Sucker Punch Super Review –dvd/bluray/soundtrack/official art book

Straight from the brilliant visionary mind of director zack snyder comes Sucker Punch, i skipped it in the cinema and instead bought it on DVD ..after realizing the Bluray not only had 2hrs of extras but almost 20mins of unseen footage i bought that too! what quickly followed was a purchase of the official soundtrack and art book – what follows now is a run down of what to expect from all of the above.

When a young girl “Babydoll” is locked away in an insane asylum against her will she soon learns that though physical escape is impossible the ultimate escape that is within her grasp is that of the mind. By going deep into her mind she finds the skills she needs to come that one step closer to the freedom she seeks, though in reality she is the very essence of frailty and innocence, in her imagination she is a specially skilled warrior who is more than a match for the inner demons she faces. at the beginning of her journey she befriends a group of her fellow captives and over time convinces them to join her struggle. they too prove to be a pivotal part of baby's plan, Rocket, Sweet Pea, Amber and Blondie all add their own personal flair to the battle plan, but with everything to play for the lines soon blur and escape may not be as easy as they thought.

Lines blurring and a warped reality is where Sucker Punch really finds its home. they seem to be set up into three separate realities, when babydoll is locked up she escapes to a world where she is again held against her will, this time in the form of a brothel where the girls are at the whim of the paying high rollers who visit. babydoll uses the power of her imagination to escape again to a world of fantasy where she and her friends must vanquish all manner of monsters, from dragons to robots and even steampunk inspired zombie soldiers.

Though this might not be to everyone's tastes what Sucker Punch offers is a lot of over the top action and fun with dashes of raunchy female empowerment all dressed up in a moulin rouge-esque thrill ride. don’t expect the laws of physics to intervene, this is their world so matrix styled kicks and flips are ever present, the girls twirl and leap unrealistically opening fire left right and centre. its not all unbelievable though, the dialogue and need for freedom that is expressed from the narrative is carefully written and the characters too draw you into the story. the acting is for the most part top notch even when faced with the overwhelming number of bullets that fly across the screen quite regularly. there is much eye candy to be behold in the movie, snyder brought a whole boatload of visual perfection to his previous films Watchmen and 300, Sucker Punch is no exception.

Visually and even musically it works, the dark world of the asylum and the contrasting brothel blend together rather seamlessly. the characters too from the asylum leak into baby’s imagination and soon become key figures in her quest for freedom, all have a part to play and they play it exceptionally well. if you want to enjoy Sucker Punch be prepared to leave common sense at the door, having watching both versions of the movie i’d recommend the Bluray for the real Sucker Punch experience because the extra footage adds so much more to the story which at times can be hard but not impossible to follow.

Special Features

Maximum movie moment with the director: its very informative and covers all aspects of the film from pre to post production, think storyboards, comparative shots, film stills, interviews and much more its one of the best insider insights ever to grace Bluray.

Animated short comics: these looked and felt like an animated graphic novel, they served as an interesting and visually pleasing way of providing a more fleshed out back story to the worlds that feature in babydoll’s quest. they are quite short, running at about 4mins each but they move straight to the action and tell the story very well so they are a nice little extra.

Behind the soundtrack: though i really liked the idea of this its much too short, the film features many great renditions of popular songs reimagined for the picture but 3mins is nowhere half as near as what's needed to really delve into the creative process. in short its just a general overview of what's on the soundtrack and feels a lot more like an advert to buy it – buy it i did so on to the next part of my review.

Sucker Punch the Official Soundtrack

Its been a long time since i bought a soundtrack and thought the songs all fit together in a way they could expertly enhance the experience of the film, and work together they do, its a fun rocking album that through banging beats and psychedelic splendour delivers hit after hit. opening with a stunningly haunting version of “where is my mind” its not altogether apparent that the cast themselves had a huge part in the recording of the soundtrack, but they did and Emily Browning herself sings beautifully. Tracks such as “sweet dreams” “asleep” “white rabbit” and even “love is the drug” all come across as deeply meaning to the theme and feel of the film. its a soundtrack you can enjoy without even seeing the film and that is very rare, you can love or hate the movie but the songs speak for themselves – though dark and gritty at times it is at its core hauntingly beautiful. 

Sucker Punch: the art of the movie (hardback)

When it comes to collecting movie memorabilia I'm very careful, but i do like art books so i was very curious to see just what the official art book had to offer. The cover and binding are very nicely put together, its even thicker than you would expect, at just under 300 pages its a whirlwind tour of everything that went into the movie. actors and actresses are all here, profiles and pictures of the various characters are aplenty. its a very vivid and highly detailed book featuring all kinds of stunning photography and artwork profiling the weapons and costumes of the film. the work in the book changes regularly but its very consistent with the flow and story of the Sucker Punch reality.

If the weapons were your thing you won’t be disappointed with all the work put into displaying the inner workings and designs of the various guns and blades at babydoll and her teams disposal. the same thing can be said for the costumes, set designs, promo art and so much more. the insight really is more visual than i’d like relying more on photos and artwork, there is in parts a lack of text but its not lacking enough to make you question why its not there. the castles and landscapes of babydolls imagination are all represented in brilliant clarity, the cover price may be high but its definitely worth it.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – game review (ps3/360/pc)

The original Deus Ex was released back in the year 2000, with its ability to blend the world of cyberpunk, intense shooting and all around action packed RPG it quickly became a must have for gamers everywhere. What followed was a whole host of awards winning the game recognition, it was unlike anything of its time. Now over ten years later the series returns with a whole new bag of tricks that is sure to hook gamers everywhere, Deus Ex has again raised the bar for video gaming perfection leaving its competitors in a cloud of dust.

Set in the year 2027, the game follows Adam Jensen an ex-SWAT specialist who works for an american experimental biotechnology firm. Tasked with the job of keeping company secrets and watching over technical aspects of security his life is soon changed when trying to stop a team of attacking mercenaries leaves him half dead. Much like Alex Murphy in Robocop he is saved when the company he works for replaces and enhances his vitals and limbs with enhanced augmented robotics. Obsessed with the attack he soon uses his new found powers to track down and deal with those responsible for what happened to him and the team he was protecting, what follows is a highly adaptable action adventure tour de force that changes depending on how you choose to play.

To pursue his targets he has to face a whole host of bioenhanced super soldiers and mercenaries whose loyalty falls on the mysterious forces who are hell-bent on directing mankind's evolution. While a lot of the story looks and feels like a cross between Blade Runner and Robocop it easily stands up on its own with all the twists and intrigue you could ever want from a game of its kind. Many games claim to have open ended stories where outcomes change depending on your decisions , while most fail Deus Ex sticks to its guns leaving a whole wealth of alternative options and ideas for even the most hardcore gamer.

The gameplay experience is huge and from the very start a lot of questions need to be answered, how you go about getting those answers is entirely up to you. Fans of games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell will find a lot on offer here, but you don’t have to be a fan of stealth to progress through the game. If you chose to charge into a room guns blazing and grenades flying you will get the effect you would expect, enemies will be alerted to your presence and open fire on your position. While this works the stealth option can help you get an advantage over your targets, a carefully placed shot from an air vent will take a soldier down while not giving away your position, either way you get the job done.

For fans of hardware there is an impressive arsenal of high-tech weaponry on offer, fans of FPS games should not expect a ridiculous amount of handguns and assault rifles. Kit ranges between a pistol, revolver, combat rifle, sniper rifle, grenades and many more hidden weapons that are found either through story progression or purchased on the black market. Cyberpunk fans will find that the best weapon is Jensen himself, he is fully upgradable enhancing many aspects of combat, movement, vision, etc. Upgrading Jensen is done through a system of implants known as praxis, rewarded for missions, found hidden around the map and even purchased in clinics these upgrades are an integral part of the gaming experience.

On my first play through i opted for stealth using silenced weaponry, sticking to the shadows when i could, the upgrades i concentrated on modified my vision so i could see through walls, made my footsteps more muted, gave me an edge over the enemy making it easier to track their movements and monitor their field of vision. The more fantastical upgrades allow Jensen to punch through weak walls, land from great heights, take down multiple enemies at once, and many more.

The levels themselves are extremely well detailed and mapped out with so many alternative routes that exploring them all will make your head spin, many levels allow you to try multiple entry points to buildings and installations, exploration is highly advised as all manner of gear and equipment is hidden in out of the way places you could easily overlook. Many areas can be accessed by hacking doors or nearby consoles, computers, safes and even robots. Unlike most games hacking appears to be more realistic with the option to take down more important targets on the network rewarding you with cash or even hidden viruses you can then use, its easy to learn and can be greatly enhanced if you chose to award praxis points to the hacking skill. There is no shortage of targets, there are computers filled with hidden emails which will not only give you insight into the shadowy story but give you some chuckles too.

Like many games there is a big emphasise on defeating enemies from grunts to bosses and there is no shortage of both. Special forces patrol installations packing combat rifles and stun grenades, bio-enhanced super soldiers prove more of a challenge sometimes vanishing before your eyes using stealth to their advantage, bigger grunts carry heavy rifles and take many hits to bring them down, robots too patrol many areas and are activated when a security system identifies a threat. Dispatching the enemy can be done in different ways but as expected the bosses prove to be a much more serious task. Some will stomp around peppering Jensen in explosives while others will use stealth and surprise to get the job done, these battles are challenging but firepower seems to be the only way to defeat them, killing the illusion of open gameplay.

Graphically Deus Ex has not been getting the most impressive response from the critics but i really don’t see the distinction, visually the game looks a lot like Blade Runner and at times the cityscapes and environments can be awe inspiring. It’s a darker world indeed its a darker vision of a future that has altered the path of mankind, blinding buildings of neon loom above Jensen as he traverses across streets populated with armed police and enhanced citizens, some offering the chance of a side mission so its worth keeping a close eye on those around you. Though at times the character animations and voice acting can seem a little ropey or repetitive it in no way takes away from the fun, and there is plenty of fun to be had. Visually many of the key characters in the story benefit from a renaissance inspired look, the architecture too blends into the game very nicely.

The music comes as a great surprise, it perfectly fits the world that Jensen inhabits and really immerses the player in a cyberpunk futuristic environment. Voice acting in the game can at times be hit and miss, while Jensen comes across as sounding mostly genuine many other characters some pivotal don’t really suit the voice they have been given. It’s really a minor con and it doesn’t affect the flow too much but its a shame more work wasn’t put into establishing a more solid line of voice acting.

Lifetime and replayability is extremely high inspiring many people to play through the game multiple times for the extra endings, missions and equipment. It’s a little frustrating that on completing the story you don’t hold onto previously acquired upgrades, however it helps keep the player interested and more driven when replaying missions. Even with a lack of multiplayer there is a lot to be excited about and over 20 or 25 hours of play for even the most hardened gamer, on finishing the game the first time i later realized I'd missed many side missions. Alternative paths and events will quickly hook the player into seeking out and experiencing all the gaming there is to be had.

The only real downside about the game is that while most of the game lets you play how you want to, boss fights will be almost unwinnable unless you use firepower and lots of it. By working like this it removes the idea of an open ended battle and the choice is more or less taken. The pros easily overshadow the rather limited cons so really its a small price to pay for an otherwise perfect game. Variety is everywhere from upgrades to the tools at your disposal, the story is brilliant and immersive in very angle, the visuals are crafted to fit the world perfectly and its more open ended than any other game of its type. Though it does have its minor issues they are greatly over shadowed by the vast and highly detailed world of Deus Ex. I loved every minute of the game, pacing as well as major decisions and story progression are all guided by your decisions alone, I'm giving it a much deserved 10 out of 10.