I'd like to keep my review rather to the point. Pros: 1. its theme - dream is a fascinating topic to say the least. There are a lot of unknowns in the dreamworld. 2. its plot - there are several sweet twists and unpredictable turns. 3. its edgy drive - although you know what's coming next but still you feel jumpy about it. 4. its fast storyline - the story moves fast from one scene to another, making the viewers feel like on a roller coaster ride. At times, it's hard to keep up, even at the second viewing.
5. its sophistication - there is a lot of information to remember and digest. This is the very thing the modern moviegoers are after, I believe.
6. its realism - okay, pun intended. The movie explains (or at least tries to) the ins and outs of what dream is about and how it functions, some of which are very familiar with and dear to us.

Cons:
1. its poor character development - although the acting was convincing enough there was not enough of character development. I wonder how many people really felt connected to the main character(s) after watching the movie. Yes, the movie talks about emotional struggles but it was more of an action film, if you ask me.
2. too many distractions - I found that the movie had more than enough characters than necessary. They may play some roles in the plot but they seemed more of distraction than anything else. I wish the movie was more focused.
3. a bit preachy - I noticed the characters would explain things about the dreamworld and then the exact things happen later in the movie. I'm afraid, Inception overused this trick.

In conclusion, its theme is fascinating but its delivery is not without room for improvement.

I highly recommend you to go and read Somewhere carnal over 40 winks, if you dig this kind of flicks.

Cheers!… Expand

Not very good really. I've heard the word visionary thrown Nolan's way, but this film was the work of a rather sterile imagination. Yes, it had many layers of narrative cleverly interweaved with eachother, but there was little to compel me at its core. The root cause of Cobb's state of mind just didn't grab me - partly as this relationship was never given the chance to develop to a tangible level. The elements of subconscious displayed were tame and the approach to the dreamworld rather banal - focusing as it did mainly on bland designs, bendy gimmicks and exploding things. There was little edge to Nolan's vision, he seemed quite happy to drown us in relentless exposition and unimaginative slow-mo shots. Scenes were very quick and at no point approached the atmosphere and interest of a real dream. A shame, because at their best, this is what films can do - engineer the quality of a waking dream. Compare Inception to the more intriguing work of Lynch, where scenes seduce with the perfect balance of the real and surreal, and whose images tend to linger in the mind. On top of this, Nolan is simply not a very good director of action; he is quite loose with the camera, and I yearned for more flair and invention in these scenes. Instead, he relied on an incredibly insistent score to give the action some punch. For a film about dreams and the subconscious, it was curiously impersonal and mechanical. Certainly, the real danger and sexuality of the subconscious might scare off mainstream audiences, but Nolan was given free reign to do what he wanted - so why not do something more interesting? Freud and Jung would find little to interest them here, as the film is less concerned with psychology and more with the narrative possibilities afforded by a convoluted dreamworld fiction. Perhaps Nolan does dream of corporate worlds and Bond fortresses. Unfortunately, such things don't interest me.… Expand

I was hoping to give it a better score. I'll need to see it on Blu Ray later. It's one of those films that if you don't like it people think you're not cool. I'm not thick but I kept losing the plot.. Charactors had no depth. Film too long. Music too loud [although good] and you could only hear about 20% of the dialogue, so it was easy to lose your way. You couldn't hear ONE word that the Japanese chap said! Looked good with good actors but to be honest it left me cold. It became a' nightmare'. I will give it another go because Michael Cane was in it and Leonardo, two greats. By the way I thought Dark Knight was crap. Nolan seems to be a pretentious, self indulgent, up his own dark place, kind of person. Bring back the good old psycological 'Hitchcockian' thriller. I've just realized I'm overful of 'special effects'. This is just bilge dressed up, isn't it? Dissolusioned, yet again.… Expand

This film has made ma lose my faith in humanity. I thought movie goers would be intelligent enough to see through this drivel.

Funny how people think complex equals smart and intellectual. This movie was a big bag of hot wind. Matrix was better.

Toy Story 3 is way better.

People... it wasn't THAT good. Hard to follow and frankly not that interesting.

I thought this movie was not as good as people are saying. Because we knew it was dreams inside dreams the over the top fight scenes had no bearing. Who cared? As a result the movie became boring and repetitious. I would be very hard pressed to recommend this movie to anyone. Stay away.

Inception is a daring original, and mind-provoking film. One of 2010's best.

INCEPTION: Nolan has re-ivented the art of film making. The BEST film I have seen in 15 YEARS!!!

Liked the depth of the main character. Want to see it again, but will watch it on Blu-Ray.

Absolutely incredible! There has never been a movie completely like it and neither will there be again. Why do we dream? I think that is what Nolan is really exploring here. Any critic who doesn't like this movie should be sentenced to having to watch Grown Ups in their dreams for the rest of their existence. ;)

It seems that those who rate this movie low are the ones who cannot comprehend what its all about, nor can they interpret anything from the movie, be it from the pro critics, or just customers like me. I just saw this movie tonight with my friends and throughout the movie I just couldnt help but be bewildered at times at the complexity of the movie at times. The ending was one of the best and open endings Ive seen in a movie and can be interpreted so many ways. The movie is just fantastic, and has left my mind blown like many others. It is a must see this summer.… Expand

Overated and over complicated. Never has such a talented cast gone to such waste.... none of the characters had any depth and the story telling was non-existent. Its hard to fathum what people enjoyed about this movie and how Nolan has gained such a big reputation. I went to see this movie with friends - had I been alone I would have left the theatre 50 mins into the film. Never have I been so disinterested in the outcome of a movie. The hero (Di Caprio) explains that you can never remember the beginning of a dream, and that dreams that seem to cover hours may only last a short time. Unfortunately, this nightmare last a full 2 1/2 hours!!… Expand

We went because we enjoyed Memento, once we read a 3 page analysis of it; and Metacritic's high "score". But it was a disappointment. Where Memento was confusing but clever, and, once comprehended, brilliant.......Inception is confusing and boring, and way too long. The entire Alpine dream could have been eliminated with affecting the story line. Who was shooting who, anyway, and besides, who cares? I actually dozed off during this sequence. The chases scenes were also overdone and relatively uninteresting because it didnt much matter who got hit and who didnt. It is a dream, after all. The CGI is clearly clever and the links between the physical world and their effect on the dream world, amusing. But visionary? No. Entertaining? Only briefly.… Expand

Excellent movie. Chris Nolan at his best. I was in need of a good mindf**k.

Christopher Nolan, has probably incepted my mind cause this movie is all i can think about

I could sit here all night telling you why this movie is probably the best movie I have ever seen, but that would be unnecessary. Simply put, go see this movie!

The film was flat out amazing. The story was engaging, the characters riveting and the concept was intriguing.

Movies can be educational, moving, or simply an escape. This is the latter, and time flies as you watch it - not unlike in a good dream. Forget the actors, ignore the script, and divorce reality. Immerse yourself in it and enjoy what a good movie can do...

Its the most real Nolan from

EVERYONE! Inception, was good. But......................................................................................................................................

AHHHHH, MY BRAIN!! IT BURNS!

Look at those contrarian hater critics at the bottom. Get real. This is the best movie to come out of the Hollywood crap factory in a long, long time. Brilliant.

The exponentially smart and puzzling "Inception" did a number on my brain. It's hard to describe a movie like this, you just have to see it for yourself!

Wow. A masterpiece! how could some people dislike this?? it guess its like blade runner or 2001, which some people disliked. but wow, this was the best movie of the year, if not the decade.

The mindblower of all films.

If this movie makes someone think, they probably haven't had many thoughts before. Basically recycled ideas wrapped in some boring nonsense ("exposition") intercut with action sequences that aren't even that spectacular and quite boring CGI. Whoever thinks these ideas are fresh, needs to read more and watch better movies -- Existenz, World on a Wire, Dark City, The Thirteenth Floor, Matrix, even something like Last Year at Marienbad which manages to have complex ideas about memory and human mind and complex arresting visuals before CGI even existed. As to the originality of the visuals -- the New York Times reviewer was too kind to the movie but he was right -- dreams and the subconscious aren't that literal and obvious. If the subconscious was so literal, it wouldn't be the subconscious. And the visuals in something as crappy as "The Cell" were much more interesting.… Expand

The best movie i have ever seen since the dark knight. nolan is no doubt the next stanley kubrick.

I suppose if I didn't know anything about movies or science fiction, this film would be spectacular. I'm glad Nick Pinkerton of the Village Voice had the cajones to call this movie out.

What a waste of time & film. As we left the movie we asked what did the people understand about the movie - confusion is probably the best reply. Your critics' review system "blew" this one - bummmer.

Was looking forward to watching this movie so got me a ticket. The movie is about people working for an organisation thalt go into other peoples dreams to steal data. Movie goes on forever and is both boring and confusing and full of filler, only gave it a 2 for special effects.

Inception was highly entertaining to watch and very fun just for the talented performances, especially Leo's. I'm a big fan of his. However, as a science fiction fan too, I have to say that this movie falls short in providing anything that we haven't already seen. I can sight examples like The Matrix, Total Recall, The Cell, or Dreamscape. Inception's plot is chock full of all sorts of logical flaws. This is the only one I will note here to avoid spoiling the show: Ask yourself how Leo's character knew the van was falling into water when he was asleep. In the dream within the dream he commented something like "wait for the van to hit the water". That's just example No. 1. Watch it carefully - you'll notice many others. The story is definitely gripping and interesting but it seems that it tries too hard and one is easily distracted by all the unnecessary violence and action that just takes away from the movie's underlying idea. Not even a single mention about how they're actually hopping into eachother's dreams - the most we see is a briefcase with some kind of device contained within. If you want to see a better take on the Inception idea, I suggest Dreamscape (1984) starring Dennis Quaid. Same idea, less fluff, more story, less budget. Inception is worth one viewing and maybe a second just to list out its flaws. For what it's worth, I didn't like the Dark Knight either - I couldn't even finish one viewing there. This movie hasn't changed my opinion of Christopher Nolan's work.… Expand

for me, the best movie this year so far.....10 out of 10...i really loved the plot..it was kinda confusing but it was well done..a well written script and a great director...A+

A mindf**k. A meditation on the nature of reality vs. perception. One thing's for certain. It's a movie that each person will take something different away with them from.

Think chess not checkers and you will enjoy it

Saw it at midnight. Can't wait to see it again. Remarkable, novel, exciting masterpiece that is not to be missed. It's more of a heist film than a character driven piece, but as heist films go it's as intellectually awesome as it can possibly be.

One of the best movie i've ever seen

Wow! this movie was unlike everything i have ever seen. now i know how people felt when they first saw 2001 or blade runner.

"Inception" is a visually dazzling film, whose individual images never quite cohere under a clunking script that throws piles of red-herrings at viewers in a failed attempt to leave them with the same brain tinglings that films like Total Recall and the Matrix left. Nolan gets credit for his ambitious aspirations; but the real question is why bother making a story that has nothing new to offer on the world of dream/thought creation? In the end, "Inception" is a sanguine attempt to repackage old concepts in a sleek, empty way. Stay home and read a Borges book until this is available for rent.… Expand

Can we please stop giving these directors such freedom to screw with us and explain their nonsensical b.s. as a "dream" or a "flashback"? Enough with you film school dropouts who walk away from movies like this not understanding jack yet exclaiming "that was brilliant"!!!

Would have given this a zero, but gave it a 1 since I was able to catch a good nap during it. What a wanna be metaphysical bunch of crap! The only way to enjoy this movie is if you were dreaming while you were watching it.

Amazing Movie, I have to say this is one of the best movie in recent years, Possibly best in this year, Everything is Perfect.

My friends: this is not an intelligent film. This is just basic action flick with embarrasing plot, bad dialogue and absolutely nothing to tell us. The ones that feel that they have seen a "masterpiece" are seriously fooled by the shining surface and "witty" dialogue of this nonsense. But that's only human, isn't it?

Was expecting a lot more from this film. My overall feeling is that Nolan has intentionally and pretentiously complicated the whole plot, forcibly added a lot of unnecessary elements and scenes in order to make it a "big" movie. Would have been much better if kept simpler. The role played by Ellen Page was a total mis-cast as she seemed to be completely out of place. My 2 stars go to DiCaprio. … Expand

Extremely well-designed, filmed and edited and more thsn sdequately acted, "Inception" is nevertheless essentially hogwash. We've been told that to really understand this film, we need to see it several times, but once is enough... If anything, a repeated viewing will more fully expose its nonsense.

Watching Inception is like watching an episode of the A-team or Hart to Hart. You find the same scene in all three things, a car in slow motion falling into the water. The shame is that when in those tv shows it lasts 3 minutes to the max, in Inception it lasts 1 hour and a half. One could think Chris Nolan did it on purpose and was giving us his thought on pop culture... Alas, C. Nolan doesn't reflect on his art at all... He only wants to entertain and impress us with a cheap special effect from the 80s... Nothing will be as deep as your deception when you'll watch Inception.
If you want a good and fun summer entertainment movie go see piranha 3D, if you want a beautiful and thoughtful film about dreams qo see Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.… Expand

The movie's plot may baffle the audience, but Christopher Nolan's "Inception" dazzles us with powerful visuals, an ensemble cast, and mostly the director's mind blowing creativity.

One note movie-- mostly an unvarying level of all- out action throughout, and loud, bombastic soundtrack too, so it gets more and more boring to sit through. Not all dream sequences needed to be like Nazi horror dreams; but the few scenes in which Nolan introduced less noisy interactions were short and not very engaging. Not for thoughtful viewers.

I think I've finally had it up to about here with Christopher Nolan. If you have ever seen a photograph of him, you might come away with the impression that his cranium is a tad larger than the rest of polite society (literally). This is not to speak badly of a person due solely to a physical quality which one possesses (as I have a gigantic boulder of a bald noggin) but to make the point that every inch of that fabled dome seems to be filled only with himself. Nolan, with the aid of his screenwriter brother, Jonathan, gave to us what many consider to be the grand achievement of the super-hero genre film to date, "The Dark Knight". I know what we are all thinking, "it doesn't take much to be the best of the bunch in that arena of film making." You are probably right, although there have been those rare exception, such as the aforementioned "Knight", which have exceeded the expectations of the viewer and brought us somewhere else rather than the local comic books store. With his latest directorial effort, "Inception", Nolan takes us on a trip through the imagination... literally. The story is of a man named Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) who works as a kind of secret agent for hire. He does all of the same task which would be called upon by any other spy, accept his playing field is not that of a world landscape, but that of the subconscious, and the men which chase after him do not belong to any organization, but are the projections of the host mind's subconscious which one deploys in order to guard one's self from mental harm. You see, Dicaprio, and crew, have the ability to dive into a sleeping person's dream and thus wade around their subconscious, extracting information which somebody else thinks it's important enough to pay someone off to steal. This may all sound rather confusing upon glancing over a simple synopsis, but I found the story all very decipherable-- perhaps too decipherable. "Inception" refers to the idea (you get it, "idea") that one would, in theory, be able to penetrate the sleepers mind and, instead of stealing an idea from the dreamer, one plants an idea in his head, making it as if the idea generated itself organically without the aid of any outside source. But who would want a skilled spy, such as Dicaprio, to a thing as that? Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai, Batman Begins), who else. To get into the plot is just what this film would take the pleasure in having me do, because really, this film is nothing but plot. I don't necessarily have a problem with that, a film having a heavily plotted structure, but when the plot is the only thing that matters in the film, neglecting to develop characters and anything else beyond that which brings you from point A to B, I tend to get a little cranky. I got especially cranky while watching this flick. When you watch as many movies as I have (and I am sure that some of you have seen many more) you tend to learn things about the standardized structuring of a film which is used almost as a blueprint while a screenwriter crafts the tale which he wishes to weave. This is particularly true in a mystery-- nothing is discussed in the film unless it will have some sort of payoff in the end. This unfortunate blunder causes one to immediately catch on to the wool which the director would wished to pull over our eyes. Don't worry, I'm not going to give anything away. What is extremely tiresome is when one catches on too this little ploy, this ruse, and spends the rest of the time in the theater counting down the minutes until he or she is either proven correct or incorrect. I was correct... that is, I was correct ten minutes into the movie. I had many issues with this film, some having to do with what Roger Ebert calls the "idiot plot," a term which refers to the characters having to be somewhat dim in certain situations in order for the truth of the mystery to pass them by. For instance, upon exiting the dream of a failed mission, Dicaprio and crew wake up only to have the man whom they were attempting to steal from wake up as well and pull a gun on them. Now, imagine for a moment that you are undertaking this potentially dangerous mission with a group of your friends. The person that you are thieving from is asleep right next to you and, if by chance he finds out that you are doing him wrong, he may well become rather upset with you. Would you not take the two seconds out of your busy schedule to pat him down and make sure that he is not packing heat? Of course if you take away the gun before he wakes up there will be no fight and suddenly Hollywood execs begins to see those dollar signs peeling away from their eyes. Another problem that I had was that I did not like Dicaprio in the role. I found my eye much more attracted to actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a very appealing and intense young actor who has real star quality. I could have watched him for two-and-a-half hours, no problem. And yet another issue I take with the movie is the use of actor Pete Postlethwaite,one of Britain's finest Shakespearean actors, used only in two scene and in both he is confined to a hospital bed and is rendered practically useless as he is little more than a vegetable. If you are going to hire an actor as good as Postlethwaite than at least give him something to do. But them main villain in this whole mess is the use of plot itself. I knew I was in trouble when the film was ten minutes in and they already started explaining the plot to us. Don't tell me about the movie, guys. Just show it to me. I think Nolan is often times too preoccupied with the concept of control. He seems to think that he is the supreme magician who carries all of the secrets to a great show within his own self containing head. He condescends to the audience, making futile attempts at diverting our eyes thus perfecting his "masterful" illusion. Yet in his arrogance he forgets that his audience comes equipped with a fully functioning brain which is made curious by the attempts at diversion and looks past the unfruitful wavings of the wand only to discovers that what they are witnessing is not magic, but a man who thinks that he is one step ahead of the rest. This, of course would sound very familiar to those aware of Nolan's work, as it seems very close to a synopsis of his 2006 film "The Prestige". In fact this is Nolan's true artistic obsession, going all the way back to 2001's "Memento" a film which tells itself in reverse, from end to beginning, and would seem an amazing achievement, but when examined closer, it is only found to be a cheap gimmick which does not hold up. "Inception" is not the worst movie ever. In fact, a great many people may very much enjoy it. There are some fantastic visuals and... well... the visuals are good. The story-- rather, the various plot points which have been strung together in order to make some semblance of a story, is not as revolutionary as everyone seems to make it out to be. It is definitely no "2001: A Space Odyssey" or whatever great film which this has been compared to, it is a popcorn flick which would have you think that it is more intelligent than it really is because it introduces topics which are somewhat out of the ordinary, but have been addressed multiple times in far better movies movies and in literature. If you really have a hankerin' for movies about dreamlike realities, try watching "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" or even "The Matrix". I know while I was in the theater today, I was wishing that either of those movies were rolling instead of this one.… Expand

Lisa M is spot on. For a film to depict dream content in such a prosaic and visually unimaginative way -- especially given the budget available to Mr. Nolan -- is a major failure.

Inception is nice enough to look at; the DP is Wally Pfister, who frequently collaborates with Nolan, and he makes those Parisian streets, in particular, look very pretty and bright. But the deeper you get into the movie, the more its polished visual surface feels like a deception. Nearly every moment in Inception is so big, so fattened-up, that nothing has any weight; because every little thing is of the gravest importance, there… Expand

Inception is a movie from a genre that has appeared in this century and since that date is becoming more strong a popular. I am talking about films that mess with our minds, that make you think and make you doubt between what it is really and what is not. These movies are like a subconscious tornado or a complete paradox. Some of those pictures are Inception, Memento, Black Swan, Alice in Wonderland and Rabbit Hole.
Inception treats a dark and interesting topic, the dreams and the power of the subconscious; and because of that the plot is so tangled, complex and even timeless. The barrier between reality and fiction is broken; so who can tell which thing is which? Or what is the difference between those? Even if you discover the true reality, can you be sure? There is only one or there are more realities? No one can tell for sure. This film also has some enjoyable concepts: Carpe Diem, the Leap of Faith, the bad remember dream and the unconditional love. The quotes that represent these concepts the most are: -An old man fill with regret waiting to die alone- and -You are waiting for a train...
Besides the amazing topic, the screenplay, direction and performances are very good. But the most outstanding thing of Inception is the visual effects: the explosions in the cafe, the bend of the city, the free fall of the van, the fight in the hotel and all the things that happen in the limbo. What better way than a cliffhanger ending.… Expand

The story of this movie is one that is not realistic whatsoever and it's not interesting in any way either. The movie itself is so boring it made me hope it would end soon. I think there is one joke in this movie and there are 2 smiles. It is a complex story partly because everything takes so long to explain itself. I really had a bad night at the cinema,. Nolan's style is really horrible if you ask me. That's my honest opinion.… Expand

This movie is proof that christopher nolan is on his way to joining the pantheon of masterful directors. this is the most complicated movie I have ever seen, while at the same time being completely original, and very entertaining. In this day and age, that is something truly incredible. I'm not sure yet if this is his best movie (a few more viewings will decide that), I didn't find it as fun as the Dark Knight or Memento, however, there is something remarkable about this movie that I cant quite put my finger on that really resonates with me. I cant give it a high enough recommendation. The one thing is it wont insult your intelligence, but it may make the mistake of assuming your a rocket scientist. And for you rocket scientists out there, fasten your seat belts, its going to be one hell of a ride.… Expand

An incredible movie in the best tradition of Hollywood. This movie demonstrates the great success that filmmakers can have when they dare to step outside the established ideas and ancient rehashed storylines and create something totally new and awesome. Yes, Inception takes from the best movies of recent history, but does so in an artful and thoughtful way. Nolan is building, not copying. The critics can say whatever gives them their jollies, but I loves the effects, I loved the storyline, I loved the characters and emotion, and I loved the ending. Hollywood, take note: This is how movies are made.… Expand

Boring. Boring. Boring. This movie didn't have enough action. The action scenes aren't even memorable. Parts of the film, such as the use of mental time dilation, are ripe for parody already. I kept thinking... haven't I seen this film before? Stupid.

Okay... I expected so much from this movie, and it was such a freakin' let down. This is not the second coming Nolan fans. this movie sucked and there is no connection to Kubrick other than wow -- he had water popping out and an elevator sequence shot on a huge ferris wheel... big whup.

Warning: this movie is basically two-and-a-half hours of talky, pretentious exposition intercut with boring, generic summer-blockbuster-gunfight/car-chase action scenes. (Also, the good guys here are armed with the same Magic Hollywood Bullets that enable one nearsighted cowboy to singlehandedly kill a hundred Indians.) As for "visually stunning," don't believe the hype---it's the same now-familiar CGI crap you've seen everywhere from "The Matrix" to car commercials on network TV.… Expand

This movie is visually stunning but also boring as all get-out. The first 20 minutes are okay and the last are okay, but the middle 9 and a half hours are slow moving, inconsistent, and downright sloppy.

Inception was so awesome,with lots of dreams, awesome setting,cool visual effects,great characters,and mindless fun to watch that sucks into your mind!

I thought the plot was boring and gimmicky. The characters lacked depth. The whole movie felt like a collection of trite special effects.

I'm sorry, I understood this movie the first time. There was nothing to understand. A guy goes into a dream, then goes into another dream, then goes into another dream, then he may have died in one dream, while living an eternity in another, or the whole thing was one big dream, or parts of his psyche are sleeping while other parts are awake, and the whole thing might be an endless torrent of cognitive disruption. Either way, Nolan did nothing new. And don't get me started about that cross-cutting bs. Have you seen Time Code? Okay, so there are people have done what Nolan has done before. If you only read the review, you are going to buy the hype because that's all there is, is hype.… Expand

This movie was utter garbage. If there were no Dark Knight, none of you would care a lick about Nolan or Inception.

You guys are nuts. You really want to believe this is the best movie ever? This movie was shallow as a kiddie's pool.

The idea behind this movie seemed original enough, but I didn't much care for it. Normally, I love this genre of film, but truth be told, both my sister and I kept falling asleep, despite the very loud volume in the theater. I just didn't find any of the characters compelling, and the plot seemed full of holes. Some great special effects, but that was about it for me.

Worst movie of 2010. Terribly confusing, bloated, overlong. Music is horrible, Ellen Page is mis-cast. Best Picture worthy? Must be a bad year for movies. Dialogue goes on and on and on. Too much expostion, confusing action scenes. Did I mention boring? Indifferent acting, none of the plot makes sense.

Definitely the most innovative and original movie of the year with an amazing and metaphorical storyline along with sophisticated visuals that will keep you intrigued throughout the whole two and a half hours.

Why do I keep forgetting how overrated Christopher Nolan is? Why all the praise? Please, someone explain. MEMENTO is brilliant, but that's it. I respect him for his ambitious productions, but his post-Memento writing & directing skills are ...mediocre at best. He has the mind of a pretentious mathematician, and his films are cold, soulless, and without heart. The "romance" in this film is more like an intellectual exercise. The characters are stiff, and speak glib 50's dialogue. This surreal heist story is too convoluted for its own good, and I don't enjoy experiencing a story through constant explanation. I understood (most of) it, but there is a difference between 'understanding' and 'feeling'. I didn't feel the forced stakes in this film. I wasn't invested in the characters until nearly the end. There are some interesting moments and a couple of daring ideas. A few really cool visuals... but not as many as I was expecting (all are revealed in the trailers). Overall, the majority of the film left me bored and unengaged. The last half hour picks up, but not enough to reverse course. Dammit, I am obligated to see the next Batman film. But after that, someone please remind me how I feel about Nolan.… Expand

was like a writing exercises by Nolan.Lacks depth in the characters and action sequences were poor,could have been better if Nolan gave more emphasis on direction department

Christopher Nolan's creation falls short in the ponderous, heavy-handed suspense film Inception. With its self-importance drummed into the viewer throughout, Inception is a ticket to a headache.

The originality of the film, many great performances, and abundant special effects don't add up to an enjoyable movie experience. Inception should have been much better. It's not that Nolan aimed too high. It's that he took the psychological surrealism way too seriously here, and it nearly sinks the ship.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, an expert thief who is specially trained to extract valuable information from the subconscious minds of targets by accessing their dreams. He assembles a team to help him on a new mission, including a dream architect Ariadne (Ellen Page). Wealthy industrialist Saito (Ken Watanabe) has hired Cobb to implant an idea into the mind of a rival businessman Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy).

The main incentive for Cobb is Saito's promise to return him to his children at the successful conclusion of the mission. It's one last plunge into the nefarious, multi-leveled dream layers for our hero.

The screenplay's heavy emphasis on the labyrinth distracts significantly from character development. After an all-too-brief look at the characters, we are subjected to dizzying explosions, shoot-em-ups and earthquakes. The dangers of this imagined world are so overplayed that finally we become numb. Sharper editing could have saved the day, especially during the film's final hour.

Visually Inception is ambitious, especially in an enjoyable, M.C. Escher-like scene where Cobb and Ariadne walk amidst a collapsing Paris streetscape.

An excellent cast is led by DiCaprio and Page. Marion Cotillard undulates between life and half-life as Cobb's troubled, dead wife Mal.… Expand

Yeah, Incepiton is complex. Is that a bad thing? No. If you look past the craziness the first time through, and the fact that Ellen Paige's character is only there to be an "exposition shovel", the movie has a lot of treats for people who go to see it more than once. Also, there's a twist ending. Watch it.

Thoughtful, with a great ensemble cast, carried without a misstep by Leonardo. A fantastic story with locations, action, and effects worthy of any Bond or Matrix offering. Not a dead minute in the entire 2+ hours. Film making on a grand and wonderful scale. Daring, confident, and beautiful. A must see. 9.5

Not Airbender bad. But not what the commercial makes it out to be. Watching it once was more than enough.

I was waiting so long to see this movie. Leo was great. It was kinda trippy at first, then it just got boring. The movie looked great though.

Whoever is giving this film high marks is either a TDK Nolan fan, or a moron. Even from an objective Nolan fan it deserves maybe a 5 at the most. I give it a 2 because in comparison to his other movies, this one was weak, convoluted, oddly structured, and didn't have enough originality to keep me rooted. People who say it is imaginative should go rent the Matrix and Existenz and the Thirteenth Floor. I mean if imaginative is "extracting" other people's ideas, then I guess this movie was imaginative.… Expand

Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Hey, can one of you guys who liked this movie so much, pay me for my lost time?

Folks, this the first movie I've ever walked out of half-way through. If you like a confusing plot, typical Hollywood visions of urban destruction, complete with large-calibre handguns killing people randomly and disjointed rambling dialogue by cut-out characters... you'll love this movie.

Movie was not original at all. All the concepts have been used before...left the movie feeling very cheated!!!

Disjoineted plot. Could not carel less about the characters. Stale dialogue and nothing interesting. Director trying to be clever by confusing audience, so when the end comes you sit and wonder what the hell you just saw.

An absurd and boring movie. Remember being 8 years old and writing a story with the ending "...but it was all a dream"? Inception is similar, but tells you that it's all a dream right from the start, thereby making it impossible to become emotionally involved in the plot, and therefore the characters. Ken Watanabe's acting is appalling. Don't waste 10 bucks going to see this.

There is a great idea for a film here. Too bad the film they made is so terrible.

Inception is one of the rare movies that you need to watch twice but can completely enjoy the first time. Stunning visuals, great acting, and a superb setting more than enliven the complicated plot. More importantly, Inception is truly unique. Make no mistake, Inception is a heist movie. In structure it is more similar to Ocean's Eleven than the Godfather. Unlike other crime movies, however, it examines crime as part of the human condition endemic to even our dreams.… Expand

This is one of the finest and most intriguing movies that I have ever seen. It has been years since a Hollywood movie kept my attention from start to finish. My hats off to Chris Nolan for restoring some of my faith in film.

I am trying to pinpoint what really drew me into the story but am unable to even come close. Sure the plot and sense of dream vs reality but it was more of the whole package. Just about every aspect (including the film score, acting, and effects) was right on. The movie was so intense for me that I literally said WOW at the end each time. This is a movie that gets better with a 2nd viewing. This film should be shining light to all the Hollywood establishment that they have the power to make great films.… Expand

Probably the best psychological thriller of the decade, at least. It's not flawless, since different aspects of the movie will appeal to different personalities (for example, not everyone will be on the edge of their seat for a zero gravity fight scene), but yeah, definitely a complex and mind-boggling movie that's worthy of appreciation, if you're up for the challenge. And, honestly, I was confused my first time watching this movie (maybe it had one too many layers), but it was much more clear the second time around fyi.… Expand

Like it's Idea of dream within a dream Inception is masterpiece within a masterpiece.
Christopher Nolan's idea is unique and brilliant.
The Director is in top form :).

Inception doesn't need to be told by every review that it's new and fresh or (the opposite) stupid and "puzzles me as to why people like this crap." I understand that. It needs to be told it's a classic.

To be honest, I've been on metacritic for many years, looking to this site as a sort for reviews. To decide the films I choose to watch, I use a combination of what the critics say plus the user reviews. In all my time here, i've NEVER felt obliged to sign up to leave a review. This movie was pure fantastic in film form. It's a bit of a mind-bender, as it deals with consciousness and reality on multiple levels, through the state of dreaming, but if you go in with an open mind and pay attention, you'll love the entire experience, from start to finish. I do highly suggest seeing it in IMAX, it makes the experience everso that much better. Happy viewing all!… Expand

I am what you'd call a movie buff, and this is the best movie I've ever seen. I can't recommend or elaborate any more, go see it, seriously. It doesn't deserve the 1-10 scale so instead of looking at the number of my rating just know you need to go see this movie.

A classic in the making... This is a film that will go down as one of the greatest films ever! I am not going to waste my time trying to explain the film to you guys as it is a film you just need to see! 10 Stars and one of the greatest films ever!

Man there are a lot of simpletons on here that seem to want to bash the movie only because it is a bit too complex for their liking. The movie was absolutely brilliant! The storyline was so intricate and well-woven only made better by the great cast that portrayed it. I saw it last night and I am still thinking about it. Sure there were a lot of gunfights and explosions and such, but the difference here was that I actually CARED about the people in the fights, and they were effectively used to tell the story. Don't let these haters sway you from seeing this movie, it's probably the smartest bit of entertainment that will be pumped out of hollywood in quite some time.… Expand

A film that can't be explained in words but only by Nolan's fantastic vision. That ending is overwhelmingly amazing,

This movie was incredible. Best movie I've seen in years. Better than the Matrix. Chris Nolan really pulled off an unbelievable piece of directing and the story is absolutely amazing. Don't miss it!

Sure this has extreme special effects just like any other blockbusters. However, none that one hasn't been seen before. Actually Matrix was the first film of it's kind that totally blew my senses! Inception I felt actually stole some of it's idea from Matrix but not as effective. Dream within a dream within a dream is nothing new. Central idea is brilliant however could9;ve been executed with better actors. Mostly I'm getting weary of Leonardo DeCaprio's redundant character of this "tortured soul" acting with his wife..very reminiscent of the movie "Shutter Island". In fact the character is one and the same. Same mannerism, redundant accent he seem to have acquired from the movie "Aviator" is becoming very annoying for the subsequent movies he's played in so far. Mainly a very good music soundtrack would've really helped the movie but that was absent making the movie seem very long and slow to get to the point. The ending of the movie however definitely made me think and analyze. I would not recommend this movie to a friend but advise them to wait until it comes out on blu-ray or DVD. Overall I felt cheated as I left the theater.… Expand

Fight scene was great, otherwise this movie was disappointing. The plot was just absurd--scifi should make SOME attempt to connect with reality...

Great effects, good performance by DiCaprio. But the plot is so lame...a dream within a dream within a dream within...Please!

One of the worst movies of the year. Unoriginal, non- inspiring performances. Very thin story. Very slow moving. Effects were cool, but have been done numerous times before. The Matrix blows this movie away. Nothing new here. Very predictable. Knew how it would end a half hour in. If you are intelligent, avoid this one!

Completely ridiculous story with a thousand flaws in logic, compounded by the fact that it's completely impossible to follow. Two hours of my life I wish I could have back. Total waste of the gazillion dollars they spent making this baloney. Save your money!

Best movie I have seen since The Return of the King. Don't understand how someone can not like this movie. Has everything you want in a movie.