Sucker Punch is a film directed by Zach Snyder, the “visionary” behind “300” and “Watchmen.”And I use the term “visionary” loosely now because I loved “Watchmen” and “300” but this one falls up short. Sucker Punch is a blend of fantasy, steam punk, and futurism, set in the mind of it’s unreliable narrator, Baby Doll. After acidentally murdering her sister, she is sent to a mental asylum, where the main director is paid off by her father, so she will be put through lobotomy and will be unable to claim her mother’s fortune. To be blunt, Sucker Punch just doesn’t line up very well. It goes in and out of scenes too quickly, almost to the point where the audience can’t match it up. The story also becomes bland and predictable throughout. The visuals were one of the main highlights in the film. The characters drifted in and out of fantasy and reaility, shifting from a Japanese setting, World War II, and a high speed futuristic train. Most of the film was obviously shot in green screen, like Snyder’s “300”, and it is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The action in the film was completely over the top ridiculous. Fights with gigantic samurai, undead nazi’s and cybernetic androids make the film’s action scenes feel like a very long video game commercial. It’s just mind numbing, still no quality. The scenes where bullets, bodies and swords weren’t flying around were the greatest. The tension in the final scene is attention grabbing and adds value to a film that lacks it. The acting was sub-par. Emily Browning and Oscar Isaac gave some pretty standout performances, while Vanessa Hudgens was a bit dull. I did expect more from Abbie Cornish and Jenna Malone, who have done some great performances in the past. Jon Hamm had a few brief scenes, which is upsetting because he’s absolutely brilliant in Mad Men. One other great thing about the film was the soundtrack. With covers of “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles, “Asleep” by the Smiths, and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, the background music throughout was great. In all, the film was visual eye candy, but the story and ridiculous action hold the film back from being truly great. The concept was good, but the exectuion, not so good. When it ends, the film will leave you feeling, well, sucker punched.