MARCH 25, 2011
Female empowerment is the theme for this action packed film with the visuals pulled from video game graphics. This fantasy film written by Steve Shibuya and Zack Snyder offers an almost complete female cast. Emily browning, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hidgens, Jamie Chung and Abbie Cornish, none of which can be classified as up and coming. Every actress has a mid to lengthy list of projects so this ensemble cast gave credence to each character. Rustyscage.Com loves to promote great female accomplishments their due but Oscar Isaac (blue) knocked us out with his ability to blend the pimping heavy with underline vulnerability.
"One Flew Over the Cockoo's Nest" meets "Killzone 3" is what you get when purchasing a ticket for this film. The premise of female strength and the ability to overcome obstacles while devising a plan without a male character to guide is not used strongly enough in the previews. Baby doll (Emily Browning) has lost her mother and is sent away by her step father (Gerard Plunkett). This aspect of the storyline never comes into play. The audience is given the possibility that a large amount of money was left to baby doll. In an attempt to keep all the money her step father tries to kill baby doll but murders her younger sister instead. Her step father wants complete control of all the funds so he sends his step daughter away to a psychiatric hospital.
While a patient at the Lennox house for the mentally insane, baby doll receives therapy from Fr. Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino). Dr Gorski is told baby doll killed her little sister but her signature is forged and a lobotomy is scheduled. While baby doll awaits her fate until the surgeon arrives, she withdraws into a fantasy world. This universe has many layers: a brothel, many physical challenges, mobsters and dancing. There is also a wise man (Scott Glenn) who gives her inspiration and knowledge that will help her escape.
Baby doll pulls four other dancers in this fantasy world into her plan for escape: Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), amber (Jamie Chong, and sisters rocket (Jena Malone) and sweet pea (Abbie Cornish). With the knowledge given to baby doll by the wise man, the group begins to acquire the five items they will need. To steal each item, baby doll must dance and mesmerize the group of mobsters in control of the brothel while the other girls steal each item needed to break free.
Eventually "blue" figures out the plan and aggressively pushes his plan in motion to have baby doll lobotomized. She begins to feel that she has only been the guide through the labyrinth. Her ultimate goal was to be the proponent for one of the other girls to get free.
The soundtrack had some pretty powerful tracks that drove the movie. There was however, a lack of female empowerment songs that would have went hand in hand with the underlying theme. "sweet dreams" and "white rabbit" definitely shook hands with the fantasy structure of the film. "love is a drug" performed by Carlo Gugino and Oscar Isaac at the end of this 120 minute picture did not fit within the film but was a great side bar during rolling credits.
Young girls who love fantasy-action movies will feel the female strength peppered within each scene. Those who are looking for a love story will be disappointed. This is the reverse of most films where the storyline is male driven with snip-its to keep the female viewer interested. This is a female dominated film that uses the fantasy fight sequences to keep the male portion of the audience engaged. "girl-power"
RUSTY
3/25/11