Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sucker Punch
Zack Snyder, director of '300,' 'Dawn of the Dead,' 'Watchman' and now 'Sucker Punch' went to school in Pasadena, California and studied filmmaking. One of his classmates was Michael Bay. Bay and Snyder both went on to successful careers in advertising (as commercial directors) before making the move to the cinema.
I say this because as I watch this trailer, I feel like I am being told to buy the sizzle. Not the steak.
'Sucker Punch' is not based on any pre-existing material, making it Snyder's first original film ('Dawn' was a remake and '300' and 'Watchmen' were both based on graphic novels...) but that doesn't stop it from looking like it's based on something. 'Alice in Wonderland' meets 'Pan's Labyrinth' I suppose.
The story as far as the trailer reveals is that a young woman is thrown into a mental hospital and in an attempt to free herself from the pain of isolation, confinement, or possibly even torture, she creates a world inside her head where guns, sex, sounds and colors rule. Like the world of Baz Luhrmann's 'Moulin Rouge' blended with the cartoon universe from 'Cool World.'
Throw in heavy slices of Rodriguez's work from 'Sin City' and you have something resembling the craziness that's on screen here.
Inventing scenarios in the mind to escape reality is nothing new. I can spoil many a great film by revealing in which ones that occurs. But Snyder's visuals almost always break new barriers and dazzle the eye.
Unfortunately, that's all this trailer can say for itself. Much like the sense I got from the trailers for 'Speed Racer' there seems to be plenty going on to rot away the enamel of my brain, but not much for it to actually chew.
No real surprise there as Snyder's work has consistently failed at any exceptional depth. Anyone who argues otherwise really needs to watch '300' closer. Plenty of sizzle. No steak.
I want to see what Snyder shows me, but nothing presented here is going to impress upon me the need to pay 10 or 12 dollars for it. "Maybe on TNT."
"Sucker Punch" opens in March 2011.
Until next time.
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1 comment:
I've got to strongly disagree about 300. For all it's flaws, beneath the "sizzle" is tons of meat. It works great on a primal level, being chiefly about survival. The film is also packed with symbolism about the futility of government (the Greek nobles), the oppressiveness of religion (the mystics), and how the two of those things combined with avarice and greed (the Persians) lead to death. (Credit mostly goes to Frank Miller's original comic. Snyder would be quick to agree.)
The Sucker Punch trailer gets a free pass because it passes the "show me something I've never seen before" test. Bonus points for being about a female character who is intelligent and imaginative. One of the chief complaints from feminists about Hollywood is that women are never portrayed as being imaginative and never have plot-related dialog with other women. This one looks to break both those walls.
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