Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a scene from 'Inception'
While much of the film feels somewhat “cold,” DiCaprio is the emotional touchpoint for the audience – he’s a tortured man, not only due to the separation between him and his children, but the death of his wife, with whom he was very much in love. While the male members of this little band are oblivious, Ariadne becomes aware of these deep emotional issues that Cobb is going through – and the fact that they are so deep that they may seep into their combined dream world and risk not only the mission but all their lives.
Christopher Nolan has crafted an incredibly complex and layered film that although it runs just about 2 1/2 hours, does not feel like it’s that long due to its excellent pacing. That is not to say that it moves at breakneck speed, but that the film opens up before you like an architectural marvel, with something more fascinating and engaging in the next room than the one you’re currently in – with every subsequent room being more interesting than the last.
If you still picture DiCaprio as the kid in Titanic, you really need to update your point of view – he’s turned into a solid, gritty actor with an air of gravitas. Everyone gives excellent performances here… Joseph Gordon-Levitt is suitably intense, although he’s not given much to work with. Ellen Page was good, not great – but again, she wasn’t given enough to do to really let her spread her wings. I particularly enjoyed Tom Hardy’s character and performance – he was the guy that really understood how to cut loose in the dream world.
Hans Zimmer’s music fits the film wonderfully, helping to carry along the story and pacing. Nolan’s cinematography was beautiful and creative, and some of the visual effects scenes (in particular the floating hallway scene from the trailer) makes similar scenes from The Matrix look old school (yes, I realize The Matrix is over 10 years old now).
It’s one of those films that warrants multiple viewings to let everything sink in. Is it absolutely perfect? No, but any minor issues melt away in the overall experience of the film. It will entertain you while at the same time challenging you. And all without the gimmick of 3D. And for those of you going to see this based on your love of The Dark Knight: While Inception is a different type of movie, the latter is indeed better than the former. If you’re hungry for a film that has action, mystery and respects the audience, I highly recommend you go see Inception.
Inception is rated PG-13 and there is nothing too objectionable for kids, although if you bring children under the age of 10 or so you’re probably wasting your money as this is not going to be their cup of tea.
If you want to discuss the film in all its detail without worrying about spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it yet, and want to discuss what really happened in the film, head on over to our Inception Explained Discussion article.
Loading ...Finally, I’ll leave you with our very own custom-edited, extended Inception trailer:
Our Rating:
5 out of 5
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I’m not sure Ken they needed to stay mobile and the bridge drop was part of the kick/plan.
Plus as we saw in the first dream the projections would use explosives. And even an armored tank would be vulnerable.
The van taking heavy damage was forgivable but would have been less distracting if it at least had bullet proof glass. Throw me a bone, anyone in production paying attention? Sheesh.
just saw the movie !!
loved it !!
very stylish / engaging / epic – as my son says
anyways.. a very smartly written movie
characters that draw you in and you want to know more
dicaprio is gripping – as usual
the storyline is filled with multi layers
got to keep on your toes to follow along
definately one to see again –
rate it 5 out 5 – must see
Probably the longest I’ve wished that I’d been asleep.
Rubbish!
Just went to see the movie and i liked it. Probebly one of the best of 2010. Good story, visuals completed the story and where not the story.
START SPOILER****
The ending was fun. Many people in the theater yelled at the screen when it turned black. I loved it!
END SPOILER****
I was surprised about Gordon Levitt’s preformance. Like the entire cast, acting on a high level. I only know him from third rock, so it was difficult for me to see him acting in this movie. Put he nailed it…
Watch 500 Days of Summer and The Lookout. He’s excellent in both. Along with Inception Co-star Tom Hardy (Weams) one of the best young actors working today.
I just saw this last night and I couldn’t have been more happy with it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt knocked my socks off: his two dream sequence antics were my favorite parts of the film.
I don’t understand the hoopla about the ending. I didn’t read a single spoiler for the end of this movie but found it not surprising at all. It could go one of two ways and that was one of them. I was satisfied and didn’t feel left with a sense of wanting.
I’m a big movie music person. I believe it can really make or break the movie. There is a scene where shots are being fired as a character or two runs down a hall. You can hear the bullets strike the plaster and the score is still playing in the background – - softly and subtlety. It was the perfect combination.
The movie was outstanding. My mind was blown away.
Good movie….but…a bit talkative….much of the movie was spent on actors explaining something or asking why this, why that…also it had some action scenerios (snow mountain fortress) that played like a pc/console shooter game and although this may be enjoyed by shooter game fanatics, I would like to see more imagination….interesting but not one of Nolan’s best…..I would like to mention that Leonardo continues to mature into one of the more interesting/intense actors working today…..
The movie’s idea would be hard to grasp for some people, I guess that’s why he used much dialog in it; so “those” people who won’t get it without dialog won’t say it’s “stupid”.
It’s about time we had a sensible reevaluation of this film: http://bit.ly/9xBJSz
I certainly hope you don’t actually get paid for espousing this overblown rubbish. Take up something simpler and more suited to your obviously limited abilities…like professional diaper-changer.
The answer to the puzzle of the movie is LIMBO!!! the whole movie is a LIMBO and it shows to us that there is no such thing as reality as there are infinite realities. It is true for our life also, we are all in one LIMBO and whoever realizes it can become the architect of its own reality
Life is a LIMBO 
)) Ok I cracked the puzzle, now take me away, I’m waiting 
The answer to the puzzle of the movie is LIMBO!!! the whole movie is a LIMBO and it shows to us that there is no such thing as reality as there are infinite realities. It is true for our life also, we are all in one LIMBO and whoever realizes it can become the architect of its own reality
Life is a LIMBO 
)) Ok I cracked the puzzle, now take me away, I am waiting 
Didn’t anyone else find it peculiar that Ellen Page’s character is the name of the goddess that help a god out of a labyrinth? Cobb dreamed her up. She knew from when she ‘met’ cob that his mind was a labyrinth of sorts and his demons
I think I’m going to go and watch Inception for a second time.totally loved it.
I personally LOVE this movie and will watch it over and over again. About people debating over the ending of the movie, I thought that it wasn’t the end that I’m worried about. I’m more worried that Nolan IS practicing inception with this movie (hence, the title). Most people would have left the theatre thinking…”What is reality?”
Sorry, it was just for fun
I just hate it when I got stuck between two extremes of a comment about the ending. One of the best movies I’ve ever watched, hands down.
Amazing spectacle, quite a work of art
the extended trailer you guys edited yourself is incredible. better than the studio trailers. great editing work.
I just finished watching Inception.
I have always liked the concept of dream minipulation, which isn’t exactly a new concept. Every B film that ever featured a mad hypnotist had him, in some way, employ a variation of dream manipulation, but I have never seen a film that so deliberately set out to utterly confuse the viewer so that the viewer would not realize that what the viewer was seeing made no sense whatsoever. If you are a drug addict and are really high on LSD I’m sure you would say, “Hey man, straight on! Now, that’s the way I see things!”
I forced myself to see this abomination through so that I may not later have to say, “Hey, maybe it got better after I stopped watching it!” The only way this film could get better is to not watch it at all. I could go on ranting about this horrible excuse for creativity, but if I tried it would take me into late spring. The flaws in this thing are mind boggling.
Now, I can see the thinking behind this. If the most popular films lately have been based on comic books, the average moviegoing mind must be so childlike that we can give them something they won’t be able to figure out. They will then think the film is so profound that it must be Academy Award material.
I may be all wet, but my reasoning is just as good, or better, than the reasoning of those who made Inception.
Really, your reasoning is not anywhere near as good as ANYONE else’s…This is why:
You did not reason anything out; all you did was complain…and mildly insulted those of us who DID enjoy the film (“childlike”? REALLY?).
I hope this was NOT your best effort at commenting.
When a movie has to be explained in so many ways by so many different people, who can’t all be right, then something is lacking in its presentation.
That is an important distinction you fail to make. It does not HAVE to be; people are enjoying the various explanations and theories as stimulating mental exercises sorely lacking in MOST other movies of the last decade or two. For many people, this film was not merely entertainment (of the highest order, in many cases)…It was relief.
the ending of the movie was very rosebud-esk, here is a joke I saw about inception,
http://ponderingstuff.com/2011/05/15/extractors-inception/
Okay, I’ve finally put away my biases and seen Inception; I imagine it would have been very visually mesmerizing on the Big Screen. I’d say Nolan’s best film. Too much like Shutter Island though in back story — Leo de Caprio’s back story. Comparing the films: they are both good, each director has his pluses but I liked Scorseses’ enough to actually be considering buying a copy.
Dom Cobb was the SUBJECT throughout the whole movie. And at the end of the movie was the only time he was acctually awake. The clues are obvious once you realize that he was the subject and not Fisher.
Dom Cobb even said in one scene, the only way I can get to see my kids again is if I get back to the real world. At that scene the architect ran into the elevator real fast so he didn’t realize that he was being incepted.
There was no Cobol or Cobal however you spell it.. This whole plan was a setup to plant an idea in Dom’s head so that he could realize what the real world was. The person behind the idea was Michael Caine’s character, thats why he was at the airport. The real extractor was Saito.
It’s obvious he was in a dream throughout the whole movie. And they said that the totum was so that you knew that you were never in someone elses dream, not reality. Thats why when he went to the indian guys place he went to sleep and woke up in a someone elses dream. Thats why he never got to spin the totum in the bathroom.
Another thing.. Dom never got attacked throughout the whole movie, because he was the subject! Everybody else was getting attacked. Especially in the scene when the train came crashing through the middle of the street. Do you remember Dom being attacted in that scene? I didn’t think so.
There were flashbacks of Dom in the real world, but the Inception started when the so called “cobolt guy” told him that it was now or never, and gave him airplane tickets. Rember, there is no cobolt and that guy was part of the team in performing the inception on Dom. This explains why the kids are in the same spot when he got home wearing the same clothes. Because he was only asleep for a few hours.
Dom realized they planted the inception on him when he arrived back to find Saito sitting at the table an old man, the Dom says with a bewildered look on his face, I’ve come to remind you something, that this world wasn’t real. Thats when he realized he had the inception done to him. As he awoke on the plane you see everybody sitting there with a smile on their face knowing that they just did it to him, otherwise Fisher would have been like, you were in my dream and you and you were there and you were there! Right?
Think about all of the clues given to us. Its actually obvious if we pay attention a little harder. And about the top, it clearly started wobbling and no it did not start spinning again before the movie went to black.
Typical Hollywood drivel… all special effects and an almost nonexistent plot. This movie was so bad that I don’t even know where to begin. They introduce all these characters along the way, and yet the audience barely gets to know most of them. The sidekick girl was purely a token character, with her relevance by the end of the film being almost nil. The trite ending involving the wife of the main character was pointless, and like the other female character the writers utterly failed to integrate her into the story.
The premise of the dream-within-a-dream was so poorly devised that it ended up making no logical sense. For example, the van scene falling off the bridge: only the driver could know that someone was shot behind him in that layer of the dream (since everyone else was within another dream), yet he was too busy driving to see that, making the results of such an event impossible. There was a lot of potential to be drawn from this “dream” concept, yet the writers utterly failed to capitalize on it time and again, leaving the audience with nothing but a cheesy shooter film. I half-expected Bruce Willis to show up as the ultimate ridiculous icing on the cake.
This movie was total garbage, one of the most overrated in years. But let’s face it, it’s hard to take seriously any movie these days when they rely so heavily on the same cheesy celebrity actors like DiCaprio or Pitt. Give me a break.
Ummm, you’re joking, right? You’re not actually expecting anyone to take you seriously based on this drivel, are you? This was truly an amusing read…
I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Judging by the end AND the beginning, I believe Cobb has been dreaming since the beginning of the movie.