Sucker Punch Extended Cut Review (Rated R)
This film holds a unique place in my heart; I was very excited to see it when it came to theaters, a few years ago. Still, as much as I enjoyed the experience in the cinema; the film felt like something was missing. Like the films very soul was gutted, the theatrical cut is an exciting and an entertaining film; and I appreciated it. But once I saw the Extended Cut during its home video debut, it all made since. I had greatly anticipated this film; and I knew that while it was a simple story, some of its emotional depth was stolen to secure a PG-13 rating. Which sadly, hurt the film tremendously.
People were disappointed when the film originally came out; and while I did enjoy and indeed love the film. I too felt like we had not seen the full story; while I was disappointed, maybe I even felt a bit cheated. The studio copped out on the rating; thinking this film would sell to teenage boys, because of the sex and violence. However, this is not the standard sexy, flashy action mess that sells well to that audience. They will totally miss the point of the story; they won't understand the metaphors and the main message. Which is what makes the film so engaging and memorable.
Unlike most summer blockbusters; Sucker Punch actually gives great context and reason for the epic fantasy set pieces. Specifically, this new longer cut of the film, which expands the story making the main message far clearer. It is not a super deep or complex story; the themes are simple and it may even be blunt at times. Yet, if you do not pay attention to the film, you will miss out on things that give the outlandish sequences meaning. Admittedly, it may just be a great excuse to show cool action scenes. But, they at least came up with an artistic and original reason for the action in the film. I found the themes relatable and meaningful.
I also loved the use of music as a way to tell the story; you're not just hearing the story through dialogue, you are understanding the emotions of the scene, and the meaning they are meant to convey. Through the carefully synced music and onscreen visuals, this is music video style story telling; but here it is used effectively. For me the way these scenes were constructed, made them flow organically with the soundtrack. The opening ten minutes are mostly silent; with the expectation of the haunting music accompanying these larger than life scenes. Now yes I obviously inhaled during the film, but I will inform you this is my first time viewing the film "baked". So while I have a better perception of the film now; I always thought this was an excellent dark fairy tale.
This is a modern day fairy tale; it has all the necessary qualities. A fairy tale should be fantastical, exciting entertainment; but it also needs a message. They should capture your imagination as well as your heart. You should as the kids say these days "catch feelings". Yes, that was a lame and corny attempt at humor; but at least I tried. Damn, I caught "the feelings". In any case, this is a very emotional; yet completely engaging and exciting piece of entertainment. I am not trying to give it more credit than it is due, it deserves it and then some. Only the poor choice to cut the film, to secure a lower rating, hurt the film's credibility.
I do not blame anyone who saw the PG-13 theatrical cut and though it was a jumbled mess. While, I will say that even in the watered down cut; you could see the potential in the story and the ideas. But, sadly they were not fleshed out enough, so most people just assumed there was nothing beneath the surface. What is even sadder, is that the majority of the cut scenes did not feature much more graphic sex or violence. No instead the cut scenes fleshed out the story, and added depth to the story's emotion; giving a much greater context to the fantasy elements of the story.
In the directors R-rated cut, the message and deeper meaning behind the fantasy sequences is explained. Not directly or blatantly, but cleverly and with subtly; still it is clear and easy to comprehend. The message may be simple, but it was delivered surprisingly well. It is a very dark story; a story of survival, justice and doing what is right. It shows that ultimate victory has a high price; because sometimes victory, true victory is not a simple happy ending. But it shows you can never give up, and that help can come from the most unexpected places. Most of all, that our power comes from within ourselves. This stuff is simple and some may say uninspired, but I appreciated the unique angle the film took.
This is the reason why I enjoy and appreciate this film so much because few films tackle depression and mental anguish like this film did. You can say I'm reading too much into this; that the film is not that deep. But, the film gives enough context while still leaving things ambiguous enough, to leave it open to the viewer's interpretation. Which are the kind of films I like, I like films that make me think, and that is why I love "baking" while I watch. I get more engaged, and sucked into the film. In fact, I didn't even analyze the film after viewing; all these thoughts just naturally occurred with that special green "buddy" of mine. Do you get it? Do ya? OK, I'll stop, sorry guys, I let you down. See you in the next paragraph.
While the film could be considered shallow compared to more classic cinema; the fact is, this is one of the more inspired and well thought out films of the past decade. Certainly one of the most underrated of the last decade. The film also is heavily influenced by Anime; as a matter of fact, this is basically a live action anime. It has all the main ingredients; over the top action and melodrama, coupled with a dark and melancholy story line. The film's art direction is also a vital part of the storytelling, as the colors and lighting of a scene is dependent on the tone of that story element. Sucker Punch may not be one of the best films of the decade; but it is without a doubt, a very underrated one.
I love the reason and context for this film's most spectacular scenes; I love that the film tries to give meaning to every scene, even if it is relatively simple. The story and themes may not be appealing to everyone, But it is a film that I know will click with a great number of people. I know my appreciation of the film, is due to how much I could relate to it. I wish they would have released this version as the theatrical cut; Because while it could be shallow to some, I think the message of the film is timely and made for a more poignant piece of entertainment than most.
(My goal with all of my content, is to create reliable information that is also entertaining. Most people write things to tell you what to think. My goal is to inspire you to form your own opinion. If you agree with me, that's awesome. But, if I entertained you or made you think, then my my mission was accomplished.)
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