ON Switch NEW TO BUY ON DVD.

Sucker Punch Cert 12, 128 mins Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Oscar Isaac, Carla Gugino, Scott Glenn, Gerard Plunkett.

What's it about? Babydoll (Emily Browning) is institutionalised at Lennox House For The Mentally Insane by her cruel stepfather (Gerard Plunkett). Abandoned to the mercy of head orderly Blue (Oscar Isaac) and psychiatrist Dr Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino), Babydoll seeks refuge in her dreams. She imagines the facility as a brothel, where Madam Gorski trains the girls to dance for gentlemen callers. Fellow inmates Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber (Jamie Chung) are slowly drawn into Babydoll's alternate universe, where they hatch a daring escape plan overseen by a mysterious wise man (Scott Glenn).

Is it any good? Sucker Punch is a visually arresting action adventure, which mashes together influences and motifs from anime, video games and popular culture. Director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) choreographs balletic action sequences laden with slow-motion leaps and somersaults, including a stunning opening sequence set to a melancholic version of Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), sung in whispering tones by lead actress Browning. Snyder and co-writer Steve Shibuya gorge our senses with visions of fire-breathing dragons, gargantuan samurais and re-animated zombie soldiers, but they also starve our brains with a flimsy, nonsensical tale of reality versus fantasy.

Your Highness (Extended Edition) Cert 15, 101 mins Starring: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Theroux, Charles Dance, Damian Lewis, Toby Jones.

What's it about? Prince Thadeous (Danny McBride) has always laboured in the shadow of his handsome brother, Prince Fabious (James Franco), who is the favourite of their father (Charles Dance) and the maidens of the realm. Fabious returns from a quest with beautiful Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) on his arm, whom he intends to marry. Dastardly sorcerer Leezar (Justin Theroux) kidnaps the bride-to-be and spirits her away to his castle. Distraught groom-to-be Fabious gives chase with loyal lieges Boremont (Damian Lewis) and Julie (Toby Jones), plus Thadeous begrudgingly in tow. The brothers encounter weird and wonderful characters along the way including sexy warrior Isabel (Natalie Portman), who is unfathomably attracted to overweight and clumsy Thadeous.

Is it any good? Your Highness is a vulgar, puerile and relentlessly potty-mouthed tale of good versus evil. McBride and Franco don't generate any on-screen chemistry, while a horse and carriage chase through a forest is the only sequence of any note for director David Gordon Green, who fails miserably to repeat the success of the equally ludicrous yet rather endearing, Pineapple Express. This crass comedy lamely pokes fun at fairytale conventions. However, there are no happy ever afters for the viewer.

Article Details

Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:	Features
Publication:	South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales)
Date:	Aug 6, 2011
Words:	445
Previous Article:	Ronnie Corbett's Comedy Britain.
Next Article:	TENgreat... food festival s; The world offers so many different and wonderful flavours, says Rhian Evans, so why not let the foodie in you take a...