Very, Very Good (but not for everyone)

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2010)

"Inception" is an extremely well-crafted film, but it's one of those films that not everyone will like.
Personally, I really enjoyed it. The story was extremely well thought out. The characters were very good. All of the actors did great jobs with their roles. The imagery was very interesting and the special effects were incredible. It has a multi-layered plot which keeps your mind engaged the entire time you're watching it, and even after you leave the theater, but it wasn't to the point where I got fatigued with it.
I do disagree with some of the philosophy of dreaming in this film, but this movie is trying to express its own philosophy, not my beliefs, and just because I disagree with some of the philosophy, that doesn't make it a bad film. It's trying to tell its own story using its own philosophy, and I respect and enjoy that. I think it's a mistake to think that all movies should reflect your own philosophies, and if you want to see something that's going to reflect your beliefs to a T... you should make your own film, and not expect it from someone who doesn't view the world the same way as you. Seeing different philosophies and keeping an open mind are the only ways to grow as a person. If you don't expose yourself to new things, you don't really grow. You stagnate.
I've seen a lot of critics comparing this to "The Matrix" and "Paprika." I've seen both. This film is neither. While it shares common elements in some cases, it manages to tell its own unique story with those elements, and does a very good job of doing it. No film is going to be 100% new and fresh, and just because it shares common elements, like entering of the dreams of others, that doesn't make it bad. That's like saying "The Empire Strikes Back" is bad because it has space battles and it deals with good vs. evil, which have been explored in earlier works. You really need to take the film as a whole and not whine about how individual elements have been done elsewhere.
NOT FOR EVERYONE - While I really enjoy the film, I do admit it isn't for everyone. It has a complex multi-layered plot that requires you to be engaged the whole time to understand everything that's going on. This is not a "run pee" movie. If you aren't paying attention, you could miss something that'll be important later on. And at two and a half hours, I can understand how some people might start to fade out, or how they might not want to sit for that long. If you don't like thinking too much about the movie, this really isn't for you, because you need to stay engaged the whole time to get all the nuances of what's going on, and it does require some work on your end to get everything. The ending is also very open ended, which didn't bother me, but it did bother some people in the theater (one guy saying "f*** that!" on his way out).
So overall, it is very good, but I can see where some might get turned off by it. I really enjoyed it, and I can't think of anything that bothered me about it... which instantly propels it to a "10" in my book.
10/10 - Very, very good, especially if you like complex plots and thinking movies, but not for everyone.