First off I need to say hat I like Zach Snyder a lot. I have enjoyed all of his films that I have seen from him. So with that said I went into this film with somewhat of a bias. Which is probably why I gave this a 3.5 out of 5. Some have trashed this movie saying it was terrible. In my opinion it was not a terrible film, it does have its faults and it also has its positive aspects.
The best part about this film is without doubt it's action scenes. Yes you do have to suspend belief in order to fully enjoy them. If I could sum them up in one word would be awesome. They look and sound amazing. They can be over the top and overbearing but they are really fun to watch. For the action sequences alone this film is worth a watch. i will also like to mention the score for these scenes also contributes to the awesomeness of the action scene. I personally enjoy Snyder's visual style, the color palette he uses, the slow motion action, it reminds me of 300. Where the film loses stars with me is the plot and characterization.
I would categorize the plot as somewhat disjointed, you can get lost with it if you turn your brain off during the action scenes and not turn it back on. The first half hour of this film feels like a very long music video until the main plot actually takes off. The overall plot of the film is difficult to explain because of the nature that it is displayed. It is displayed via Emily Browning's character Baby Doll's world she creates in her mind to deal with her life. Then the action sequences take place in the mind of her within that world. It is easy to see how someone can get confused. I applaud Snyder for trying a kind of Alice in Wonderland/Pan's Labyrinth on acid look, but if not executed very well it can not be good. In this film it was executed adequately. The action sequences move the plot along at a brisk pace and the film does not drag on at all. My inability to feel anything for the characters hinders my ability to immerse myself in the plot.
The only character I care about at all is the main girl Baby Doll played by Emily Browning she does a descent job and I am able to care at least somewhat for her character. The problem is I felt nothing for the others, perhaps it is just me. Yes they are all attractive young women with previous acting experience but none of them stood out too much. Jena malone and Abby Cornish were slightly above average, Jamie Chung average and I thought Vanessa Hudgens was the worst. She did not have many lines but when she did I thought the majority of them were cringe worthy. The problem with not caring about these characters is that when something happens to them you feel nothing. Is the film worth a watch yes, the action is awesome, the plot while disjointed and confusing at times is not the worst. Also Zach Snyder fans will probably like it more than non Snyder fans.
