Looking at a Visual Master: Zack Snyder's Movies Leading Up to 'Sucker Punch'

When it comes to visually striking films there are few directors working today who could top Zack Snyder. He burst onto the scene in 2004 with the remake of the zombie classic "Dawn of the Dead." This film is now one of several credited with the revitalization of the zombie genre in recent years. Armed with a recognized title and a tight script by James Gunn, Snyder was able to make a bloody and visceral horror film. But it was only a hint of what was to come.

Three years later Snyder's "300" came seemingly out of nowhere to dominate the box office during the normally quiet month of March. The film told a violent fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae in which 300 Spartan warriors held the entire invading Persian army at bay for days. Based on the comic by the legendary Frank Miller of the same name, Snyder did more than just retell the same story on film. He took a cue from Miller's stark artwork and created an extremely stylized look to the film that felt unique and completely appropriate. Snyder used almost all green screen sets yet was able to bring far more life to the screen with this technique than had been done previously (far surpassing the work done in the "Star Wars" prequels.)

Turning to another acclaimed comic book Snyder was assigned to the often delayed adaptation of Alan Moore's "Watchmen," and released the film in 2009. The comic book is possibly the most well regarded work in the entire medium, and a daunting task for any director. While reaction was mixed none questioned the visual experience of the film that Snyder was able to create. As with "300" he took what had worked on the comic book page and made it alive and breathing on the screen. However the sheer scope of the story seemed too much to adapt smoothly to the screen, the film underperformed to some expectations but was still able to clear $100 million domestically.

Like many of the more recent directors to come on the scene Snyder got his start in music videos. This shows through his use of music in the films he directs. Some of the most memorable moments in his films have been boosted by carefully chosen music. A lounge version of the hard rock song "Down the the Sickness" was used to darkly humorous effect in "Dawn of the Dead," and the opening montage of "Watchmen" was perfectly tuned to the use of Bob Dylan's classic "The Times They are a Changin." Even "300," with no lyrical songs, seemed to be carefully constructed around its music. The speed of fight scenes were ramped up and down in a fashion that gave the combat a sense of rhythm that one would not expect from a feature film.

All of this work seems to have culminated in this month's release of Snyder's "Sucker Punch." It's the first time that the director hasn't made a film based off some existing piece of work, which may prove to be the film's downfall. While Snyder's skill at creating eye popping imagery is unquestionable he has always had strong source material to fall back on for the story. "Sucker Punch" has an "Alice in Wonderland" style premise that may be more of an excuse to give Snyder license to throw whatever he wants up on the screen than an actual story. However for his visually striking work in his previous films Snyder has more than earned the right to bring a vision to the screen that is completely his own.