Thread: Sucker Punch movie coming out this weekend

I think it's going to bomb, it is a Zack Snyder film afterall, and the trailer doesn't look too promising.

I'm withholding judgment until some reviews come out but I'm glad my sister's interested in seeing it. Maybe now she'll stop bugging out on me whenever I mention LDing.

Just saw Sucker Punch.

I'll try to tell you haw it was and not give too much away so you can enjoy it.

You've seen the trailers but her dreaming (which is really a trance she goes into only when she hears music when she is dancing) is not an escape from reality but can actually effect reality. Its has some really obvious plot points but still it turns out to be well written and well acted. It may be a good date movie since all the action stars are female the girls will like it and so will the guys. As a plus there is a compelling story and all the chicks are hot with even hotter costumes. Sorry girls there are no hot princely types here, all the men are creepy in some way but the girls may actually like that for a change. I also liked the fact that there was a Russian but they didn't feel the huge pull of the cold war that the rest of Hollywood feels and make her the enemy here.(I'm tired of the Russian bad guys already, its old. I get it, the producer is 80 and he still practices duck-n-cover and wants to kill pinko commies but they should leave that crappy storytelling for their unlucky family members during Thanksgiving dinner.)

As for the LD aspect it is much more fantastical than Inception. This worked well since there was no pretense that the dream rules should obey all our natural rules. There is also shared dreaming here so her friends can help her out. There is a DG as well and he is actually pretty cool. Oh and one more thing about him, he gives those overly dramatic things DG sometimes say, sometimes the sayings make you laugh but sometimes they are hints on how to succeed. And hey, if your dreams are as cool as all this you're my new hero but if not you can incorporate a few things here into your dreams.

Should you see this?
You're on DV so I will assume you are interested in dream related topics, so yes you should. It may not blow your socks off but it is a fun romp through an exciting dream world and there is some ass kicking, character development, and a lot of action. What I didn't like was that there is lot of the helpless-girl shtick and I would have liked even more, or truer, girl power and less "oh please don't hurt us!" I didn't like the heavy sexual abuse theme for the bad guys, it was a little disturbing and distracted from the movie.
Still I think it is likable. If your a guy your going to like the hot chicks kicking robot ass in school girl outfits and tons of action and special effects (if you were ever into amine, to keep it clean, you might want to wear a condom to the movie). If your a girl your going to like the girl-power, the girls are basically the whole action cast, and the storyline. Also the more friends you have with you the more you will enjoy this because you'll want to be like "Oh no he didn't!!!" and "yeah!"
Sweet Dreams

Originally Posted by caden

what i didn't like was that there is lot of the helpless-girl shtick and i would have liked even more, or truer, girl power and less "oh please don't hurt us!" i didn't like the heavy sexual abuse theme for the bad guys, it was a little disturbing and distracted from the movie.

spoiler alert

Spoiler for no really, don't read this unless you've seen the movie:

well, the whole idea behind the story is that Blue is a worker at the mental hospital that is sexually abusing patients. The whole bit about them being exotic dancers is a sort of alternate reality, a metaphor for what's really going on, just as the fighting is a metaphor for what they're doing to get the items to escape.

Now, on to my opinion of it.

conservatively, 8.5/10. It totally blew me away. First the obvious, the action was killer, better than in almost any other movie I've seen. I wouldn't call it fantasy (as some of my friends seem to expect), but it is definately surreal, the kind of fighting one might look for in a lucid dream. The storyline, all things considered, had a lot more to it than I expeted as well. It's presented in a very interesting and unique way.

My friend that I saw it with claimed Dawn Of The Dead (another Snyder film) as his favorite movie, but as we left the theater he wasn't so sure.

It's a must-see for any action fan. More importantly, if you're going to see it, see it not just in the theater but if you can in IMAX. Sit close to the screen. You need to feel the full force of this movie.

Even better, the second time around. This movie is awesome. Got the bootleg so I've been watching the action sequences repeatedly. They're just spectacular.
I also now understand and enjoy the duality of the asylum/theater life - and the overall story - even more than I did on my first viewing.

This will probably be a very popular movie around DV, once more dreamers have gotten to see it.

I'm really torn on whether I should see this in theaters. It's gotten terrible views (20% on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a low rating on IMBD. However, I am a total sucker for robots and I would like to see the fighting mechas. Hurmurmurum..

Originally Posted by Black_Eagle

I'm really torn on whether I should see this in theaters. It's gotten terrible views (20% on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a low rating on IMBD. However, I am a total sucker for robots and I would like to see the fighting mechas. Hurmurmurum..

You gotta see it on the big screen to get the full effect.

Dag gone....this movie here.......it's just....it's just....wow.

If it's really that good, it's a shame it's getting poor reviews. I might give it a shot this week.

Originally Posted by Auron

Dag gone....this movie here.......it's just....it's just....wow.

It was pretty badass, wasn't it?

I got the bootleg, and I've been watching it constantly. Lol.

Spoiler for I still haven't decided...:

...whether all of the girls actually existed, or if they (at the very least, Sweet Pea and Baby Doll) were different parts of the same person - projected into the Burlesque fantasy level by the main character.

Something happened in that moment where Baby Doll and Sweet Pea first look at each other from across the room, in the asylum. That's why it cuts to Baby Doll getting the lobotomy and, just as the needle's about to drive in, we cut to Sweet Pea's fantasy of her taking off the Baby Doll wig and stepping off stage to meet Baby for the first time. It's all very strange, and watching the movie with that in mind, you do see that it's probably the case.

Still trying to piece it all together in my head...

Pretty good interview with the director and cast, talking about the making the movie and the heavy-handed, critical reception:

Part 1

Part 2

Damn right I'm triple posting. (Only because this movie isn't getting nearly as much good exposure as it should.)

This movie is causing a huge divide amongst the audience. There are those people who say that the battle scenes in the movie have no relevance to the story, and are just random "token bits of geeky fanboy stuff" that offer no connection or consequence to what's going on in the 'real (brothel) world.' These people have effectively seen a completely different movie than what many of the rest of us have. The battle scenes are practically exploding with symbolism (and risk) that almost perfectly parallels what's actually going on around them. I find it kind of funny that so many people - who bash the movie for being 'too simple' (even these 'professional critics') - have completely missed a large percentage of the movie...partly because they are unable to think like dreamers. Lol. The symbolism is right in front of them, and all they see is flashy fights and hot chicks in sexy outfits. They think that is what the movie is all about, and so that's all they see. It's like Magic Eye: the motion picture or something.

So, I've started compiling a list of some of the battle scene symbolism that so many people might have missed, on IMDB. Maybe some people here will benefit from it (and hopefully add to it. If you don't have an IMDB account, just discuss it here!):

Battle Scene Symbolism (...for those who missed it)
[WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS!!! (duh)]

I have to be the downer and say I was disappointed by the film. First off considering the community here there is one particular thing I need to point out... This film is not about lucid dreaming, despite what the trailer led us to believe. It turns out all the dream sequences took place in the mind of the main character while she was dancing for people she didn't want to dance for. The only thing relevant here to dreaming is the appeal to escapism.

I know someone will argue that this could still be a nod to LD'ing but I think that argument wouldn't go too far past wishful thinking. It's all good, I overall think it was a very entertaining movie with some worthwhile themes, it just wasn't what I was expecting based on the trailer.

Originally Posted by IndieAnthias

I have to be the downer and say I was disappointed by the film. First off considering the community here there is one particular thing I need to point out... This film is not about lucid dreaming, despite what the trailer led us to believe. It turns out all the dream sequences took place in the mind of the main character while she was dancing for people she didn't want to dance for. The only thing relevant here to dreaming is the appeal to escapism.

I know someone will argue that this could still be a nod to LD'ing but I think that argument wouldn't go too far past wishful thinking. It's all good, I overall think it was a very entertaining move, it just wasn't what I was expecting based on the trailer.

I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't particularly about lucid dreaming, but the line between 'lucid dreaming' and 'fantasizing so potently that you are basically lucid dreaming' is so thin, that by the time the first battle sequence was over, I didn't care.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't particularly about lucid dreaming, but the line between 'lucid dreaming' and 'fantasizing so potently that you are basically lucid dreaming' is so thin, that by the time the first battle sequence was over, I didn't care.

Well that makes sense. And I do think the theme is good in it's own right. I say I was disappointed but only because my expectations were massively high.

Maybe they should have throw in vampires to boost ratings. It's worked for mediocre films like Sunrise or w/e it was called. =/

@ IndieAnthias: Spoiler tags, dude, spoiler tags. D:

I am typically wary of movies where most of the characters do not wear pants.

Originally Posted by spockman

I am typically wary of movies where most of the characters do not wear pants.

Cause Black Swan and 300 totally sucked right? /sarcasm.

I think people just want to be spoon fed all the information of the plot. They should have given out a briefing before the movie so people could understand it better or something. I don't know man....I just don't know why people don't get what this movie is about. Even aside from the plot, there were so many impressive visual and audio aspects of the movie that stood out. The fighting choreography was outstanding as well, along with the cinematography. I don't know how someone could just say "oh that movie sucked" without factoring in any of those things.

There were also many homages to other action movies, anime, video games, and books as well in that movie. It's like watching Lady Snowblood, and Shogun Assassins, and this one western I can't seem to think of right now....and then watching Kill Bill. Or watching Dark City and Ghost in the Shell and then watching the Matrix. I think people like O and I can appreciate Sucker Punch more than just the average moviegoer because we seem to have a better grasp on what things went on in the movie, and didn't dismiss it because we got it first time around.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Spoiler for I still haven't decided...:

...whether all of the girls actually existed, or if they (at the very least, Sweet Pea and Baby Doll) were different parts of the same person - projected into the Burlesque fantasy level by the main character.

Something happened in that moment where Baby Doll and Sweet Pea first look at each other from across the room, in the asylum. That's why it cuts to Baby Doll getting the lobotomy and, just as the needle's about to drive in, we cut to Sweet Pea's fantasy of her taking off the Baby Doll wig and stepping off stage to meet Baby for the first time. It's all very strange, and watching the movie with that in mind, you do see that it's probably the case.

Well I think

Spoiler for yeah:

Well I think that they are five different girls. The number five shows up a lot in the movie. It's on the plane it's on the rabbit mech, and there were five things they needed to escape. The monologue in the beginning was rocket...it was her story about the angel that saved her (baby doll).

edit: I bet (but not sure) the number five was also on the helicopter.

Originally Posted by Auron

I think people just want to be spoon fed all the information of the plot. They should have given out a briefing before the movie so people could understand it better or something. I don't know man....I just don't know why people don't get what this movie is about.

Yeah, I hate that. I enjoy subtext in movies remaining subtext. A lot goes on in our lives that even our close friends may not know about. Everything referenced doesn't have to be directly related to the plot and everything related to the plot doesn't have to be explored under a 1000 wat lightbulb. Just watched the adjustment bureau and it felt like an exposition thunderstorm. 10 minutes of plot followed by ten minutes of, 'Okay, you got what just happened? Let's explain...' Rinse, wash, repeat. It's like how a woman isn't necessarily more attractive with less clothes on. Leave some stuff to the imagination from time to time.

Originally Posted by Auron

Cause Black Swan and 300 totally sucked right? /sarcasm.

I don't know. The lack of clothing doesn't seem sexual in those movies. Maybe it isn't in this movie, either, but the excess of panty shots make me skeptical that the movie will be full of fetish fuel. I will, of course, watch the movie with an open mind hoping to enjoy it.

Originally Posted by Auron

Well I think

Spoiler for yeah:

Well I think that they are five different girls. The number five shows up a lot in the movie. It's on the plane it's on the rabbit mech, and there were five things they needed to escape. The monologue in the beginning was rocket...it was her story about the angel that saved her (baby doll).

edit: I bet (but not sure) the number five was also on the helicopter.

Spoiler for Stuff:

One part in the interview I posted was Jena (the girl who plays Rocket) giving her interpration of "what she thinks the girls represented." She said that she thinks Amber is the main character's Hope/loyalty, Blondie is her fear/insecurity, Rocket is her free-spirit, Sweet Pea is her "strong, sensible side" and Baby Doll is that resolve to not be a victim, and to turn her situation around (or something to that effect).

It wasn't quite definitive, but that really helped me lean toward the idea that all of the girls are one. We can't forget that, on the asylum level, Blondie was dissociate. She wasn't speaking. She was just wandering through. Not one time do we actually even see her say a word to anyone. When we see Rocket, Amber and Blondie at the table, none of them say anything to each other. And orderly comes and literally seats Amber at their table. Sweet Pea is off on her own, on stage. Blue says that the theater is used to 'try' to get the girls to be social. We don't actually know that those girls even knew each other.

What I think happened was that Baby Doll views those girls, identifies with them, and projects them into her Brothel fantasy as her new friends. We never hear that Sweet Pea and Rocket are actually sisters, and their sister-hood is probably born of Baby Doll's issues with her own sister. (Rocket 'ran away' from home. Baby's little sister died. Etc.) Also, many of the concepts in the fantasy worlds were taken out of very fleeting cues in other levels (like the dragon being printed on the wall in one of the 'champagne rooms'). So I think the girls in the brothel might just have been projection of the girls seen in the asylum, but didn't really interact with.

Originally Posted by spockman

I will, of course, watch the movie with an open mind hoping to enjoy it.

Good man. Looking forward to hearing your opinion of it.

What a strange movie.

I only saw a downloaded version of poor quality, so I'll reserve judgment until I see a better version.

The trailer didn't look that great, but it's about dreaming so it's probably not too bad. Seems like the type of movie that you'd have to see in theaters though and I probably won't get around to it before it stops playing.