If the Mensa guys made their version of the A-Team...

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2010)

Imagine if the brains behind Mensa gathered together one day and created their own version of the A-Team, it would probably end up being very similar to Inception. Basically, Cristopher Nolan is a genius; Inception's storyline is an incredible feat of imagination that will simultaneously amaze and disorientate you with each thrilling turn. The acting is impeccable, with an ensemble cast that is bound to provoke a number of Oscar nominations (as long as the Academy realise that at the core of this science fiction epic there still lies an emotionally draining thriller ) in dramatic roles that will haunt your dreams for a long time to come.
The less said about the plot the better, not because its bad, in fact its awe-inspiring to see the lengths Nolan has gone to in order to make this work , but it would be unfair to spoil your enjoyment of the film and would be quite a difficult feat to summarise concisely the key ideas behind Inception. Despite being a complex beast, Inception remains watchable throughout thanks to the impressive visuals and mind-blowing special effects that despite being physically impossible are still incredibly realistic.
Its closet comparison would be The Matrix, another game-changing sci-fi that took special effects to the next level by providing the audience with one hell of a story and not relying purely on the futuristic visuals to create the films success. The action definitely has stepped up a notch in Inception, with events in interweaving dream worlds affecting the consequences in others. It sounds complicated but it is a sheer joy to behold as Dicaprio and his team invade people's dreams and simultaneously assault an arctic fortress, defy gravity in an insane hotel corridor brawl and swerve traffic in a deadly car chase. Anything is possible in a dream, and thankfully Nolan exploits this to its maximum potential; trust me on this, the action sequences will leave you stunned senseless.
The only thing that dwarfs the intense action is the labyrinthine plot, which requires a great deal of concentration to follow. Luckily, Nolan makes this easy for the viewers by creating a visceral plot that completely absorbs the audience's attention - prompting an almost dream like state of consciousness as the action unfolds before your very eyes.
As I left the cinema I was undecided on my opinion of the film, there was just far too much to take in after one viewing. Having said that though, I would definitely consider catching Inception for a second time, the more the film has invaded my dreams since watching it, the more I want to immerse myself in Nolan's incredible imagination once again.