Now talking about Inception without revealing major plot points is difficult. This is because everything that happens is a major plot point. Honestly, it's like after Rotten Tomatoes gave The Prestige a paltry 75% he decided he hated critics and wanted to give them as hard a time as possible. Yeesh Chris, it's not our fault it was only great, you're the one who failed to make our testicles explode in cinemagraphic wonder.
So instead of talking about the plot too much, I'll tackle the issue of the concept being stolen from a Donald Duck comic.
First off, let's just state the obvious: No one gives a fuck. If a nappy-wearing pond-dweller has to be ripped off to bring us one of the most exhilarating pieces of cinema in years then it's a price that I, for one, am more than happy to pay. And did everyone suddenly forget about 2000's The Cell? I would have thought that it would have been a much more pertinent comparison seeing as, y'know, it's practically the same film.
Okay stealing ideas is a pretty serious thing in the courtroom, but as a cinema-going misanthrope I couldn't really care less as long as I'm being entertained. And in this aspect, Inception delivers in a variety of ways.
The film is just packed with things you've never experienced before. Ever seen a fistfight occur on a staircase that defies physics, or a city folded over like a calzone? Of course not, and if I told you that these, compared to the rest of the content of the film, are boring subjects, you know you're in for a treat.
The only thing is that arming the film with these bold ideas has given it some kind of ego. If this was a school yard Inception would swagger in without its tie, high five the nearest douchebag with his pants on too low and wink at a girl so hard she'd pass out in sheer ecstasy. Yes, it's very, very cool, but its not as smart as it likes to think it is. It seems to have started out with the idea that it wants to say something about life, reality and the way the mind views things, but then it figured out that gunfights in zero gravity are totally sweet and got distracted.
These little details are extremely entertaining, it has to be said, but the overall narrative suffers for it. Imagine being given a summary of all six seasons of Lost by a man who is on fire - yes, fire is awesome, but you can hardly pay attention to it and the words he is screaming with his last handful of breaths and still have a good idea of what's going on. It's clear that this is film was intended to be viewed more than once to glean its full meaning, but the hefty run time will alienate a lot of people, including myself, from doing that. And I enjoyed it.
Just a coincidence with no bearing on the film itself, but this is actually the first movie I have ever viewed in IMAX. My opinion of the format in less than ten words? I No Longer Care About IMAX.
[HEADING=1]"We need to go deeper."[/HEADING][HEADING=3]That's what she said, etcetera.[/HEADING]
[HEADING=1]... We only realise something was wrong when we wake up."[/HEADING][HEADING=3]My uncle had a dream where he got up and went to work. Then he got up and went to work.
[HEADING=1]"No, they come to wake up."[/HEADING][HEADING=3]A good end quote; sounds great, but if you listen closely you'll discover that it doesn't really mean anything.[/HEADING]
