Inception: Movie Review

[3113]

I can recommend this movie...but with reservations. Yeah, I know, the previews look cool, and it's not a bad movie. However, to quote the movie Amadeus..."Too many notes." It's interesting as this movie was written by director Nolan when he was 16 and he's been working on it ever since. You can feel that there's perhaps a novel here--or a television series. A whole universe of stories that might work as a universe, but run into trouble when you try to put them into just one movie (even if it does run almost 3 hours! ).

On the one hand, there are a lot of blanks--what they hadn't time to develop--on the other hand, it feels like the movie is crammed to the gills with story plots and ideas. So, you've got a caper plot (perhaps the best aspect of it), crossed with the Matrix, with Noir style movies (femme fatals, shady heroes), James Bond (lots of guns, action, tricks), that old 80's flick Dreamscape (which might have been Nolan's inspiration? hmmm)...the list goes on!

The characters, especially the girl who is supposed to be the "architect" of the dreams, suffer by being either ciphers or one note. And the guilty secret story of the main character just didn't work for me. What does work, once you've got the rules of the game down, is the caper itself and dream-within-a-dream game.

I do kinda wish Nolan had watched a few Nightmare on Elm movies, though. As I didn't find the dream worlds all that interesting or exciting. If you're watching a move on dreams, you hope for a few wildly unexpected things (like a green monkey or a harem of naked men...hmmm, naked men....). There were a few such pay-offs, but they were far and few between. Though reasons were given for the mundane look of the dream worlds, they didn't really hold water if scrutinized too closely.

In the end, a brain-twisting entertainment movie. Clever, but perhaps too clever for its own good. Worth seeing in the theater at a discount.

 

[Verdad]

Ah, I was just to ask if the movie has anything to do with Roger Zelazny's novel, and now I see Dreamscape (which I also hadn't seen) was based on it.

How horror-ish is Inception? I might go see it, but if it's too much on the horror side, I generally stay away from that.

 

[3113]

Ah, I was just to ask if the movie has anything to do with Roger Zelazny's novel, and now I see Dreamscape (which I also hadn't seen) was based on it.

Other way around if it happened and that's just my conjecture that Dreamscape might have inspired Nolan when he was young. I can't say for sure if it did (unless you've seen some note about this that I haven't? )

How horror-ish is Inception? I might go see it, but if it's too much on the horror side, I generally stay away from that.

No horror at all! It's surprisingly bloodless, goreless--and all suspense is ticking-clock style suspense. Which is why I thought Nolan could have used a few hours re-watching Nightmare on Elm Street movies. No tables morphing into monsters, and even the "creepest" world isn't that creepy or disturbing. It really is more a video game than a horror movie. Much more James Bond. Tons of guns and shoot-outs.

Which, by the way, was another one of my complaints. I just didn't get why people weren't more creative in how they were taking each other out. Guns? That's it?

 

[Neast19]

Think I'll wait for the DVD. Three hours in a cinema is always a mission!

 

[mynameisben]

Which, by the way, was another one of my complaints. I just didn't get why people weren't more creative in how they were taking each other out. Guns? That's it?

Yeah. Death by mellon baller would have been a nice touch. Perhaps in a sequel.

 

[Verdad]

Other way around if it happened and that's just my conjecture that Dreamscape might have inspired Nolan when he was young. I can't say for sure if it did (unless you've seen some note about this that I haven't? )


No horror at all! It's surprisingly bloodless, goreless--and all suspense is ticking-clock style suspense. Which is why I thought Nolan could have used a few hours re-watching Nightmare on Elm Street movies. No tables morphing into monsters, and even the "creepest" world isn't that creepy or disturbing. It really is more a video game than a horror movie. Much more James Bond. Tons of guns and shoot-outs.

Which, by the way, was another one of my complaints. I just didn't get why people weren't more creative in how they were taking each other out. Guns? That's it?

No, no, haven't read anything. It was my conjecture that Zelazny might be the inspiration, or a part of it, for Inception. I just didn't know there already was an 80's movie based on Zelazny's Dream Master.

Thanks for the recommendation—if I get to see Inception, I'll report back.

 

[slyc_willie]

Though I haven't seen it, my initial reaction to the previews was pretty much as you described, 3. Interesting premise, but somehow, I doubt they did enough with it. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to see it soon.

Thanks for mentioning Dreamscape. As soon as I heard about this movie, that old Dennis Quaid flick came immediately to mind. Now there was a movie that took advantage of its premise! I've often wondered if there would be a new version of Dreamscape, perhaps a sequel along the lines of the new Tron movie. Maybe, if Inception does well, someone will think about it . . . .

 

[manyeyedhydra]

Well worth seeing. The whole movie is like a damn complicated puzzle box.

Now I'm wondering if there are a whole bunch of hidden clues I missed first time round to 'solve' the ending, or if it's all a shoal of red herrings and they ended it like that for the hell of it.

 

[CharleyH]

I can recommend this movie...but with reservations. Yeah, I know, the previews look cool, and it's not a bad movie. However, to quote the movie Amadeus..."Too many notes." It's interesting as this movie was written by director Nolan when he was 16 and he's been working on it ever since. You can feel that there's perhaps a novel here--or a television series. A whole universe of stories that might work as a universe, but run into trouble when you try to put them into just one movie (even if it does run almost 3 hours! ).

On the one hand, there are a lot of blanks--what they hadn't time to develop--on the other hand, it feels like the movie is crammed to the gills with story plots and ideas. So, you've got a caper plot (perhaps the best aspect of it), crossed with the Matrix, with Noir style movies (femme fatals, shady heroes), James Bond (lots of guns, action, tricks), that old 80's flick Dreamscape (which might have been Nolan's inspiration? hmmm)...the list goes on!

The characters, especially the girl who is supposed to be the "architect" of the dreams, suffer by being either ciphers or one note. And the guilty secret story of the main character just didn't work for me. What does work, once you've got the rules of the game down, is the caper itself and dream-within-a-dream game.

I do kinda wish Nolan had watched a few Nightmare on Elm movies, though. As I didn't find the dream worlds all that interesting or exciting. If you're watching a move on dreams, you hope for a few wildly unexpected things (like a green monkey or a harem of naked men...hmmm, naked men....). There were a few such pay-offs, but they were far and few between. Though reasons were given for the mundane look of the dream worlds, they didn't really hold water if scrutinized too closely.

In the end, a brain-twisting entertainment movie. Clever, but perhaps too clever for its own good. Worth seeing in the theater at a discount.

Bumping this because you have an interesting POV, 3113, one that both my husband and I disagree with in this case, but fascinating nonetheless.

First off, as an aside, I must comment: this movie was THREE HOURS LONG?! If that's true than it's the best movie I've seen in a very (emphasis on very) long time. It felt like maybe an hour and a half, and I don't think I've been able to say that about a film since I saw Aliens (154 min., Inception was 148 min., just to be sure; so not quite as long). We didn't notice the time pass at all. I'm sure I've been to 80-minute flicks that felt a hell of a lot longer than Inception.

We left the theatre with the feeling that Inception had been the most intelligent, seamless movie to come out of Hollywood in years. It starts with a very simple premise, that a thought can be planted into someone else's mind and fundamentally change that person. The story is tight, compact, and beautifully executed. All the elements of the dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream worked together and were perfectly intertwined. I really saw none of the blanks you referred, nor did I feel there were any loose ends or undeveloped ideas, quite the contrary. Yes, there were multiple layers, multiple coexisting universes, but they were all different layers of the same, simple story, they were all driven by the same simple idea. The effortless way in which those layers were combined was really the greatest payoff there could be. Even visually, the execution was beyond reproach - and with minimal CGI when compared to most major productions these days. That mundane look and feel of the dreams, if anything, is a major plus. Dreams always feel real to us, and if my couch turned into Godzilla right now as I type this, I'm pretty sure I'd realize I was dreaming. On the other hand, if you're asleep and your radio goes off without waking you up, don't your dreams incorporate the music into them? The same happens in Inception with water, gravity, time itself. That's truer to the actual dream experience than all Nightmare on Elm Street movies combined.

Most of all, we enjoyed seeing a movie that didn't insult our intelligence. It's one we would gladly pay to see again.

 

[Verdad]

Just came back from seeing it. Lovely! I recommend it to practically all kinds of audiences.

Those who like a fast-paced action movie shouldn't be disappointed, nor should they fear they're going to have to sit through hours of artsy pretensions. Inception works great on the action-movie level, regardless of whether you care for brainteasers.

On that level, it's really a perfect-robbery movie—you know, the kind in which a team of choicest professional thieves comes together to break into a theretofore unbreakable safe. All the adrenaline expected from such a movie is dully delivered and the movie doesn't make its length felt.

On the other hand, if what I just said makes you go "Groan, not that again!" worry not, for Inception is more than that. If you've ever liked, say, Philip K. Dick, or maybe pondered Escher's paintings, or even if you've never heard of either but like stories within stories and plain old linear narratives bore you, the movie will earn your approval. The otherwise well-worn 'robbery' plot is structured in a way that won't allow you to take any naps while the movie revisits the theme of nature of reality with as much depth as you're inclined to bring in.

The noire-ish but realistic setting and imagery did make me greedily wonder if they couldn't have thrown in a few more marvels, but I have to concur it was an intelligent choice not to. If one is to raise the question of what is real, after all, one doesn't want the illusion to wear a big neon sign that makes it easily distinguishable from reality.

Additionally, movies are themselves illusions, which is most poignantly brought home just when we forget that. Is not the setting I've just called realistic merely a movie convention itself? Noire is no less a dream than some of the more blatantly fantastic genres. Perhaps (cue spooky music) the same is true of various other habits of our thoughts.

Lastly but not the least, the human element satisfied me well enough. The story of DiCaprio's character and his wife portrayed something archetypal, if tragic, about male-female relations. One doesn't have to agree with it, but recognizing it as true within a certain frame (e.g. a psychoanalytic-ish one) suffices for a pleasant feeling of roundedness.

In conclusion, I find it too soon to tell if Inception is as exceptional as Charley suggests or merely good enough to provide a respite from the really lame movies, but I'm quite happy to think about that in a few years. For now, I'm just pleased I had 148 minutes of good time.

 

[JamesSD]

IThe characters, especially the girl who is supposed to be the "architect" of the dreams, suffer by being either ciphers or one note. And the guilty secret story of the main character just didn't work for me. What does work, once you've got the rules of the game down, is the caper itself and dream-within-a-dream game.

I agree with this point completely. I have my own pet hypothesis why this was done (The protagonist is actually in Limbo the entire time, the crew is all part of his own dream world. It does explain why he always finds exactly what he needs, when he needs it). Inception wasn't a character-driven movie; it was about setting and plot.

It's tough to argue it's not the best movie of a relatively weak summer. I've heard good things about Toy Story 3, but there's definitely some reviews that say Inception looks good partially by comparison. Iron Man 2 was meh, Sex and the City 2 bombed, there's no Harry Potter movie out.

Still, we really liked Inception, and would recommend it at full price for those who liked Memento and Nolan's other work.

 

[CharleyH]

In conclusion, I find it too soon to tell if Inception is as exceptional as Charley suggests or merely good enough to provide a respite from the really lame movies, but I'm quite happy to think about that in a few years. For now, I'm just pleased I had 148 minutes of good time.

Hold off there, Verdad! I never said it was Bergman or Godard! Great review, though.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Navel gazing for dilettantes with more money than life experiences.

If you took a Bob Dylan ballad from 1964 and made it into a movie INCEPTION is what it would be. THEYRE SELLING POSTCARDS OF THE HANGING, THEYRE PAINTING THE PASSPORTS BROWN, THE BEAUTY PARLOR'S FILLED WITH SAILORS, THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN.

 

[Verdad]

Hold off there, Verdad! I never said it was Bergman or Godard!

LOL, I know! Loved hearing your impressions. I added that qualification for my own sake, really, since I was fresh from the theater that minute.

Mostly I added it because I remembered Memento. That movie, I thought, was a neat trick yet very forgettable in the end. My lack of desire too see Memento again was the reason long-term judgments made their convoluted way into my train of thought.

 

[ghostwhowalks]

it sucked, 5 minutes in wanted to gouge my eyes out ten min in i fell asleep

 

[jomar]

A well done, fast-paced, fun ride. I'll watch it again on DVD.

ETA: The fast pace keeps one from going, "Wait a sec, how...what...?" until you leave the theater.

 

[CharleyH]

LOL, I know! Loved hearing your impressions. I added that qualification for my own sake, really, since I was fresh from the theater that minute.

Mostly I added it because I remembered Memento. That movie, I thought, was a neat trick yet very forgettable in the end. My lack of desire too see Memento again was the reason long-term judgments made their convoluted way into my train of thought.

I enjoyed your take.

 

[jomar]

Did anyone stay for the end credits? I didn't this time, but I read at the very end the totem does something which points to a direction.

 

[Verdad]

Did anyone stay for the end credits? I didn't this time, but I read at the very end the totem does something which points to a direction.

Oh. Missed that. I always rush out.

On a related note, I moved some Borges on top of the reading list. I was, and am, certain Douglas Hofstadter's Goedel, Escher, Bach was a great part of Nolan's inspiration, but I read somewhere he listed Borges as an influence. That gave me the needed kick in the butt to finally get to him. Although he's something I should enjoy by all accounts, I've been dragging my feet for years for some reason.

 

[jomar]

Oh. Missed that. I always rush out.

On a related note, I moved some Borges on top of the reading list. I was, and am, certain Douglas Hofstadter's Goedel, Escher, Bach was a great part of Nolan's inspiration, but I read somewhere he listed Borges as an influence. That gave me the needed kick in the butt to finally get to him. Although he's something I should enjoy by all accounts, I've been dragging my feet for years for some reason.

Yes, the stairs were pure Escher. Enjoy the reading ride.

 

[CharleyH]

SO ... what movie is on the plate for review. Sadly, I am in Europe and don't actually get to see some new releases until a few weeks later. SALT was released a couple weeks ago in NA, and not here for another week. I'd like to see it and probably will, but what is the verdict?

 

[jomar]

SO ... what movie is on the plate for review. Sadly, I am in Europe and don't actually get to see some new releases until a few weeks later. SALT was released a couple weeks ago in NA, and not here for another week. I'd like to see it and probably will, but what is the verdict?

All I know at this point is a friend of mine said they enjoyed Salt.

 

[Songcatcher]

Terrible movie.

Don't waste your money if you are gonna watch it.

 

[CharleyH]

All I know at this point is a friend of mine said they enjoyed Salt.

Okay, maybe Salt is a bad choice, but come on... everyone must be interested in 'Expendables'. If not for the stars, at least to see what Stallone does with them there old and expendable action heroes.

 

[Songcatcher]

Spoiler

Get off the thread if you don't want to know.






























Everything in the movie happenes in dreams. In the end, "reset" button is pressed. It's a fucking video game. It's not real LIFE!

What sort of message is that! For OUR kids!?

You know Ken Watanabe took that shitty role to sell movie to the Asians.

Fucking Matrix without black people.