Sucker Punch

Rated: M

Starring: Emily Browning, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Oscar Isaac, Carla Gugino.

With explosive special effects, a gripping and twisted storyline and a team of beautiful leading ladies in short skirts, Zack Snyder’s epic fantasy “Sucker Punch” packs exactly the punch it’s meant to deliver.

Home-grown starlet Emily Browning (The Uninvited, Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events) plays pony-tailed, pink-cheeked Baby Doll, a young girl who is sent to a mental institution by her stepfather after accidentally killing her younger sister. Unable to adjust to her new surroundings, she creates an alternative reality centred around developing and executing an escape plan for she and her friends. With most of the story taking part inside Baby Doll’s head, it can get a little difficult to follow at times but any confusion is quickly resolved or forgotten with a gunshot or a fiery explosion. Throughout the film, the audience is given little insight into the backgrounds of the other girls, which further emphasises Baby Doll’s role as the protagonist, however more depth in the storyline could have been explored and made it easier to follow had we been given some extra detail.

Snyder, director of visual stunners “300” and “Watchmen” with his knack for mind-blowing special effects, ensures that the audience is constantly engaged in what’s happening on screen, whether it be using explosive and rapid camera cuts in the bright, fast-paced action scenes or slow, concentrated zooms to draw the viewer to the long lashes and tight tops of Baby Doll’s entourage. The moody, atmospheric soundtrack ties all the elements of the film together to create a thrilling, aesthetically pleasing and at times heart-wrenching piece of cinema.

The tagline for this film is dangerously accurate: “You will be unprepared.”

Rating: 4/5

“Sucker Punch” is now showing at Bendigo Cinemas. Visit www.bendigocinemas.com.au for more information.