concept vs execution

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2010)

Here's the rub. Although I am astounded by the layering, scene and editing logistics and other details of the movie, the experience left me underwhelmed.
The are so much information to take in, more than usual for your average that while there are down times (I'll come back to this) they are not enough - and felt rush for a 2.5 hr movie. I wouldn't mind 3hr (maybe better yet as a series???! or a book even). And yet the focusing character is Cobb, a veteran of the trade, rather than the new comer - Ellen Page's character. So you must pick-up concepts like extraction, inception, dream times, totem, kicker, limbo in a hurry without laying any significant weight to these concepts. Especially in the scene on limbo? Mind you the movie repeats these to you - in earnest plot line no less.
This is one information overloaded action movie, but then there's action loaded on top in the 3rd act! Which I found unnecessary or set at the wrong location as one of the character explained it. This is a concept movie, and should have stayed that way - use words, use dramatic pauses, use ideas ? Such that the sequence in discussing and finalizing the wording of the inception concept felt dry, washed over, had no sense of - achievement.
-- added And I'll be darn that a friend mention this kind of plot hole : Knowing how ambiguous the ending is, but yet clearly stately throughout the first 1/2 of the film that the 'wife' character is so much of a risk. It was a wash over in the end how DiCaprio's character brushes off and not struggle a bit more ??????
Thinking back, memento, prestige and dark knight in their own right were better in terms of pacing, tempo change, and focus. Although even Dark Knight had a issue of who's the lead - Batman or Joker? (But I understand the juxtapose of the 2 - starts off Bat, changed to Joker mid way, then change back?)
And the back story for Cobb - kind of cliché????? You see it coming ??