A Fresh, Action Packed, and Thought Provoking Sci-Fi Flick Sure to Please

Rating: 9/10 (22 April 2014)

When I first saw the trailer for Inception on television, I became convinced that Inception was just a bunch of special effects; just another plot-lacking sci-fi flick designed just to please the eyes. The hype around the movie was just too much and it wore on my perception of the movie. Therefore, I didn't go and see it in theaters. Flash forward a month or two to a movie night at my friend's house. They had the DVD of Inception and wanted to watch it. They all said it was great, but I was still skeptical. After a few minutes of watching, I was hooked. The ideas where interesting, the plot was great, and the acting nearly perfect. Inception is now one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time.
The foremost positive feature of inception is the original plot. Most sci-fi movies these days have to involve either aliens or large robots and generic action scenes. The lack of originality in these movies is quite annoying. Inception however, has the originality desperately needed. The twists and roles the characters play are interesting and create a story that will keep you on your toes. The main character we follow is a man named Cobb (DiCaprio). He has been separated from his family and desperately wants to get back to them. His chance comes in the form of a business offer. A large company run by a man by the name of Saito recruits Cobb and his partner to perform an operation called Inception (a dream with in a dream) to plant an idea in the mind of Saito's chief competitor who is about to inherit his father's company. Cobb is a famous extractor and one of the only people in the world who knows how to do this. Cobb forms a team to complete this risky task with the promise of great rewards. Little do Cobb or his team know that the struggle is about to get more real than ever before. Not only is the plot gripping, but it is also very complex with the different levels of dreams and how they coincide with the different timing of "kicks." In fact, I had to watch this movie twice to really understand exactly how the dreams with in dreams connected with reality. Overall this gripping plot is sure to keep you on your toes and listening to every word the characters mutter or shout.
The acting is extremely well done. Everyone in this movie, from Cobb to the people formed by the dream environment, act in a realistic and convincing way. You can feel the emotions they show. This is not surprising given the list of famous actors in this movie who include Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, and more.
The action sequences in Inception are very well done. Although they are not as intense as scenes from movies like the Matrix, they are still great. These scenes are almost Bond-like in the way they are scripted and shot, which is quite interesting. The action scenes add an intensity that keeps the movie's pace and adds risk into the dream environment.
Themes and ideas about dreams and how Cobb and his team enter them are thought provoking. What happens when you share dreams? What happens when there is a dream within a dream? These questions are just a few that the film answers. The way that Inception introduces these ideas to you feels natural and makes sense, given our own dreams. It really capitalizes on the believability of the way the dreams are created and the effects experienced in the dreams. Overall, Inception's dream concepts are well implemented and very convincing, which draws people in so they can dream a little themselves.
There is no way I could end this review without mentioning Han Zimmer's amazing sound track. The music fits this movie like a glove. It provides an experience that I haven't really had in any other movie. The emotion evoked during important scenes is compounded with the addition of Zimmer's powerful orchestral assault. If you have a surround sound system, you will experience the full impact of the music in this movie. The booms that coincide with the "kicks" experienced to get a dreamer out of a dream are quite the experience.
Inception is an unforgettable movie experience. Leave behind any biases you may have, forget the hype and gripes or whatever you've heard, and just watch it. I think that you will enjoy it!