Taking a moment out of my NaNo writing for a little rant.

I avoided going to see SuckerPunch in the movie theater as the reviews were an endless flood of ‘this is the worst movie ever made.’  I was skeptical that it would unseat Ulli Lommel’s “The Raven”
or Highlander II : The Sickening.  Regardless, I decided to wait until it came out on video.

So, we watched it tonight.  And…I liked it.  It was fantastic on the eyes.  There were some great visual storytelling moments, like the silent prologue.  The music rocked.

And…well…  wait, let me tell you what I found when I did some exploration into the movie reviews, trying to understand why I was such an unsophisticated twit for liking this film.

I went and googled ‘SuckerPunch review’.  I figure that’s a good way to get some links to a review of a movie, as google knows all.  And yes, the first three pages or so or results were scathing reviews.

They concurred that it was ‘pretty’, but that the acting was flat and uninspiring.  And, they pretty much all agreed that the movie was made for 13 year old boys by people who were emotionally 13 year old boys.

I see how it is.

A movie about women fighting back after being abused, locked away, raped, beaten is a movie for 13 year old boys.  Well, good then.  I’m all about educating those boys about female empowerment.  About how it’s ok to go kick some ass if some jerk starts treating you like property, or worse.

Just seems it’s not a movie for wannabe ‘progressive’, ‘sexually modern’ movie reviewers who want to   un objectify women by preaching that movies that show any female sexuality are simply doing so to appeal to 13 year old boys.  That…my friends…is objectifying female sexuality.

Only one review by Scott Mendelson at Huffington Post seemed to get it.

Oh, I should note.  All of those movie reviewers who panned the movie were…men.  Actually, I couldn’t find any obviously female movie reviewers in the first two pages of google search results.  There were a few reviewers that simply used their first initial (a trick you use when you’re writing in an area reserved for another gender).

I don’t know about other places, but where I live, women cherish their ability to express sexuality.  It’s a form of power (as seen in the movie).  The Slut Walk, Burlesque, bellydance, roller derby…all of them are about female power and sexuality, at least in my town.

I say good job on portraying female empowerment, SuckerPunch.

Anyway…if ya got it, flaunt it.  Then kick ass with it.
And if ya don’t got it…then go get it.

PS: SuckerPunch passed the Bechdel Test  Good job on that too.