Not bad, but overrated

Rating: 6/10 (23 July 2010)

Why are people going mental over this Matrix/Paprika wannabe? It's undeservingly credited for way to many things. Maybe I'm being too harsh since it's the best blockbuster in the last two years, but lets be honest. The first half of the movie is drowning in clichés and the rule 'show, don't tell' is not being utilized at all. Am I the only one who finds those tedious dialogues when they explain the whole plot (as if we were ten year olds) - really annoying? The real people in those situations would talk and react completely differently. That makes the character interactions and conversations barely believable and just empty.
Also, actors who play Saito and Mal are really destroying any credibility of the drama and tension movie has. Saito (besides being a Morpheus wannabe) always talks as if he was simply happy he remembered the lines. And why, oh why do they have such unnatural, bad and forced accents? Ellen Page was a bad choice too (another cliché - younger student learns everything sensei has to say in 2 min and then teaches HIM a lesson). DiCaprio wasted his talent here, his powerful acting was ruined by the forced tension of the movie and a lousy soundtrack (which apparently never stops).
The second half of the movie was better and combined with the end gave a certain satisfaction in terms of mental food. Nolan really is a master of plot and king of moments - unfortunately this is obviously becoming his biggest weakness. The overall impression is: it could have been a LOT better. It's not awful, but giving it a 10 and calling it a benchmark is just ridiculous.