History Film / SuckerPunch

* TheFifties: AnachronismStew aside, the movie seems to take place in that era, which adds a sense of nostalgia and more sex appeal to their already sexy outfits.

--->'''Narrator:''' Everyone has an angel, a guardian who watches over us. We can't know what form they'll take. One day, [[{{Mentors}} old man]]. Next day, [[DecoyProtagonist a little girl]]. But don't let appearances fool you. They can be fierce as any dragon, yet they're not here to fight our battles, but to whisper from our heart, reminding that it's us. It's every one of us who holds the [[YourMindMakesItReal power over the worlds we create]]. We can deny our angels exist, convince ourselves they can't be real. But they show up anyway in [[BedlamHouse strange places]] and at [[TheFifties strange times]]. They can speak through any character we can imagine. They'll shout through demons if they have to, daring us, challenging us to fight.

* TheIngenue: Subverted with Babydoll. Asylum inmates deem her at first to be very docile, naive, and immature. However, Babydoll has ''much'' more spunk and intelligence than most ingenue heroines, and it eventually shows. See SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl below. Blondie is also convinced Babydoll's not a virgin.

* SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl: All of the girls actually.

''Sucker Punch'' is a [[GenreBusting psychological action fantasy]] directed, written and co-produced by Creator/ZackSnyder (his first film not to be an adaptation of any kind), and released by Creator/WarnerBros

It’s about a young girl, Babydoll (Creator/EmilyBrowning), and her FireForgedFriends. Together, they plan escape from the insane asylum where they're being held against their will. Babydoll can't cope with the trauma of being trapped there, and imagines the asylum as a fantasy world instead. But she can't cope with her fantasy world either... which is when things get complicated.

* NaziZombies: Sorta. Although some Nazi imagery is invoked, the gas-masked undead German soldiers are really more like [[UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany Imperial German]] soldiers from UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. Some even have pickelhaube helmets.

* FourElementEnsemble: Downplayed but it's there for each of the four fantasies. The temple fantasy has a battle that takes place in a snowstorm (Water). The WWI fantasy takes place in the trenches (Earth). The castle fantasy involves fending off a dragon (Fire), not to mention the girls needing something that makes Fire. The final fantasy involves a train on a raised platform amid clouds and mist (Air) - not to mention the girls needing to escape by helicopter and trouble arising when a jet pack doesn't work.

* BareYourMidriff: Babydoll's and Amber's outfits leave their midriffs exposed.

It is about a young girl, Babydoll (Creator/EmilyBrowning), and her FireForgedFriends. Together, they plan escape from the insane asylum where they're being held against their will. Babydoll can't cope with the trauma of being trapped there, and imagines the asylum as a fantasy world instead. But she can't cope with her fantasy world either... which is when things get complicated.

* TheChick: Rocket, TheHeart, who exhibits an emotional personality-type and is determined to hold the girls together.

Not to be confused with the [[Creator/SuckerPunch video game company]] of the same name. For an ''actual'' sucker punch, see the TalkToTheFist trope.

** Babydoll and Sweet Pea are able to sneak past the guard at the front door because he's wearing earphones -- either white [=iPod=] earphones, or just as likely [[AluminumChristmasTrees period-appropriate earphones]].

* FiveManBand: Babydoll is TheLeader and protagonist, Sweet Pea is TheLancer, the voice of caution and dissent, Amber is TheSmartGuy who's in charge of transport in the dream-world, and who's shy, timid demeanor in the brothel-world (ie: nervousness about seducing the mayor) is common for this role, Blondie is TheBigGuy as, in the dream-world, she is the most ruthless and ferocious, and carries the biggest weapons, and who presents a street-smart, tough personality in the brothel-world (ie: cheering on a fight between two other patients in her first scene, teaching Amber how to seduce people). Vanessa Hudgens has described her as "The Tough One". Also notable in the WWI fantasy - she uses a lot of hand-to-hand combat while the others rely on gunfire. In the castle fantasy Blondie is also in charge of the bigger guns on the plane, Rocket is TheChick, being TheHeart, who exhibits an emotional personality-type and is determined to hold the girls together.

%%* AnAxeToGrind: Blondie.

* RareGuns: In the UsefulNotes/WorldWarI fantasy Rocket uses either a Wheel lock or Flintlock pistol as a side arm.

* DudeShesLikeInAComa: Blue's plan for Babydoll after the High Roller deals with her. Subverted in that [[spoiler:he's put off by the UncannyValley vibes Babydoll gives off post-lobotomy.]]

** The first "dance" acted out by Sweet Pea is [[spoiler:Babydoll's lobotomy]], which she stops because she doesn't think it is sexy. [[spoiler:She removed her Babydoll wig to reveal that she is sitting in the lobotomy chair, suggesting that she is the protagonist]]. Also, [[spoiler: her line about a lobotomized vegetable not being sexy comes back in the end, when post-lobotomy, Blue is too freaked out by UncannyValley Babydoll to find her sexy]]. [[invoked]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Music/{{Eurythmics}} "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This..."]]'']]

* PantyShot: Plenty and expected, given the skimpy outfits the girls wear.

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl: Baby Doll imagines herself and the four friends as these in her fantasy worlds. They wield all manner of cool weapons, pull off some acrobatic WaifFu moves and never suffer any serious injuries.

* ActionGirl: All of the women, except [[HerrDoktor the psychologist]].
* AdultFear: The first few minutes of the movie certainly qualify. Babydoll fighting so hard against what is an implied rape attempt, only to have the attacker turn on her sister. The accidental shooting. The fear in the scene is less about the scary stepfather (a child's interpretation), it's about the helplessness (the adult fear). The themes the film focuses on (rape, objectification, etc.) are fairly mature as well.

** It's okay to blame a director for being turned on by a movie about woman being borderline raped most of the time in a way which is never shown on screen.

** The name of the film itself: Sucker Punch! [[spoiler:The one who would be saved by the plan isn't Babydoll! Anyone who came for the {{Fanservice}} is NotSoDifferent from the villains!]]

* RealityEnsues: Blue doesn't have as much power as he is depicted to have, at the end.

* FiveManBand: Babydoll is TheLeader and protagonist, Sweet Pea is TheLancer, the voice of caution and dissent, {{The Smart G|uy}}irl: Amber is TheSmartGuy who's in charge of transport in the dream-world, and who's shy, timid demeanor in the brothel-world (ie: nervousness about seducing the mayor) is common for this role, Blondie is TheBigGuy as, in the dream-world, she is the most ruthless and ferocious, and carries the biggest weapons, and who presents a street-smart, tough personality in the brothel-world (ie: cheering on a fight between two other patients in her first scene, teaching Amber how to seduce people). Vanessa Hudgens has described her as "The Tough One". Also notable in the WWI fantasy - she uses a lot of hand-to-hand combat while the others rely on gunfire. In the castle fantasy Blondie is also in charge of the bigger guns on the plane, Rocket is TheChick, being TheHeart, who exhibits an emotional personality-type and is determined to hold the girls together.

%%* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: In the fantasy sequence.

Not to be confused with a certain [[Creator/SuckerPunch video game company]] of the same name. For an ''actual'' sucker punch, see the TalkToTheFist trope.

It is about a about a young girl, Babydoll (Creator/EmilyBrowning), and her FireForgedFriends. Together, they plan escape from the insane asylum where they're being held against their will. Babydoll can't cope with the trauma of being trapped there, and imagines the asylum as a fantasy world instead. But she can't cope with her fantasy world either... which is when things get complicated.

* ZettaiRyouiki: Babydoll has the stockings/skirt combo and the pigtails for a Grade S.

''Sucker Punch'' is a [[GenreBusting fantasy action horror thriller film]] directed, written and co-produced by Creator/ZackSnyder (his first film not to be an adaptation of any kind), and released by Creator/WarnerBros

* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: In a ShoutOut to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}'' (in which the main character also has escapist dreams), Baby Doll duels a 10 feet tall samurai, then faces off against two others.

* ShoutOut: The giant samurais Baby Doll fights are a nod to Creator/TerryGilliam's ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', in which the main character also has escapist dreams and the giant samurai he fights being an embodiment of the oppressive and malfunctioning technology that makes his real life a CrapsackWorld.