Trailer Tuesday: Sucker Punch

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Not everyone enjoys the work of director Zack Snyder, but I'm definitely in the fan camp. Dawn of the Dead (2004), 300, Watchmen - I've yet to be disappointed, even if the films themselves weren't flawless. And judging by the teaser trailer for Snyder's big 2011 release - his 2010 movie, for the record, is animated owl fantasy Legend of the Guardians - moviegoers are once again in store for a mind-blowing (and eye-popping) treat.

Thanks to just 90 seconds of footage, Sucker Punch has instantly leaped to the top spot on my list of 2011's Most Highly Anticipated Films.


Surprisingly NOT based on a comic book or any other pre-existing pop culture property, Sucker Punch is an original story written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya. The film has been described as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns," although that description seems woefully inadequate given the wild mishmash of imagery and genres present in the trailer. Sucker Punch is apparently the ultimate postmodern movie for fantasy geeks!

Sure to pass the Bechdel test, this refreshingly femme-centric action movie looks like Kill Bill: Vol. 1 meets Return to Oz, meets Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow meets Chicago, meets Girl, Interrupted meets Lord of the Rings, meets Sin City meets a zillion animes, meets ... man, I don't know what else. It's crazy (mechs vs. dragons?! chain-gun wielding samurai?!) but awesomely stylish - and I especially like the 1920s Art Deco and Art Nouveau influence.

Jaw dropping visuals and blatant stylisation are of course what Snyder is loved and, alternatively, hated for... The man isn't known for making films that feel realistic. The opposite is true in fact - Snyder heavily relies on green screens and CGI to depict otherwise impossible to realise film worlds, and he uses a lot of slow-motion in his action sequences. This makes the battles feel artificial and choreographed, but also very beautiful as they allow the complexity of the movements to be more easily appreciated by the audience.


Speaking of which, there is plenty of beauty to appreciate in terms of Sucker Punch's cast. Emily Browning replaces casting first choice Amanda Seyfried as Baby Doll, a troubled young woman who is institutionalised by her stepfather in the 1950s. With just 5 days to go before she is lobotomized, Baby Doll forms a close bond with fellow female inmates (Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung and Jena Malone) and to cope with their dire situation, Baby Doll and the other girls retreat into a fantasy world where they must steal 5 objects to secure their freedom. As reality and dream blur, the lessons these young women learn may just save them from a terrible real-life fate. Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn also star in the film.

Out of interest, you can check out the heroines' character posters here, and a solid set of screencapped images from the trailer here.

Sucker Punch opens in the United States on 25 March 2011. It will be screening in both conventional cinemas and IMAX. There's been no announcement of a South African release date, but hopefully it will be around the same time as the US because Sucker Punch looks amazing - and I can't wait to watch Snyder's self-declared "sister" film to the ultra-macho, all-male 300.

Comments

Dante said…
You had me in blond in japanese sailor school girl outfit. Didn't really concentrate much after that...
12:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Is this out already?
8:21 PM
Pfangirl said…
Anonymous, Sucker Punch is only out in March next year.

Dante, you're so easy to please/distract;)
9:05 AM
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