stripperific outifts. Sweet Pea's costume was the only interesting one. Oh, and one more thing, this was supposed to be the imagination of a girl, yet oddly her imagination was that of a teenage boy.

i actually liked the movie but i dont know why

ah I see they misplaced the decimal 1.5 -> 15 , suckerpunch is a great film

wow. i hate critics. they have NO imagination. this movie was fantastic. the plot was great. first of all ill say that the movie showed us how sex appeal is a BAD thing. they dont ever utter the word "sex" even though thats what theyre talking about a lot. and they dont show anything naughty, they just hint on it. and these girls dont like being strippers, its a world they hate. thats what i like about it. it discourages that kind of thing.

I loved the movie, I think it would have been better without all of the unnecessary battle scenes as they were already imagining being in a brothel and it already had a good storyline without it, but I still loved the movie, the characters were great and you couldn't help but wish badly for them to succeed and escape (or absolutely hate the bad guys), and the story was generally pretty good

and how did you come up with that conclusion?? its not like its "Inception" or something mind challenging..in fact i enjoy those kinds of movies!

I for one loved this movie and wouldn't mind seeing it again, I don't see what everyones problem is... Okay it's my favourite movie but it wasn't one that I wished I hadn't seen. I would give this a 4/5

agreed. the MOVIE RATING SYSTEM IS FLAWED. the king 's speech is wonderful. should have been pg 13. sucker punch should have been r with the director developing the darker layers more so people know it is a dark flick before they get dissappointed expecting a straightforward action flick. im not dissappointed. I watched the movie BECAUSE it got such bad reviews. it was different but different good.

I came here to check the score against Matt's review of Grownups 2. Sounds like he should have given 0.2 for this one as well.

Not all movies are supposed to be thought provoking. Some are and should be mindless fun, like an amusement park.

To be clear this movie rocked and was well written. In comparison i forced myself to sit through district 9 for the first time, all the way through, because of it's mysteriously high ratings, and THAT movie is a pile! Talk about a waste of budget for an I'll concieved story.

@FarewellBlackSwan There's a difference between not having anything to understand, and people being too lazy/stupid to try to understand it. This movie was a little too vague for it's own good, but it definitely has a pretty intricate plot.

@Vulcansam97 yeah, but he didn't write Watchmen. He just copied and pasted the comic book onto the screen. The only reason that movie has as much substance as it does is because of Alan Moore, NOT Zack Snyder.

The cake is a lie, the pie is a falsehood, but cupcakes are always true.

@82Jaster Yeah, I use to totally agree with you. All my life before college I was pretty much sold on cool effects and action sequence's. It wasn't until I attended college (to pursue a career in film) and took film courses that I realized all the things you have to take into account when watching a film. At least from a critical stand point. That said, i can still enjoy watching high action & mindless plot stories. But I would still know a bad movie when I see one.

@FarewellBlackSwan No, as I stated above, this film IS too vague for its own good. SNYDER clearly knew what he wanted to convey, but he overestimated the audience’s intelligence/perception. You’re giving the film much less credit than it’s due. I feel it’s a movie that people should check out at least once. Everyone I know who saw it loved it, and to hell with the snobby critics. Ebert’s comments on Hit-Girl in his “Kick-Ass” review was the last straw.

2:13 I think that guy was actually looking at a mirror not the TV and he is confused.

This movie was bad, but Zack Snyder wasn't just trying to titillate the audience. He was placing the audience into the shoes of the people who take advantage of the girls to make us aware of the objectification of women that happens in the real world. The movie is marketed on one thing that gets you excited for the movie, but it hits you with criticism of the same thing you came to see: the sucker punch. It's a pretty smart metaphor and critique of society conceptually, but the execution falls apart and leaves a lackluster experience. It has good ideas, but good ideas alone do not make a film. If you just have good ideas then go make a lecture of your ideas and save us the time if you can't effectively tell a story. Zack Snyder is often and unfairly compared to Michael Bay and personally I always cut him slack because he' shown that he is a director that tries to tell a story and gives his all to tell a thought provoking story using visuals to enhance that story. He doesn't really succeed at it, but at least he's trying. I think if Snyder keeps practicing he could be a really interesting talent in the years to come. For now I think he would best working with a really good script that he only directs or get someone else to write out the ideas that he has for a film.

Well, maybe that's what the movie wants to get across. Just how effectively it does that is up for debate however.

@JTK21351 well i liked it but i have to say that i didnt care about any of the action scenes since it was a metaphore for whatever was happening in "reality"...I was like "Dude, That looks awesome" the whole movie which means there wasnt a lot more to it.

@DidntKnowWhatToPut1 Videos upload a lot faster when the quality is a bit worse. I would prefer speedy uploads to video quality.

@FarewellBlackSwan Nonsensical? It was pretty straight-forward, more of a matter of your interpretation (like Inception). And you should really watch the film again if you think everything is unrelated. Did you notice how the city/citadel/asylum all had the same architecture? How about the story being told on Babydoll’s sword? Not trying to be a prick, but I honestly believe most critics simply weren’t smart enough for this movie, and instead of admitting it, decided to bash it.

So what d'you think, Matt?

When I write as a fan for Rottentomotes, I take in consideration my target audience. I like a whole array of films, and broadway plays. I enjoyed this film as much as I enjoy Les Miserales. You dont always have to be condensending on lame films, it was a action fantasy film and well done. Not all films are like Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, and Ben Hur. Lighten up, live a little. But dont go and see RedDawn,,

I think the film was brilliant. People are too quick to dismiss a film that does not have a completely linear and predictable story line. We are so spoiled by cookie cutter hollywood films that we have forgotten how to THINK. We think that a film must lay out every single event for us, and then explain it at the end. The film is not linear, because we are dealing with an unreliable narrator with an unstable mind. I really enjoyed it, but then again, I like films that make me think.

@RiptosRage nah, i've got my own mind, critics just give me another point of view of the film.

To a degree you guys tried to understand the movie, but you didn't get to the point where you understood.

I watched the movie today and it was awesome... And I know what good movies are about. If you want to see the movie in the trailer than go watch it. If you want to see a dramatic masterpiece, than watch "Oldboy".

hot girls? Nazi's? Dragons? a monorail to saturn? A brothel? sounds epic

please tell me 'when the levee breaks' is only on WTF and not in the movie.

@Ex0dus111 i know right how much more obvious did the movie need to be. on a side note i liked the movie, but the story was a bit confusing though. now i dont mean i didn't get the story, its that it was lacking something.

This movie was amazing

On another note, I don't see why this would be rated R just because it has a brothel in it. Yes, the rating system is broken but I don't think brothel necessarily requires an R. Its not like they're glamorizing forced prostitution because the people who are running it are bad guys and she's trying to escape as I understand.

Frankly, I loved the IDEA of the movie, I felt like the idea was perfect and very engaging, but the movie itself, particularly the video-game-like fight scenes that go on forever, well.. To be seriously honest, I fell asleep twice during the fight scenes. Twice. I dont think I've done that all my life.