Overall I liked the movie, but was confused about how I felt once it was over.
One major problem I think it has is that it's sort of disjointed, with random stuff thrown in because it's cool, and not because it fits in with what's going on. Why is a flop house the way she imagines the place in her mind? What do nazi's, robots, and stone samurais have to do with it? And why is there a fantasy within a fantasy? Is this a tie-in to Inception?
Also, the dancing part. So if the weird stylish nazi and robot battles were an fantasy to keep her mind off the sexual dancing, what was she doing in the real world that was being fantasized as a dance? I don't think this was really thought through. I wonder if maybe it was just "hey, let's make it in an insane asylum, that's cool! But the girls need to dress sexy, so we'll make it a fantasy about a brothel. Oh wait, we can have robots and nazis! Just make that another fantasy or something!"
Also, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see the dance. ;D She's amazingly cute.
Another thing that bothered me was the ending.
I don't mind an ending that isn't "happy", but it needs to be at least poetic, or say something. SE7EN was an amazing ending, and not happy at all. Suckerpunch left me thinking, "What? Wait, why?" So it's acceptable to lobotomize the main character, which was what the whole movie was about avoiding, just because she let another girl go?"
Overall I liked the movie, but was confused about how I felt once it was over.
One major problem I think it has is that it's sort of disjointed, with random stuff thrown in because it's cool, and not because it fits in with what's going on. Why is a flop house the way she imagines the place in her mind? What do nazi's, robots, and stone samurais have to do with it? And why is there a fantasy within a fantasy? Is this a tie-in to Inception?
Also, the dancing part. So if the weird stylish nazi and robot battles were an fantasy to keep her mind off the sexual dancing, what was she doing in the real world that was being fantasized as a dance? I don't think this was really thought through. I wonder if maybe it was just "hey, let's make it in an insane asylum, that's cool! But the girls need to dress sexy, so we'll make it a fantasy about a brothel. Oh wait, we can have robots and nazis! Just make that another fantasy or something!"
Also, I was disappointed that I didn't get to see the dance. ;D She's amazingly cute.
Another thing that bothered me was the ending.
I don't mind an ending that isn't "happy", but it needs to be at least poetic, or say something. SE7EN was an amazing ending, and not happy at all. Suckerpunch left me thinking, "What? Wait, why?" So it's acceptable to lobotomize the main character, which was what the whole movie was about avoiding, just because she let another girl go?"
I had to actually watch the flick twice to grasp most of this.
Ending
BabyDoll sacrificed herself to let Sweet Pea go b/c she was still not over what happened w/ accidentally killing her sister.
She didn't really care anymore about herself anymore. She didn't want to live anymore. She felt that she was already dead.
Also, keep in mind - Sweet Pea's telling the story. The opening and ending voice-over monologue were in Sweet Pea's voice, not BabyDoll's.
The Dance
Early on in the beginning, it was big-time hinted at that both BabyDoll and her sister were sexually abused by her step-father. So, what triggered her to "escape" to a fantasy-world? Listen to the female Doctor's words carefully, when Sweet Pea is on stage at the "theatre", where Baby Doll listens and begins to "let go" - this was the start of the escapism. Until then, you pretty much saw everything "as is."
When BabyDoll performs the dance, it's assumed her "dance" was sexual - given how she and her sister was treated by her step-father. Keep in mind, when BabyDoll is being shown the mental institute by Rocket - and it all looks like a gangster's whore-house and they they'd be there to please their clients.
Side note - In real life, it has been documented that during the 40's and 50's, mental wards have even been used for prostitution rings. So, I think this is what the film is speaking on.
I had to keep reminding myself of the reality versus the imaginary during the whole movie:
I kept telling myself: The reality is the grungy asylum, anything else is an illusion seen through the girls' eyes.