Parents' Guide to

Sucker Punch

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Impressive effects, but mixed messages about women.

Movie PG-13 2011 109 minutes
Sucker Punch Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 24 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
April 24, 2023
age 16+

A complex film with a lot of layers

This is a film that is trying to do A LOT of things and I think it succeeds with many of them, but I do not know if the audience gives up on the film a bit soon because Snyder is not really in a rush to have the film reveal itself to you. The film takes a lot of stereotypes and turns and twists them around into different shapes so that the audience consistently needs to pay attention to the layered meanings that the film is trying to convey. All of the actors are working very hard to offer you something that you think you have seen before but then tweaks with your expectations of what you think you are watching. It is meta, but also grounded in sentimentality and in a soundtrack that is working hard to guide you on this journey. Although the film is largely misunderstood I think it is more than worth a revisit. I think the audience that Snyder was critiquing did not understand the critique was pointed at them.
Natalie28
Natalie28 Adult
April 17, 2021
age 15+

Very demoralising for women

Started watching this. Strange and disturbing storyline. Very demoralising as the women are shown to be prostitutes. Have to dance for the men within the 'mental institution'. Although whats shown isn't very graphic, what is implied is provocative and sexualises women as objects to be used by men. Main character named 'Babydoll' which is strange. Scene where man attacks woman and forces himself on her. This is later discussed and implies something of a sexual nature. Not suitable for under 15s and for anyone easily affected by disturbing storylines or involving prostitution. In my opinion not worth watching, felt uncomfortable from the start.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 24 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Thrown into an insane asylum after mistakenly killing her sister while trying to defend herself from her menacing stepfather, Babydoll (Emily Browning) preserves her sanity and dignity by allowing her mind to roam free in an otherworldly parallel universe where she's armed, dangerous, and stronger than anyone else. She enlists the help of four other young women trapped in the hospital: Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), Amber (Jamie Chung), Rocket (Jena Malone), and Rocket's devoted sister, Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish). They must stick together to survive the disempowered Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and sociopathic Blue (Oscar Isaac) and his goons, and all before the High Roller (Jon Hamm) makes an appearance.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (24):
Kids say (73):

Director Zack Snyder may be trying to seduce us into thinking that SUCKER PUNCH is a great movie, but it's not. He litters the screen with one fantastical fight scene after another, drains the color from all but a few set pieces (you know, to be artsy), and amps up the volume on the carefully calibrated soundtrack. Even though it sports amazing CGI effects and is certainly ambitious in its reach, the movie has no weight behind it, no compelling characters, no elegant storytelling -- in fact, no coherent story at all. (Why does the film place so much importance on Babydoll's dancing, when it never actually shows her doing so? Why not just give her an entirely different, mesmerizing ability?)

That said, there are a few notable strengths, Cornish being the best of them. She can sell pretty much any role, even this (almost). Her interactions with Malone are so authentic that they seem like they're in a different world altogether. But even her prodigious talents can't elevate this strange brew of a movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie portrays women. Do you think it reinforces stereotypes or undermines them? Who are the most powerful characters in the movie?

  • How do details like the characters' costumes and names affect how you feel about them? Which characters in the movie can be seen as role models?

  • What impact does the movie's violence have? Would it be different if it was more realistic instead of cartoonish? Why?

Movie Details

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