SUCKER PUNCH

SUCKER PUNCH

rated PG13

ART--->***
HEART->**
MIND-->**
FUN--->***

I'm not quite sure what to do with SUCKER PUNCH, the latest film from director Zack Snyder (who brought us 300 and WATCHMEN). One thing's for sure, it will polarize and confuse audiences.

The story centers around a young woman nicknamed Baby Doll [Emily Browning] who, in a visually and emotionally compelling opening sequence, escapes danger, suffers loss, and gets thrown into a mental hospital by her despicable stepfather. Once there, she befriends some other female inmates and forms an escape plan. What follows is... debatable.

Like INCEPTION, there are multiple levels of reality going on here simultaneously. But unlike Nolan's film, not all the pieces of SUCKER PUNCH fit together well. The first level (which we see very little of) is the actual mental institution, a dull, nasty place. Within that facility we meet Blue Jones [Oscar Isaac], a slimy orderly, and the seemingly helpful (although oddly Russian) Dr. Vera Gorski [Carla Gugino] who teaches the girls to "let go" through the use of fantasy.

The second level is an alternate version of reality, where the girls are now burlesque dancers who (hint, hint) perform other services. Blue is now the club owner/pimp, and Dr. Gorski is the choreographer/madam. In order to escape this sleaze, when Baby Doll "dances" (let's not get into what that actually means) she fantasizes and creates a third reality.

In this level she is part of an epic adventure guided by a wise mentor [Scott Glenn] who gives advice and spouts truthisms. Fighting impossible odds, Baby Doll and her friends must collect specific objects in order to escape. These items have ties to the real world, but not everything turns out exactly the way she hopes.

Now these quests are actually metaphors for what she is trying to achieve two levels down, in the mental hospital. But we never get to see that side of it. So we're left to fill in the blanks ourselves, using the alternate reality of the burlesque house as our home base.

This is the kind of movie where its effectiveness relies on how you the audience member are wired to begin with. If incredible over-the-top videogame action sequences with ridiculous acrobatics tend to red line your Suspense Of Disbelief Meter, then you're out of luck.

If you can accept all this overkill, then you might see a deeper level at work here. Mind you, not much deeper. Supposedly, beyond the male fantasy outfits and computer graphics, this is a tale of individual empowerment. (You see, reality really revolves around you, and you are the one putting obstacles in your path to overcome and achieve victory or sacrifice or both. Or something. I dunno.)

What I do know is that the first half of the movie is really quite a kick if you're willing to play ball. The second gets pretty brutal; and the ending, well... it's not called SUCKER PUNCH for nothing. Some may see that creative choice as noble, others will inevitably be disappointed.

Myself, I can appreciate the symbolic use of genre film elements as well as the emotional struggles, but I needed the story to go to a deeper place. Instead, all I'm left with is the empty promise of a humanist manifesto. Still, the soundtrack rocks, the visuals are impressive and the girls do kick some serious butt. So it's got that going for it. But it might not be your cup of tea.

MILDLY RECOMMENDED (but don't say I didn't warn you)

PS. There has been some controversy over whether the girls are being objectified in the film, but surprisingly, most of the salacious elements have been toned down. Personally, I've never understood how dressing like a slut results in female empowerment, but as far as the movie goes you have to make that call. I just think that if you're fighting giant warriors in the snow, you should probably be wearing pants.