Neat Idea But It Lacks Originality And Depth

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2010)

((Warning, Some Strong, Indirect Spoilers)) Here is what I do like about Inception is that it presented a rather rare and new concept and presented a rather complex story that keeps the average movie goer confused to some levels. It also does so with a neat sense of mystery and thrill that puts the audience on the edge of their seats.
The problem is that so much of this is redux! The second I left the theatre I wish someone had told me I'd be watching "Total Recall" through the eyes of "The Prestige". Total Recall of course being the "inside of as dream...or not?!" combined with the mystery and love-lost angst and style of The Prestige as well as Nolan throwing out the now rehashed, "last 10 seconds" to make your really think about it all type of ending.
Outside of some of the complexity, this narrative offers no new schemes, devices, or twists that are worthy of making it a top 8, 9, or 10 film. In fact, I'd hand The Prestige an 8 for its innovative story, camera work and production style, and screen writing. But this film is in some sense just a redux of that in a more post-modern, dream-obsessed world.
Then there are the film-making flaws I couldn't stand. Let's first consider how the films throws you head first into the deep end of the dream-invasion concept to begin with. In the end, all of the needed sci-fi devices from "kicks" to timing to "the architect" and "subconscious" is so rapidly thrown together it confused the crud out of most fans at first. It's a whole new concept with its own lingo and we're barely allowed to figure it out before we're thrust into an ocean of it for the last half of the thrill. Along the way Murphy, Berrenger, Wattanabe(sp?), Page, and Postlethwaite(sp?) are excellent actors reduced in their roles or in the case of page, limited to a wooden delivery. This movie is in and of itself a "DiCaprio" picture featuring Cotillard limited to a sort of "Pretty looking Freddy Kruger" kind of role.
Good entertainment, interesting narrative but it is so lacking of something NEW and ORIGINAL and it limits too many wonderful cast members that it shows. You can't force a weak script to be a great one by plugging all of its small roles with notable talent to try and make it shine. This is what producers do when they realize a narrative or script is crud and try to sell a movie only on a plethora of notable names.