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So I have a bone to pick with critics because why the heck did they hate Sucker Punch as much as they did?
Look, I’ll be the first to say that Zack Snyder’s films have certainly been either hit or miss. The director is a legend in Hollywood, but just because you’re a legend, that doesn’t mean your films are always going to be a hit. For every 300 or Dawn of the Dead film, you have a meager Rebel Moon movie – and we don’t need to talk about the messy plot of that film.
However, the one Snyder movie that I never entirely understood why it got so much hate was Sucker Punch, for various reasons. This film actually came out when I was young – a little too young to watch it, honestly – but I enjoyed it so much, and it shocked me to see that critics dragged this movie to dust.
So, I decided to rewatch the film, and I still think critics are entirely wrong about this movie, or at least that it deserves a lot more praise. Here are my reasons for this.
First Off, The Cast Is Absolutely Stellar
Okay, so let’s be honest here and say that just having a great cast doesn’t automatically make a movie great. Movie 43 had a crazy ensemble cast, and that is probably one of the absolute worst movies of all time, so it’s not like having a million stars in a film is automatically going to make it great.
But I think what makes the cast of Sucker Punch a stellar one is the variety, and the fact that it’s mainly a female-led cast. We start with Emily Browning, a young actress who has appeared in shows like High Flyers and Blue Heelers but has since appeared in other projects like American Gods, The Affair, and more.
After Browning, however, the cast only continues to grow and become even better. From Vanessa Hudgens and her time in the High School Musical movies to Jamie Chung from The Hangover Part II to even Carl Gugino — an underrated actress (and the coolest mom ever in Spy Kids) — the female cast of Sucker Punch was a freaking fantastic one.
And even then, the few male actors who were in this film knocked it out of the park, too. Oscar Isaac played a literal psychopath in this movie. Since then, Isaac’s best movies have only expanded, from his time in the MCU to voicing Miguel O’Hara in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
And Mad Men cast member Jon Hamm is an excellent addition to this movie and is incredible to watch. Sure, the acting can be a little stiff at times, but it’s not like I’m expecting an Academy Award hit – it’s an action film.
The Action Scenes Have Sat With Me For Years
I mean, it’s Zack Snyder; what the hell are you expecting? The man knows how to craft an action scene.
As someone who was a fan of Snyder’s take on the DC heroes and the films he made about them, I think Snyder is honestly one of the action legends of this generation of filmmaking. He knows how to frame a fight and make you feel like you’re actively a part of it.
But I think what makes the fights in Sucker Punch so fun is that not only are they pretty artistic in the way they are filmed, but they almost remind me of video games. No, not video game adaptations, but the actual fights in video games themselves, where every move is precise, aimed perfectly, and choreographed – which makes sense because of the story behind the fights in this film.
Many Shots Of The Movie Are Filmed Beautifully – And The Special Effects Are Terrific
As someone who is rewatching this film more than a decade later, the CGI certainly looks aged, especially at a time when we have grown up with the MCU and some of the most advanced CGI possible. However, that doesn’t mean that the special effects in this film aren’t fun as heck if not a little campy – which makes them even better.
Personally, I think the film is shot really well. Some shots prove just how capable cinematography is in its ability to express an emotion or a fight scene and make the audience member feel as if they are one of the characters in the movie. I would gladly rewatch this just for the shots alone.
It’s One Of The First Films I’ve Seen That Paints Mental Illness As Heroic
So I’ll be honest and say that I suffered from mental illness for a long time in my life, and it’s tough to find movies that authentically represent it in a way that doesn’t feel like it’s been victimized or villainized. We have certainly made a lot of steps towards progress, like Max’s Turtles All The Way Down and its anxiety representation to modern movies about mental health, but there are some ways to go.
However, when I think about it, Sucker Punch is really one of the first action movies that I’ve seen that paints mental illness as something heroic. These girls, including Babydoll, are all suffering through horrible situations, but they are the heroes of this story.
They use what they have gone through to defeat the people who have harmed them for so long, and honestly, I think that’s something mini me and I needed to see – that even in your darkest moments, you can fight against what you’re going through in your head and take on the wrong people in your life.
Incorporating Dancing As Whisking Someone Away To Different Worlds To Fight Battles Is Super Creative
This! Why are we not talking about this way more often?!
Sure, can the dancing be just a little too much in Sucker Punch? Of course, it can, but it’s not like it’s not based in reality. While the fights that Babydoll gets into aren’t real, her slipping away into this fantasy world is a genuine response to outward trauma. This is her trying to deal with her demons in her way, using her dancing as a coping mechanism.
She doesn’t actually fight samurai or any of these crazy enemies that you see, but what it does do is inspire her with the confidence in order to help others. It’s a way for her to deal with and grow from her situation, and this is something that I think was actually done very well in the movie.
The Plot Is There – It’s Just Not “In Your Face” Like Other Films Are
Is the plot for Sucker Punch the best in the world? No, it’s not. It’s undoubtedly not storytelling that you’re expecting to blow your mind. But you want to know what it actually is? It’s fun and subtle.
This movie was marketed as a female-led badass movie. Still, one of the biggest criticisms that critics made was that it hypersexualized the women who were in there, catering more to the male fantasy. While I can certainly see that, I don’t necessarily agree with it. Yes, they were sexualized, but how much of it was real, and how much of it was just in Babydoll’s head?
She paints this world as a brothel because it’s how she deals with her trauma, and I really enjoy that – because it’s not necessarily pointing the plot out to you. It’s up to you to determine what is really going on. Yes, there are evil men there, but how much is real, and how much is her reality?
Even when things start to get messy, she uses that to help her friends escape, using the tools she has learned to take on the enemies that are sexualizing them. But what makes this movie even more interesting is that Babydoll isn’t even the one we’re really rooting for. Sure, she’s the catalyst, but it’s the entire group of people that we want to escape, to grow, and it’s through their shared interaction and trauma that we bond with them, leading to an ultimate sacrifice.
While it’s not the best film you’ll ever see in your life, I really think critics overlooked Sucker Punch, and I think it is a fun movie to watch. It’s action-packed, has a great cast, and is enjoyable as an excellent little afternoon flick. If you haven’t seen Sucker Punch in years, give it a rewatch.