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Sucker Punch Extended Cut Blu-ray Review

post #1 of 53
6/26/11 at 3:48pm
Thread Starter 

 Sucker Punch: Extended Cut (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

 

SUCKER PUNCH Extended Cut Blu-ray

 

Studio: Warner Brothers

Year: 2011

Rated: R(Extended), PG-13(Theatrical)

Film Length: 2 hours, 8 minutes(Extended), 1 hour, 50 minutes(Theatrical)

Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (2.4:1)

Audio: English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio

Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

 

Release Date: June 28, 2011

 

The Movie

 

Sucker Punch begins as the story of Baby Doll(Emily Browning), a young woman who finds herself locked away in a sanitarium after a family tragedy. Baby Doll enlists other patients to help her to plan her escape, including Rocket(Jena Malone), Rocket’s sister Sweet Pea(Abby Cornish), Amber(Jamie Chung), and the ironically named Blondie(Vanessa Hudgens). Scott Glenn, Carla Gugino, and Jon Hamm also feature prominently in the film.

 

Sucker Punch is the most recent film directed by Zack Snyder(Watchmen, 300). Snyder also created the original story and collaborated on the screenplay with Steve Shibuya. Snyder’s past experience with adapting graphic novels is put to good use here as he succeeds in the first sequence of the film in telling a story primarily with pictures rather than words. Snyder deserves credit as a filmmaker who obviously places a lot of thought and preparation into the images placed on screen. The extended cut of Sucker Punch is the better of the 2 versions because it restores one pivotal scene near the end of the film featuring an encounter between Baby Doll and the character played by Jon Hamm that helps to tie the film together. The other additions in the extended cut are less significant, consisting of additional action scenes and musical numbers. That pivotal scene does not transform Sucker Punch into an entirely different film but it does improve the original version.

 

Sucker Punch is an entertaining descendant of other films, particularly The Matrix, in which the nature of reality is questioned or sculpted by its protagonist. Stuart Lee of WNYX-TV described Sucker Punch as "Kill Bill meets Inception" and that seems to be a fairly accurate description if one is looking for a high concept summary in only a few words, even if its quality does not surpass either of those films. The fantastic imagery of hot babes with guns blazing and swords swinging in amazing environments is emblematic of Baby Doll’s efforts to collect the items needed by the girls to escape their prison. This device is useful in providing the audience with the same imaginary outlet as Baby Doll and elevates the film above what would otherwise be a more mundane and depressing backdrop.

 

Video

 

The film is presented in 1080p high definition in a 2.4:1 aspect ratio with the AVC codec. The picture quality is excellent with minimal grain but exquisite fine detail. Shadow detail is also excellent. Colors tend to be drab rather than vibrant, but this is obviously an aesthetic choice by the filmmakers rather than the result of a poor transfer. This is near reference quality material.

 

Audio

 

The English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio tracks provide great demonstration material. Directional audio is employed exceptionally well for sound effects. The soundtrack carries the correct balance of audibility for dialogue, music, and sound effects to create as immersive an audio experience as you might hope for in this type of film.

 

Special Features

 

The special features include all of the following:

 

The Sucker Punch Extended Cut Blu-ray includes 3 discs. Disc 1 contains the theatrical cut of the film with all of the special features except for the Maximum Movie Mode which is included on the Extended Cut on Disc 2. Disc 3 contains the theatrical version on DVD as well as the digital copy of the film.

 

Sucker Punch Animated Shorts(11:23): These promotional shorts that were originally available on the internet are animated prequels regarding the fantastic scenarios created by Baby Doll. Titles are as follows: Feudal Warriors, The Trenches, Dragon, and Distant Planet. These shorts may be selected individually or with a "play all" function.

 

Sucker Punch Behind The Soundtrack(2:41): Film composers Tyler Bates and Marius De Vries discuss creation of the music for this film.

 

Maximum Movie Mode: This feature length picture-in-picture commentary by director Zack Snyder will be of interest to anyone who wants to see how this film was created. The PIP is not continuous but pops up only when Snyder is speaking. This feature is included only on the Extended Cut disc.

 

Trailers for the multi-platform videogame Batman Arkham City(2:20), Lord of the Rings Extended Edition(2:14), and Crazy Stupid Love(2:32) play automatically prior to the menu on the Theatrical Cut disc. Trailers for Clockwork Orange 40th Anniversary Blu-ray(2:11) and the multi-platform videogame F.3.E.R.(2:20) play automatically prior to the menu on the Extended Cut disc. Both Blu-ray discs also have a BD Live feature which has special features for Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Arthur(2011) available as of the date of this review.

 

Conclusion

 

Sucker Punch may not surpass the better films which inspired it but it offers considerable style in spades, even if too often at the cost of substance. Fans of director Snyder will find it essential viewing but casual film fans may be less enamored. If one expects the depth of Inception or even The Matrix, you will probably be disappointed. If you come into Sucker Punch with an open mind, you may be pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed Sucker Punch more than I expected, since the trailers for the film may have sold it short by implying that it is a much more mindless film than in actuality. I recommend the extended cut over the theatrical as a better film. The video and audio qualities are sublime on this Blu-ray transfer. The special features are not especially comprehensive, although the Maximum Movie Mode makes for interesting viewing. Sucker Punch Extended Cut on Blu-ray is recommended for anyone who enjoys the best video and audio that high definition has to offer. 

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Sucker Punch (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)
post #2 of 53
6/26/11 at 5:29pm

Tim,

 

Thank you so much for this review.

 

Oddly, I just happened to have just

finished watching this film when I came

online to be greeted with your review.

 

The GOOD NEWS is that your depiction

of the audio and video quality is spot-on.

This is indeed reference material on

both counts.

 

The BAD NEWS is that I will never get

the two hours back I wasted on this lousy

film.   I was so tempted to turn it off after

the first 30 minutes and was stupid enough

to stick out to the end.  

 

I can't wrap my head around films that try

to base themselves solely on over-the-top

visuals and the absence of an intriguing storyline.  

 

 

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post #3 of 53
6/26/11 at 5:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein View Post

Tim,

 

Thank you so much for this review.

 

Oddly, I just happened to have just

finished watching this film when I came

online to be greeted with your review.

 

The GOOD NEWS is that your depiction

of the audio and video quality is spot-on.

This is indeed reference material on

both counts.

 

The BAD NEWS is that I will never get

the two hours back I wasted on this lousy

film.   I was so tempted to turn it off after

the first 30 minutes and was stupid enough

to stick out to the end.  

 

I can't wrap my head around films that try

to base themselves solely on over-the-top

visuals and the absence of an intriguing storyline.  

 

 



Well Ron, expect another Ron from California to dispute your opinion of this film. tongue.gif

 

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post #4 of 53
6/26/11 at 5:36pm

Sigh! Yeah, I know.  frown.gif

 

I am ready to be taken to task.

 

 

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post #5 of 53
6/26/11 at 6:15pm

laugh.gif You guys crack me up. This film was made for a very, very limited audience, luckily I fit right into that. My copy is in transit and should arrive tomorrow, I am beside my self with excitement, especially after reading your review Tim.

 

I will say this Ron, this comment of yours...

 

 

 

Quote:

I can't wrap my head around films that try

to base themselves solely on over-the-top

visuals and the absence of an intriguing storyline.  

 

 

...sums up roughly 80% of the films that come out of Hollywood as of late. 

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post #6 of 53
6/26/11 at 6:17pm

 

 

Quote:
...sums up roughly 80% of the films that come out of Hollywood as of late. 

 

Oh absolutely.  However, with all due respect, some 

stinkers stick out more than others.

 

 

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post #7 of 53
6/26/11 at 6:19pm

Well, look at it this way, we can still bond over Moulin Rouge... laugh.gif

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post #8 of 53
6/26/11 at 6:30pm

Ron, that you can be certain of.  rock.gif

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post #9 of 53
6/26/11 at 6:33pm

Pretty much my sentiment.   This was a film I saw in the theater on a free pass and walked out thinking: wow, there is nothing here.. some fun moments, but the storyline was garbage.   I had hoped maybe it made more sense in a longer version, but I don't think I have the patience to last through it.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronald Epstein View Post

Tim,

 

Thank you so much for this review.

 

Oddly, I just happened to have just

finished watching this film when I came

online to be greeted with your review.

 

The GOOD NEWS is that your depiction

of the audio and video quality is spot-on.

This is indeed reference material on

both counts.

 

The BAD NEWS is that I will never get

the two hours back I wasted on this lousy

film.   I was so tempted to turn it off after

the first 30 minutes and was stupid enough

to stick out to the end.  

 

I can't wrap my head around films that try

to base themselves solely on over-the-top

visuals and the absence of an intriguing storyline.  

 

 



 

Reply
post #10 of 53
6/26/11 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron-P View Post

This film was made for a very, very limited audience...
Sucker Punch wasn't for me but I think people should still give it a rental because they might enjoy it.
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post #11 of 53
6/27/11 at 10:04am

Does anyone know if the single disc BD has the extended cut on it, or do I need the 3 disc version to get that?

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post #12 of 53
6/27/11 at 11:49am

Maybe I'll check it out on a Netflix stream someday.

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post #13 of 53
6/28/11 at 9:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Cooper View Post

Does anyone know if the single disc BD has the extended cut on it, or do I need the 3 disc version to get that?



The 1-discer is the theatrical cut only, Jeff. 

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post #14 of 53
6/28/11 at 9:53am

And I came so close to seeing at the cinema, phew! A depressing experience.

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post #15 of 53
6/28/11 at 10:01am

And I remember being so stoked by the trailer. After seeing this I can only hope that Snyder doesn't jump the shark on "Man of Steel".

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post #16 of 53
6/28/11 at 1:29pm

I want to blind-buy this but I'm hearing nothing but negative comments on it. There's nothing redeeming about this film at all?

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post #17 of 53
6/28/11 at 1:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luisito34 View Post

I want to blind-buy this but I'm hearing nothing but negative comments on it. There's nothing redeeming about this film at all?

Rent it. There's people that love the movie (I'm not one of them) but they do seem to be few and far between.
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post #18 of 53
6/28/11 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luisito34 View Post

I want to blind-buy this but I'm hearing nothing but negative comments on it. There's nothing redeeming about this film at all?



Rent first.   Definitely rent first.  If you love it, you won't regret the $2.  If you don't, you'll thank yourself.

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post #19 of 53
6/28/11 at 5:36pm
The problem with SUCKER PUNCH is that it purports to explore the fantasy life of a distressed teenage girl. Unfortunately for its serious intent, the fantasies she has are those of a teenage boy - lots of provocatively clad young girls kicking the s*** out of robots and such. This lends the film an adolescent feel that scuppers any sense of profundity.

If you can put that aside and see it as a very cartoony, almost anime film, it has something to offer. Chiefly, it confirms Snyder as a truly great director of action sequences. His sense of geography is always clear, he delivers the angles you want to see, edits them coherently and he constantly hits images of visual poetry. It's easy to dismiss his use of slo-mo as a gimmick but he uses it artfully and, for the most part, appropriately. The fight sequences in SUCKER PUNCH are very good indeed, albeit hindered by the fact that the central conceit doesn't quite work.

So it's eye-candy for the most part, admirably but unsuccessfully striving for something deeper. Unfortunately, it's a step backwards from the sophistication of WATCHMEN. It's worth a rental at the very least, imo; and if it's lacking in itself, it does pique the curiosity for his next project.

Snyder is a director of great potential who, in my opinion, hasn't ever quite got on top of his material. The parts are always greater than the whole and that sums up SUCKER PUNCH. But if the script is good and he can loosen up on the reverence, there's every reason to believe his take on SUPERMAN will be spectacular. I absolutely believe he's the right man for that job - he can deliver action and majesty simultaneously, which is right for the character.
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post #20 of 53
6/28/11 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron-P View Post

laugh.gif You guys crack me up. This film was made for a very, very limited audience,

Gee, that makes it sound like an art film, instead of the almost purely commercial vehicle it was supposed to be.
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post #21 of 53
6/28/11 at 9:28pm
What I meant Robert, this is not a date night movie, it's not a film older couples will go out and see, and it sure is not a film for the whole family. It is a film for a very limited audience.

I just finished up the DC and I will say it adds a bunch to the film, but I didn't see anything I thought that would make it rated "R" over it's PG-13 theatrical rating. There's no nudity, no more gore to the violence and no added bad language. I'm guessing it had to be what Snyder said in an interview, it was the heaviness of some scenes. I've never heard of a film having to remove heavy drama scenes to get a PG-13 rating. This was a first.

As for the A/V, it's 5 by 5, absolutely perfect. Stunning picture with excellent, enveloping surrounds with deep, tight bass. It makes for the perfect popcorn film.
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post #22 of 53
6/29/11 at 6:35am
Would you recommend a first-time viewer watch the theatrical version or the extended cut?
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post #23 of 53
6/29/11 at 9:10am
Watch the DC, it's the way Snyder wanted the film to be seen. Problem was, to keep it's PG-13 rating the MPAA made him pull out the material in the DC for the theatrical. Don't bother watching the theatrical cut.
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post #24 of 53
6/29/11 at 9:31am
Renting isn't an option for me since I can only rent DVDs on Netflix. I think Sucker Punch is the kind of film best viewed in hi-def so I'm going to have to take the plunge and make a blind purchase. It'll be the Extended version for me - I'm not going to waste time watching a truncated edition.
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post #25 of 53
6/29/11 at 10:40am
I'm kind of leaning that way too, but I'll wait until I see it for under $10. (I'll probably end up with a Blockbuster previe. I hope those don't cut the extras.)
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post #26 of 53
6/29/11 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron-P View Post

I just finished up the DC and I will say it adds a bunch to the film, but I didn't see anything I thought that would make it rated "R" over it's PG-13 theatrical rating.
Me neither. The MPAA ratings board seems to get more conservative every year, oddly. If memory serves, Snyder said their objections had to do with the sheer number of enemies dispatched in the longer cut, even though the only things spilling out of their bodies are light, steam or dirt.

Watched the disc last night and then re-watched about half of it with the (rather cool) visual commentary on. I still find this film both difficult to embrace and difficult to dismiss. I can't in good faith argue that all of its ideas (or even most of them) hang together with any dramatic or thematic coherence. But there's a lot more going on in the film than is admitted by those who dismiss it outright, I feel.

I have a couple of plot-related questions that some might be able to shed light on (spoilers, of course):

1. Did Baby Doll, in fact, kill her sister? The prologue is quite (and I must assume, deliberately) ambiguous on this point. The authorities think she did, hence her commitment to the asylum, but is this really the case?

2. Why is the stepfather willing to pay an exorbitant sum to have Baby Doll lobotomized? This seems to really only make sense if he killed the sister, and not Baby Doll. Otherwise, what is he worried about the authorities discovering? (Perhaps sexual abuse, vaguely implied by the opening?)

3. Madame Gorsky is only retroactively horrified by Baby Doll's lobotomy when she finds out her signature approving the procedure was forged. But she knew the procedure was happening, even if she says she doesn't "agree" with it. Who did she think approved it?
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post #27 of 53
6/29/11 at 12:24pm

I'm gonna spoilerize some of my thoughts as I don't

want to ruin things for people that have yet to see the film.

 

I can't write as eloquently as Anthony Neilson, but here is

my take on the film...

 

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

I was totally hooked for the first 10 minutes of the film.

It opens up with a shockingly, stylistic opening that just

grabs you and refused to let go.

 

But then....

 

Suddenly the film goes from Baby Doll being brought

to an asylum by her evil father to that of a club where

her father is suddenly a priest.  

 

 

 

That's where I went, "WTF?!"

 

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

From there, it seemed to me, that Baby Doll's mind

escaped to these imaginary, ultra-violent places when

she found herself in traumatic situations.

 

 

 

I don't know if I figured out the film correctly or not, but

what really turned me off was the abundance of unrealistic

CGI that was used.  The first fight between Baby Doll and

the creature looked like a video game.  In fact, every "escape"

sequence looked like it was something out of a personal

game player.

 

Listen, I'm just not the target audience for this kind of

film.  I hated Star Wars I-III just because of the amount of

CGI used in the film and the fact that it had no script support

whatsoever.  

 

...and Scott Glenn showing up in every action sequence

became a bit tiring after a while -- especially for the fact that

the performance seemed (purposely or not) "wooden." 

 

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post #28 of 53
6/29/11 at 12:37pm
There are two levels of fantasy--the cabaret/brothel, which is just a somewhat glamorized version of reality in which the girls are still being subjugated, and the outrageous fantasy world of the action scenes, in which the girls are essentially invincible warriors.

This structure intrigues and confounds me a bit. ?From a screenwriting standpoint, if this is just a simple story about a girl escaping her brutal circumstances by retreating into flights of fantasy, why have two levels of fantasy, with the first one (the brothel/cabaret) being not much better than reality? What's the point?

And whose fantasy is it? I'm beginning to suspect that perhaps Sweet Pea's fantasy is the brothel--again, in which the girls are glamorized but not really empowered. It takes Baby Doll's more militant, outrageous power fantasies (which, as Anthony points out above, seem more characteristic of an adolescent boy than a girl) to break them out of their imprisonment.
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post #29 of 53
6/29/11 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jefferson Morris View Post

But there's a lot more going on in the film than is admitted by those who dismiss it outright, I feel.

You are very right Jefferson. There is a lot more to this film than meets the eye, so to speak. Sadly too many just dismissed it and wrote off the film as a flop before really digging in.

If you guys head on over to the movie section where the discussion of the film has already taken place you'll see my thoughts on the film, whose fantasy I thought it really is and some other members thoughts on the film.
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post #30 of 53
6/29/11 at 4:58pm
I know I said it back when the movie came out but just because they leave a few elements open to interpretation that doesn't mean that the movie is deep. I'm sure it's fun for fans to debate those aspects of the movie though.
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