Zack Snyder, the man behind Watchmen, has definitely a fairly rich imagination. His latest creation, Sucker Punch, stands as another proof of the visuals stemming from it. But Sucker Punch is not the sucker punch it tries to be. Much like Watchmen before it, it falls short of the message it tries to deliver due to a repetitive attempt at rubbing that message in the face of the audience.

But the truth is, Watchmen was an easier meal. It was more than just a superhero movie, it was a human superhero movie. Everything had a place, largely thanks to a rather great source material.

Sucker Punch is a different cup of tea.

I can’t blame all the experts who under rate it. I can’t blame them because there’s one obvious thing about Sucker Punch and that is the great gap between acting, the score, the story and its characters portrayal. A wide gap that leaves the illusion of a lack of cohesion of this work in its entirety.

But this gap exists for a purpose. It exists so that any member of the audience can fill it with his/her own experience of abuse, mental imprisonment, mental battle and all other fights life subjects us to. Of course, the shortcoming is that if you haven’t had such experiences, contact with victims of it or haven’t spent the time to become conscious of this, then you have all the chances of stopping at the entrance, unable to fill the gap.

The music of the movie speaks, facial expressions speak even more. The story has many layers, many faces, leaving one experience to be found in many shapes and interpretations. The breathtaking details are those found outside of the battle scenes (and I’m happy the director decided not to spend too much time with those). The abuse and mental torture Babydoll is subjected to, the attempted rape on Rocket or Babydoll herself, are rather discrete elements that hint at the fact that you’re supposed to bring your own luggage with you, embrace the fighting stance and become your own weapon. Then look at the companion ready to stand beside you.

In Sucker Punch, we have layers of reality. The first is Babydoll’s life, with an abusive father, her resort to violence that ends up harming her sister. In this reality, she is taken to a mental institution where she is caged and abused some more. The next layer is superimposed by Babydoll as the image of a brothel where the institutionalized girls are used to please the warden’s customers. This layer is not entirely in Babydoll’s control, it is mainly a wrapper to give purpose to an otherwise dark an grim environment. The events mirror the actual reality wrapping it in a glamorous coat. The last layer is the fighting, lead by the Mentor, where each scene is created within Babydoll’s dancing. This is her final escape, where she is the hero every time she evades into her own mind, completely detached as her body is used, safe from the abuse.

Can anyone be surprised that she accepts her lobotomy?

I remembered then about past times, the look in some people caught in a similar web as Babydoll. Wide eyes, looking for a way out, for redemption, justice or at least some comfort that will make the next day bearable.

I would have rather have the movie end with “It’s you”, rather than the rubbing of already uttered words once more. It really dampens the effect of the ending (as if the Mentor hadn’t done that time and time again during the story).

All in all, Sucker Punch will be exactly what you expect it to be (even though, like I said, chances are you can’t fill the gaps as needed). But if you are like and found more in Sucker Punch than just entertainment, please read this.