Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared. "Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her. And her incredible adventures blur the liens between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls - the outspoken Rocket, the street-smart Blondie, the fiercely loyal Amber and the reluctant Sweet Pea - to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the the hands of their captors, Blue, Madam Gorski and The High Roller.

Zack Snyder always serves up an eye full of great imagery with his films. This is no exception and the film bounces between fantastical worlds as the film unfolds. The HD image is highly stylized and delivers everything intended but the amount of postproduction work done to it takes its toll on some of the fine detail and depth it delivers. Most of the time this is an outstanding transfer with great dimensionality and strong detail. Subtle film grain is evident throughout and the color palette fluctuates constantly as you bounce from one dream world to the next. At times you do notice some slight softening of the image, no doubt due to the constant postproduction effects. This rarely distracts but it does keep me from giving it top ratings in the video department. The audio is outstanding though with an impressive sound design that really keeps the room shaking. Low bass extension is system threatening and dynamic range is outstanding. The balance of the mix is flawless and despite the intense action dialogue is never drowned out and the spatial design is in perfect balance.

Warner pulls out all the stops for this one. Not only do you get two versions of the film; the theatrical cut and extended cut, but they deliver each on its own disc. You also get a DVD copy of the theatrical cut and a digital copy as well. The film features Warner’s Maximum Movie Mode, which takes you through the production with video commentary, production insight and more; all while you’re watching the film. Also included are the animated Sucker Punch shorts that set up the story and provide even more insight into the worlds of the film. Other extras include interviews, a look at the soundtrack and some trailers.

Zack Snyder is definitely a visionary director that pushes the envelope of the imagination with his productions. While this isn’t the strongest film in his catalog, it definitely delivers some incredible imagery and an interesting concept. If you haven’t seen it already I would probably recommend a rental before purchase as this isn’t for everyone but if you’re a fan of the film already this is an outstanding package from Warner that will surely please fans of the film.