"Sucker Punch": Sexy Images Make Up for Lack of Substance

I am a sucker for "pretty cinema" (no pun intended). Zack Snyder's movies ("300" and "Watchmen" were my favorites) have always met my need for dark cinematography, fast to slow action sequences, artistic makeup and costumes, and intense soundtracks.

In regards to all these, "Sucker Punch" won me over from the very first sequence.

Baby Doll is sent to an asylum by her stepfather who bribes the director to give her a lobotomy in five days. She's taken to the asylum's theater where the other inmates act out scenarios as therapy. But reality shifts and brings Baby Doll into a similar world where she's been brought to work in a brothel, intended for a man known as the High Roller.

Whenever she dances, Baby Doll falls deep into a fantasy world where she and the other girls become a band of warriors fighting zombies, dragons, giant samurai warriors, and robots, all in an effort to collect the tools they need to escape the brothel.

The story itself held little substance. The plot was there as an afterthought, a way to connect the action sequences that were really the heart of the movie. What the film lacked in story, Snyder made up for with intense fights, acrobatic moves, and gorgeous digital scenery all set to a soundtrack that gets an A+, even if the movie only gets a B.

The music includes a haunting remake of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" sang by the actress who plays Baby Doll, Emily Browning. Bjork's "Army of Me" and remakes of "White Rabbit" and "Search and Destroy" are also used effectively to up the intensity factor of the action sequences.

Besides Browning, known also for her roles in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "Ghost Ship," the movie had other familiar faces: Carla Gugino ("Sin City"); Jena Malone ("Donnie Darko"); and Vanessa Hudgens ("High School Musical").

"Sucker Punch" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 109 minutes. If you want pretty scenery, a lot of action, and a couple hours of cinematic eye candy, "Sucker Punch" is a good bet for a couple hours of entertainment.