Sucker Punch (2011)
I went into this movie with a mixed set of expectations. On the one hand, I had a feeling that it was going to be a terrible waste of two hours. On the other hand, I thought Zack Snyder would evoke the same kind of visceral satisfaction as we got from the Spartans in 300. Ironically enough, neither one of these expectations really came to pass.
In case you’re not as familiar, the premise behind Sucker Punch
The parts that take place in the “reality” of the brothel/institution aren’t nearly as satisfying as the battle scenes that go on inside of her head. We get some very clear nods to Akira Kurosawa, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings, as well as zombie Nazi soldiers for good measure. All this while the young women are scantily clad in their “empowering” (perhaps “fetish friendly” is more accurate) outfits. It’s all very self-indulgent without having that same visceral appeal that we got in Watchmen and 300. On the plus side, Sucker Punch is bad for all the right reasons: Snyder took a chance. That’s much better than yet another vanilla project that looks like all the others.
The Fighter (2010)
It’s easy to assume that a movie like this is going to have some hardship and then an Rocky-like triumph. That’s a part of The Fighter
I’m not really sure that I would put The Fighter in the same realm as the other Oscar nominees this year, but Bale’s performance was particularly compelling, showing a broad range of emotions and circumstances. Not to take anything away from Melissa Leo, but I really didn’t see anything in her performance that stood out.
I would have liked if there was a little bit more boxing in the film and it may have helped if the relationship with Amy Adams’ character was more fleshed out, but The Fighter as it stands is satisfying enough for a unanimous decision (though not a real knockout).
Animal Kingdom (2010)
Crime dramas are great, even if they don’t necessarily involve a lot of gruesome violence. We get that with The Godfather, The Sopranos, and even Eastern Promises. Animal Kingdom takes us to the criminal underbelly of Australia, but it ultimately comes up short.
I’ve seen more than a few glowing reviews of Animal Kingdom
Some of the characters are almost interesting, but I never make a real connection with any of them.
Michael, you must remember that although “The Fighter” has a “Rocky” like ending, the story is true and this is what actually happened when “Irish” Mickey Ward won the welter-weight championship! “Rocky” (a great movie) had a great ending, because that is how Sylvester Stallone decided to end it when he wrote the script. “The Fighter” was true! Rocky was fiction. “The Fighter” was agreat movie and you should be urging all of your readers to see it.
Oh, I’m fully aware that it was based on a true story, but that doesn’t necessarily sway the way I feel about the movie itself.
Michael, one more comment! About Melissa Leo! Almost every review of “The Fighter” other than yours, raves about the outstanding performances of Melissa Leo and Christian Bale. Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams are given high marks, but their roles are not nearly as demanding as the roles of Melissa and Christian. Please go see the movie again and try to imagine what it would be like without Melissa Leo, It would be Rocky VI instead of the penetrating family drama that it is. If you were not impressed with Melissa Leo, how come everybody else was? She won every conceivable acting award including, but not limited to, the Critics Choice Award, the Golden Globe, The Screen Actors Guild Award and the Academy Award. She is one of the finest actresses of our time and it is about time that you recognized her talent. Do not let the train leave the station without you!
I think Leo did a good job, but it didn’t have the “oh my, she needs an award” kind of factor for me. I did like Bale’s performance though. Just because everyone else feels a certain way doesn’t mean that I have to feel the same way, right? 😉 I wasn’t a big fan of King’s Speech either, but that won a number of awards.
Just as you said in your Sunday Snippet: We do all have to agree. I didn’t like the Kings Speech either, just not my type of film. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great film.
I watched this movie and did not see why Leo got all the raves. I felt Wahlberg & Bales were the best in the movie.
When I saw the trailers for Sucker Punch, the first thing I though of was the Sailor Moon anime from Japan. All tease and sleaze with no redeeming value. I have yet to read a review that has anything good to really say about it.
I did want to mention that I did not watch Sailor Moon. It was on a channel when my daughter was just starting to watch cartoons and I was flipping through and saw it.
My favorite Japanese cartoon is the original Speed Racer. I watched that in first run, not reruns…. guess my age 🙂
I’m not here to judge. 😉
Ray Ebersole, with regard to “The Fighter”, Leo did not get “all the raves.” All four (4) of the main characters (Mark, Amy, Christian and Melissa)got great reviews, but most revewers felt that Christian Bale and Melissa Leo acted “over the top” performances which portrayed how dysfunctional the family really was. Mickey won the welter-weight title both in spite of his dysfunctional family and beacuse of his dysfunctional family. This made Mickey’s victory all the more spectacular and the movie a true classic family drama.
Don, “all the raves” is in context of your comment that “Almost every review of “The Fighter” other than yours, raves about the outstanding performances of Melissa Leo”.
So she did get “all the raves” about her performance. I was talking about Leo, not Bales or Wahlberg who were outstanding. I saw nothing in Melissa Leo’s performance that made me think “Oh Wow, that was really great!”
Ray, the whole point of my comments to you and to Michael was to preach about the outstanding talent of Melissa Leo and the outstanding performance of Melissa Leo in “The Fighter.” I realize, of course, that we are entitled to our own opinions and I always try to respect the opinions of others. Melissa Leo, like Mickey Ward, overcame many personal obstacles to get to the top of her profession and is finally getting the recognition she deserves at the age of 50. Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russel decided to cast her in “The Fighter” after seeing her performance in “Frozen River” for which she was nominated for an Oscar. I hope you and Michael have seen “Frozen River.”
I’ve recently watched the Fighter and then watched the fights on YouTube and must say that these were very well achieved!
Hey, just wanted to let you know that the brothel in “Sucker Punch”, is actually a fantasy. The asylum is not a front, it is actually real. Babydoll creates the brothel fantasy world to get out of the real asylum. There are 3 layers to her worlds. !st is the reality ( The asylum), second is the brothel/theater, and third is the action fantasy world. As a critique you were fooled by this movie hah