# The Sucker Punch thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694 "2011-03-23T05:48:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/1 "2011-03-23T05:48:59Z")
I am insanely stoked for this movie! It’s by the same guy who did 300, which I loved, and The Watchmen, which I didn’t watch because I was told it sucked. But the [trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrIiYSdEe4E) and everything I’ve seen does make it look cool. Hell, I’d even watch the [Disney](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQYKfw4fBhM) version of the film. What’s funny is, when I showed my wife the trailer she saw all the girls in their nighties and said, “Oh, now I see why you want to see this movie.” No, actually, that had nothing to do with it. The trench warfare scenes and sword fights made me want to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/2 "2011-03-23T11:38:08Z")
… not that there’s anything wrong with “girls in their nighties.” ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/3 "2011-03-23T11:55:48Z")
Actually, I’m thinking I don’t like the girls in their nighties, it’s just too much pandering to adolescent boys. Like, I can accept that people would be fighting dragons and giant machine gun samurai robots or whatever that thing is supposed to be, with swords no less, but that they’d be doing it in trampy schoolgirl uniforms is pushing it a little too far. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/4 "2011-03-23T12:02:20Z")
Because if a woman is fighting, she should not have any feminine qualities. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/5 "2011-03-23T12:03:05Z")
Reserving judgement, because I remember the _very_ misleading trailers for [_Bridge To Terabithia_.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398808/) ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/6 "2011-03-23T12:04:18Z")
> [@FlyingDragonFan](#): > > Actually, I’m thinking I don’t like the girls in their nighties, it’s just too much pandering to adolescent boys. Like, I can accept that people would be fighting dragons and giant machine gun samurai robots or whatever that thing is supposed to be, with swords no less, but that they’d be doing it in trampy schoolgirl uniforms is pushing it a little too far. Agreed. The movie looks head-explodingly awesome, but I don’t want to tell anyone how excited I am for it because I can already picture the raised eyebrows since it stars jailbait teens in fetish costumes. Yes, I am a straight man and this movie features a half dozen gorgeous women wearing next to nothing. But it also features Nazis, Terminators, orcs, samurais, warblimps, giants and a fucking dragon! The women could all be obese and missing teeth and I’d still want to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/7 "2011-03-23T13:16:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Reserving judgement, because I remember the _very_ misleading trailers for [_Bridge To Terabithia_.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398808/) That’s probably a good reaction for a movie that actually has a tagline of “You will be unprepared” and boasts in its ads about how it breaks all the rules. I’m considering going to see it and actually making notes on how well or badly it follows the rules of script storytelling from Blake Snyder’s book - that could be good material for a blog post. Though I’ve known about this movie since following the news from Comic-Con last summer, it actually took me by surprise that it’s finally about to open, somehow when I found out that it wasn’t coming out until this year, I thought that it would be a _Summer Blockbuster_, or at least a May release. At Toronto Wizard World, Sucker Punch officially sponsored the adults costuming contest and requested the addition of a special Sucker Punch category, which I thought was clever marketing. What I didn’t realize until they end was that the studio had also donated special prize packs, to be used preferentially for their own category. There were only a few people who actually tried doing costumes for the movie based on the promotional pictures and trailers, and they were actually pretty good. There were two of the Sucker Punch prize packs left over, so those were awarded to the Best in Show costume, (an amazing Iron Man in a box outfit that the guy actually put on on stage,) and the Best Group Costumes - ‘Because it’ll be fun to see you fight over it,’ as the MC said. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/8 "2011-03-23T13:52:18Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Because if a woman is fighting, she should not have any feminine qualities. Yeah, because a woman can’t possibly be feminine unless she’s showing tons of skin and/or is wearing a fetishy costume; keeping well-styled hair and immaculate makeup doesn’t suffice. Considering the starting plot of the film and that she is (almost certainly) supposed to be a teen, I find it just a tad yucky. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/9 "2011-03-23T13:56:58Z")
You realize the story takes place within a girl’s imagination, right? If I went into my own imagination to kill orcs and nazis with samurai swords you can bet your ass I’d look amazing while doing it, too. In any case, I fail to see how half-naked girls is more pandering to young males than giant robots and samurai swords are. The movie is about a bunch of awesome shit being shoved together. Naked chicks, swords, gunfights, explosions- they’re all awesome and I don’t think anyone should have to be ashamed for enjoying all of those parts. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/10 "2011-03-23T14:47:07Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > The Watchmen, which I didn’t watch because I was told it sucked. I didn’t think it sucked, and I am a HUGE Watchmen Fanboy. I appreciated the attempt. If you were such a huge 300 fan, it seems worth an investment of a couple of hours. This director - Zack Snyder - also did that Owl movie - Legend of Ga-Hoole or something like that? - which went nowhere; and is now directing the Superman re-boot… I am interested in seeing this movie, because I assume it is like 300 - visually fascinating, with fun momentum that keeps you moving past the ridiculousness of plot gaps, etc…in other words, hopefully it is a fun popcorn movie. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/11 "2011-03-23T14:49:56Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > In any case, I fail to see how half-naked girls is more pandering to young males than giant robots and samurai swords are. The movie is about a bunch of awesome shit being shoved together. Naked chicks, swords, gunfights, explosions- they’re all awesome and I don’t think anyone should have to be ashamed for enjoying all of those parts. The problem is that pandering becomes downright insulting when it reaches a certain point. It’s like a politician telling you that he’s going to balance the budget while cutting your taxes and preserving your benefits. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/12 "2011-03-23T15:00:58Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The problem is that pandering becomes downright insulting when it reaches a certain point. It’s like a politician telling you that he’s going to balance the budget while cutting your taxes and preserving your benefits. Again: Why is it that girls in skimpy costumes is what makes it cross that line and not mecha robots with samurai swords killing Nazis riding dragons? They’re both ridiculous but for some reason you’re more insulted that they’re pandering to you with sex and not that they’re pandering to you with absurd violence. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/13 "2011-03-23T15:04:29Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Again: Why is it that girls in skimpy costumes is what makes it cross that line and not mecha robots with samurai swords killing Nazis riding dragons? They’re both ridiculous but for some reason you’re more insulted that they’re pandering to you with sex and not that they’re pandering to you with absurd violence. The whole package is perfectly balanced – each part exquisitely enhances the insultingness of each other part. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/14 "2011-03-23T15:08:30Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The whole package is perfectly balanced – each part exquisitely enhances the insultingness of each other part. Aren’t you missing the point of a Zack Snyder movie? Frank Miller wrote it, but Snyder embraced and exploited the ridiculous components of 300 - Xerxes being some outsized fey demon monarch, super-powered beings…wackiness galore. It was chock full of stoopid - _in a good way_. I accepted the silliness going in and it worked within that context…how does this appear to be any different? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/15 "2011-03-23T15:14:35Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Aren’t you missing the point of a Zack Snyder movie? Frank Miller wrote it, but Snyder embraced and exploited the ridiculous components of 300 - Xerxes being some outsized fey demon monarch, super-powered beings…wackiness galore. It was chock full of stoopid - _in a good way_. I accepted the silliness going in and it worked within that context…how does this appear to be any different? Mm. I was fairly interested in seeing this film, but when you put it **that** way - it **might** eventually end up on my Netflix queue. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/16 "2011-03-23T15:17:33Z")
I’m looking forward to this film. I enjoyed 300, although I would have preferred a historical epic rather than a comic book interpretation of the Battle of Thermopylae. I thought Watchmen was an excellent film, but I was a fan of the book so I understand that might bias my opinion. I like the idea that we have all these girls in skimpy outfits fighting orcs and nazis and robots (oh my!) because it’s a representation of someone’s fantasy. Sort of like how 300 was supposed to be the story that the Spartans themselves told about the battle, over the top and self-aggrandizing. The only thing I’m worried about is that it is PG-13 not R. The violence will still be brutal enough, but what about the titties and swears?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/17 "2011-03-23T15:18:45Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Mm. I was fairly interested in seeing this film, but when you put it **that** way - it **might** eventually end up on my Netflix queue. Maybe. Take the basic storyline of Thermopylae - men of honor take a stand to stave off the alien invaders - and interpret it in an over-the-top, visually saturated/spectacular way. Add CGI and be willing to sacrifice a bit of plot and character to up the wattage of the spectacle - and of course historical accuracy is tossed out the window; this is “inspired by” at best. Serve while hot. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/18 "2011-03-23T15:28:08Z")
I’m a chick and I am insanely excited about this movie! The previews alone make me want to grab a sword and find some orcs that need a smack-down. As far as their costumes go, the pictures I’m seeing mostly show them being covered up. There is some minor cleavage and thigh/belly exposure but nothing shocking. In fact, the only person whose outfit makes me a little :dubious: is Jena Malone and she is 27 which is well past her teenage years. If no one complained about the superb sexiness of Gerard Butler in nothing but odd looking briefs and a cape in 300 I can’t see why anyone would complain about the costumes in Sucker Punch. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/19 "2011-03-23T15:29:51Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Take the basic storyline of Thermopylae - men of honor take a stand to stave off the alien invaders - and interpret it in an over-the-top, visually saturated/spectacular way. Add CGI and be willing to sacrifice a bit of plot and character to up the wattage of the spectacle - and of course historical accuracy is tossed out the window; this is “inspired by” at best. Serve while hot. Oh no, by “this film” I meant Sucker Punch. I’ve seen 300. I now no longer have any real desire to see Sucker Punch. **pbbth** : My comment about teens was intended to be about the (lead) character, not the actress. Somewhat spoilery bit: The protagonist was committed to a mental institution by her stepfather; it’s also been compared to a futuristic Alice in Wonderland. So I suspect she’s supposed to be a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694/20 "2011-03-23T15:48:07Z")
> [@pbbth](#): > > As far as their costumes go, the pictures I’m seeing mostly show them being covered up. There is some minor cleavage and thigh/belly exposure but nothing shocking. In fact, the only person whose outfit makes me a little :dubious: is Jena Malone and she is 27 which is well past her teenage years. If no one complained about the superb sexiness of Gerard Butler in nothing but odd looking briefs and a cape in 300 I can’t see why anyone would complain about the costumes in Sucker Punch. To be clear, I wasn’t complaining about the girls in nighties in the least bit. I’m just saying with the nazis and trench warfare and dragons and shit, girls in nighties didn’t even ping my radar, no matter what my wife chooses to believe. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sucker-punch-thread/575694.md?page=2)