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aunt_zelda) wrote2013-03-14 11:00 pm
What aunt_zelda Thinks: Sucker Punch
So, I finally watched Sucker Punch, because in order to engage in debates about sexism in the media stemming from this movie, I need to actually actually watch the poorly handled mess of a music video wrapped up in pretend feminism.
To say I was not impressed would be an understatement.
Let's start with the opening. Highly stylized and well made, yes. But it establishes that before we get into this epic fantasy sequences, the "real world" is just as fantastical and unreal.
Also, I have issues with our main character not even attempting to speak, just staring dramatically and wailing a bit. Perhaps the director is trying to convey how women's voices are taken away from them by society, especially in movies, to the point where all they are is a set of boobs on a set of legs attached by an ass … but somehow I really doubt it.
Is it just me, or does this movie have a fetish for circles?
So this movie is a string of music videos … um … ok …
It's been fifteen minutes and the main character hasn't spoken a single word. Not even in the fantasy world, she has no voice. This doesn't bode well.
I also don't like how they're being all fake-coy about the sex. Just say "this is a brothel. We are prostitutes. We dance to show off for clients so we can fuck them for money." Oh wait, this is PG-13. So there can be sexy ladies but actual critiques and swearing and sex would mean an R rating and would turn away the target audience of hormonal teenage boys.
Two attempted rapes in less than twenty minutes. Oh, well done, movie.
And our main character says her very first sentence in English! "Let her go, pig." Wow.
The caked on eyeshadow and eyeliner and mascara is really weirding me out. They look like raccoons. Every single lady and some of the men, they look like raccoons.
It's just … they're trying so hard to make all the women these little fetish objects that I can't even find it sexy. Which is a shame because they're all very attractive and there's a German dominatrix telling girls to dance and be strong and stuff. I would go "rawr" but … no. Just no.
Ah, so a fantasy world inside a fantasy world inside a … fantastical world that has no real time period or actual resemblance to real life at all. Inception?
So this movie is asking the deep question of "if a woman is dressed like a fetish schoolgirl, made up like a barbie doll, and barely speaks at all … is it feminism because she's kicking monsters asses with phallic weaponry?"
Yeah, I'm up for debating this kind of thing with Tarantino films, but not this. Tarantino's heroines get grungy. They have discussions. They aren't always there to be sexy.
Also, PANTY SHOTS? REALLY? HOW OLD ARE WE, MR. ZACK SNYDER?
I've heard people joke about how some of Tarantino's films are like him jerking off into the audience's faces. Metaphorically, perhaps I can accept that. But that's a crude metaphor for what's going on in a Tarantino film. Here … I feel like Zack Snyder is sitting next to me in a movie theater jerking off and I can't escape. It's awkward and nasty. Well, that's not a perfect metaphor either, actually … I don't know. It's just bad, ok?
I don't know anything about this chick. She barely speaks. She exists to be a sexy fetish doll. Hell, her character's NAME is "Baby DOLL." I am not invested in her action scenes at all. They are passionless CGI music video scenes. Very pretty, but ultimately empty and lifeless.
Is that Zack Synder's intention, to make lifeless action scenes to push home the point that this kind of ridiculous violence fetishizing women is stupid and mindless and dull? If so … I didn't get that. He did a poor job of conveying that. What with the panty shots and all. If this is supposed to be satire or a critique or whatever … he's doing a piss-poor job of conveying it.
If Zack Synder wanted to make music videos … why not stick with making music videos? He clearly doesn't have the attention span for longer things, and writing actual real characters to critique poorly written female characters was beyond him. I almost feel sorry for him.
I can't remember the last time I was this bored in an action sequence. I really can't. It all looks so painfully FAKE, green screens and such. Stupid "sexy" improbable armor. Unrealistic fight scenes.
If he wanted to do a real critique or a real empowerment, why not give them some goddamn CLOTHES?! Or real character? Or let them get bloodied up and dirty and stuff?
Also, the mixing of the melee weapons and long range weapons bugs me from a fight choreographer standpoint.
A steampunk Nazi zombie is swordfighting a girl in a schoolgirl uniform. Why am I so bored?
Oh, a bleach-blonde chick trying so hard to be so serious is kneeling over a dragon. I wasn't going to bring up Game of Thrones, but you've forced me, Sucker Punch, you've forced me. (I love Dany, don't worry, but come on, sometimes she doesn't quite succeed in being as badass as she should be.)
Also, if this were gonna be a true feminist critique of action flicks, why have her stab a grieving mother dragon brutally in a triumphant scene? Especially since the first scene was of her own mother dying? No connection there, Zack Snyder? No deep exploration of the psyche you want to delve into in your supposedly "empowering" movie? No? Ok …
Oh, there's blood flowing into a drain. Does that mean this has all been a crazy dream during her last moments with a brain as a doctor hammers into her skull? That's pretty fucked up. I bet that's what's going on. Jesus. That's not only nasty and wrong it's also LAZY.
I sure would enjoy this movie and these well done visuals if only I cared about these poor excuses for characters.
Oh look, another panty shot. Lovely.
Don't you just love how every time they fight bad guys they're so obviously robots or clockwork or whatever so you don't have to feel conflicted about murdering them? They're not even faceless goons, they're so obviously CGI there's just no tension or fear at all in these action scenes.
Something I do like are the transitions between the three realities. Those are handled pretty cleverly.
Oh, how refreshing, a subversion! The optimistic younger sister sacrifices herself to save the pessimistic protective older sister. This is something I actually think is a nice bit of writing. I was not expecting this. Problem is, cute as Rocket is, this scene doesn't touch me on a deeper level than "oh, it's sad when a nice character dies." No tears. A little sadness. *shrugs*
And then Gallifrey burns. I just I wish I could CARE.
Wow, this guy is trying so hard to be a villain and he just … fails. I dunno if it's the actor or the role, he's just … meh. Not threatening. Tries so hard and just FAILS. He shoots two women in the head (empowering! A ring of women standing there helplessly and crying while he murders two women in front of them!) and then delivers this really tacky, clunky speech about imaging the audience "lusting after" Baby Doll and feeling like a "little boy" watching other people play with his "toys." Then she stabs him in the neck and says "You'll never have me." Was that … Zack Snyder? Or a parody of Zack Snyder? Of the audience? What the fuck was that?
Oh, because having TWO "strong female characters" was too much. No, only one can live. Two get shot, one gets stabbed, and one sacrifices herself because … um … fuck it, I gave up a long time ago.
And then Sweet Pea walks into a Taylor Swift music video.
This guy wants "truth" and won't just "take" her by force. Because coercion isn't really rape? Ok FUCK YOU MOVIE. FUCK YOU SO MUCH.
Also, she was stripped down before this speech began about truth and minds and souls and personality … so this is just ruined for me. Because all I'm thinking is "auuuuuuuugh."
Ah, he wants her to have sex with him but not "lie" and he'll give her freedom. I don't want to dissect this scene. I want to take it out back and shoot it. It's just … so nasty. What, sex means you're a woman and part of the adult world? You get "freedom" for sex? It's not rape if the guy promises to set you free from sex slavery afterwards? FUCK THIS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS TERRIBLE.
Well, this is fucked up. The goons say they don't agree with this and want to stop, but they let him go through with it anyways. And he starts making out with someone who's braindead. That shit is NASTY. SO NASTY.
I mean, he gets carted away for forging lobotomy signatures … but Baby Doll is "gone."
Oh, it was Sweet Pea narrating all along. Makes sense. She had the most semblance of character.
Oh, it's that kid who was a soldier … um … meaning? And the bus driver is the Cryptic Guide. So, Male Power saving everyone in the "empowering" movie about "strong" female "characters."
"Now fight."
Fight WHAT?! Sexism? Misogyny? Insulting attempts at empowering movies about female characters so guys don't have to feel guilty about jerking off to their nerd-porn? No! FUCK THIS MOVIE!
When conversations at college turn to Sucker Punch, some of my friends have begun suggesting I watch the "Big Picture" video about "Why You Are Wrong about Sucker Punch."
I find it interesting that ALL the people I've ever heard or read defending it, saying it's secretly empowering, a critique, a satire, whatever ... have all been men. Just sayin' … and that's not to say all men love it, a lot of my male friends don't like it, but every defender I've run across in online videos, reviews, in real life … they're all men.
Maybe it really is a satire or a critique. But if so few people "got" that from watching the movie, and so many people just saw it for a shlocky action thing full of fetish dolls with no character beyond a bare minimum "she is the protective older sister/she is the optimistic younger sister/she is the nervous Asian chick" ... and the panty shots, none of the characters wearing decent clothes or armor, eye makeup caked on everyone ... is it really? Or are people digging deeply into something that doesn't go very far beneath the surface?
It just makes me think this is a bad movie. That there is no hidden message. That it's just a bad movie and people try and make excuses because they want to enjoy their nerd porn guilt-free, and they can't.