Barely two days since its release, Sucker Punch has already gotten its fair share of criticism and has been labeled as a write-off. As of this writing, the esteemed (depends on who you ask) expert crew of Rotten Tomatoes has given this latest Zack Snyder film (the same guy behind 300, Sin City, Watchmen, and the still-in-production upcoming Superman movie among others) a 20% rating, a further drop from the initial 29% it gave prior to the official debut. It has been described to be, among others, “Alice in Wonderland with machine guns, including dragons, B-25 bombers and brothels” and something out of a 14-year old’s wet dream, filled with scantily-clad chicks and lots of gunpowder. In other words, it has received the disdain usually reserved for the Doomsdays, Glitters, and the other films lounging in Hollywood hell. All that, I had already heard and read even before I decided to catch the flick. But for some reason, the nauseating dose of Hatorade didn’t stop me from watching it. Maybe it was the Emily Browning effect (which first got to me in 2004-2005, when she starred in Lemony Snicket’s), or maybe it was the catchy bad-ass trailer. Whatever it was, I found myself lining up at the nearby cinema along with probably the only four or five other people who decided to give it a puncher’s chance, no pun(ch) intended. I was actually half-expecting to be disappointed, especially when the movie started off with dialogue-less scenes that had already been exposed in the trailer. But as the movie went on, I started to tell myself, “It’s not half-bad”. And sure enough, I got hooked. Thus, the review at hand. I’m not saying that whatever the critics said about the movie aren’t precise or true. Yes, it might not really be a movie you’d tell your friends about to showcase your keen intellect and profound and sophisticated taste in movies. Yes, the film features a trio of giant demon/robot-samurai wielding bazookas and heavy artillery (no kidding!) in a fight against a vertically-challenged girl clad in a high-school uniform armed with only a sword and handgun, stuff that if you admit you enjoy watching would probably suggest to the next guy that you are immature and probably a simpleton, not the type of guy the fine, complex girl in your class would want to date. Yes, the film is fraught with a lot of question marks, loopholes and WTF? moments, not to mention that its plot and story-line wouldn’t exactly put “deep” and so-called “mind-f*cking” films like Inception to shame. What the heck, Twilight might even be more thought-stimulating and would demand more of your attention than this one. Those are all true. But sometimes, a movie doesn’t have to be about stacking up to the high standards set by other films, films which have the Academy Awards and universal acclaim as an ultimate goal. It doesn’t have to be all about whether the technical aspect, the production, or whatever else part of the movie was done in a masterful way, or if the plot is deep enough to drown yourself in. When I watch a movie, it’s the entertainment and wisdom/life-lessons wedged between the lines that determine if I like it enough to watch again or not. Just because the movie is flawed doesn’t mean it’s impossible to sit through and actually enjoy. Sucker Punch makes the grade in those regards, at least for me, and that was enough for me to give it a thumbs up. Admittedly, the thrills and the cheers are generated by the gun- and sword-fighting and the pretty faces of the cast. No argument there, that’s the main draw (and there might even be a chance that people who came for the action would leave the cinema quite disappointed). There really isn’t much to say about the plot and the dialogue. But to say that it doesn’t impart a few life lessons here and there would be an absolute fallacy. I’d like to reiterate, while I did suggest earlier that this film only goes as far as the eye-candy takes it, what really struck a chord with me were the ‘moral lessons’ they threaded succinctly into the dialogue. ‘The Wiseman’ (played by Scott Glenn) might not have been featured as prominently throughout the story as the other characters, but his presence actually cast a looming shadow on the film. He wasn't called a ‘Wiseman’ for nothing, what with the sagacious lines (covered with a toughie facade) in every pep talk to send off the girls to the battlefield. And of course Babydoll, being the main protagonist, is expected to give her share of lessons and underdog inspiration as well. But keep an eye out on the other girls and their different traits, with special mention going to the big-sister figure of the bunch, Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish). Seeing how most of the people on my Facebook page reacted negatively to the movie, I guess we can all just agree to disagree. While I shower it with praise, some other person might think it wasn't’t worth even the price of the popcorn they were munching on. I’m not imposing my positive opinion of the movie to anyone else, the futility in the endeavor of changing another person’s perspective to be in parallel with yours isn’t even worth a try. Haters will hate, fact of life. But I will say that maybe you should give the film a shot. You might see the same good things I did. I won’t assure you that you will definitely be enjoying it, but hopefully you will. I’m not ashamed to say that I learned quite a lot from this movie and it in fact has inspired me to channel my energy to study all the way to my Final exams. My personal assessment: 3.5/5 Stars. (Oh and BTW, when I watched it the 2nd time, it was a full house, a far cry from the 4-6 head count of the previous day. I even heard some people clap when the credits were rolling, and the granny who was seated a few chairs away from me was beside herself with apparent glee.) Quote-worthy Lines: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” “Never write a check with your mouth that you can’t cash with your ass.” “For those who fight for it, Life has a flavor that the protected will never know.” “You are afraid. Don’t be. You have all the weapons you need. Now fight.” (There are some other lines I wasn't’t able to catch, in particular the one at the end of the movie when Sweet Pea has a sort of epiphany about life and has an inspiring quote. As soon as I can find them on the net I’ll update this post.)
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