This flick isn't without fault.

Rating: Null/10 (15 December 2011)

I'd recommend this to only those with the capacity for intellect and intelligent thought. If you're an idiot, then damn near everything in this movie will go flying right past your head like bird crap in the breeze. If you're an up and coming screenwriter or film student, this movie is recommended for you too as Nolan delivers in the storytelling department. The acting was very good. I haven't seen a DiCaprio movie since Titanic believe it or not. The guy can act. Ellen Page's miniature ass looks so awkward in this, especially in the hotel scene where she's dressed professionally but she played her part well. Best line of the whole movie was "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling." That one's an instant classic.
For me, there just isn't enough at stake for me to care about how it ends. I have mentioned elsewhere how this is like an 80's G.I. Joe episode: there are no casualties. Nobody loses anything and what was gained wasn't significant at all. As much action as this has, the stakes are low. You can't get emotionally vested in any of the characters because remember, this movie is about dreams and mostly takes place in them. Always keep that in mind. The theme is that Leo and his team must enter the mind of an heir to an energy company and convince him to split that company up (kinda like what happened with AT&T and the Baby Bells) because if he doesn't, that company could become powerful enough to control more than half of the world's energy and become a veritable superpower. Sounds cool right? Well, execution just didn't live up to that synopsis.
We don't really know Leo's motivation for doing what he does. We don't know the significance of the company he originally worked for (I forget the name). We don't know the true influence that Ken Watanabe's character holds but apparently it's enough to get Leo what he wants: amnesty. We don't know how severe Leo's crime is. Just that he's a wanted man but not how wanted he is or who wants him or how bad they want him. We don't know who funds his operation. We don't know much for background info on his immediate partner or the forger. Ellen Page (the architect), we know where she's coming from but she jumps in a little too eagerly. Michael Caine only appears seldom and we don't know much about his character either. I could go on and on. There's a lot of tiny little details that were left out. This movie could benefit from some exposition. There's complaints that the movie is too long. I think the length is just right. Actually, not long enough considering what's left out.
Let's go back to that G.I. Joe comparison. You know how no one ever gets hit when they're shot at? Other than one character getting hit, this movie is the same damn way. During the first and third level of dreams, there's so many shots fired that it's ridiculous. Only one of the good guys ever gets hit. But the bad guysdo I really gotta tell you? The first dream level scene reminds me so much of that anime Noir. I remember seeing some episodes of it at an old anime viewing club I used to go to. The 2 chicks were surrounded by bad guys on all sides. And guess what? They took 'em all out and didn't even get grazed by one bullet. Same stuff happened here. Yeah, yeah, it's a dream. More cats should have caught a cap with that many bullets flying all over the place.
A nice touch that I'd like to see more of happened in that very same first level dream. With all that noise and action and car wrecks and yelling and broken glass and bullets and screeching tiresamidst all that, there was no music playing. Hans Zimmers' excellent soundtrack took a break during that scene and I like that. Let the sound effects department get some clout for a change. No doubt the effects were heightened by the IMAX sound system but come awards time, those guys deserve some props for that. They did an excellent job and good move by Nolan for excluding that, too. I'd love to see more movies use that technique.
The special effects? I ain't even gotta say how those were. You already know. It was very impressive but I could see through the techniques used to accomplish some of those complicated scenes. I'll bet those required lots of specialized training. I failed to mention that sitting behind me were what sounded like some college-aged guys who were creaming over the movie. One of 'em was all hyped up because he was seeing the movie in IMAX for what had to be his first time. His cherry must have gotten popped pretty damn good because when the movie was over, he was still creaming. Hey, we all have our firsts.
I give this movie 7 out of 10 stars because everything is good except for the emotional detachment. It's not one of those movies that spells things out for you. You gotta use your brain to follow it. The story is good in an original universe with original concepts. The acting is on point along with the music, sound, and special effects. The theme is good but not well executed. The plot has a lot going on. It's the depth of the characters that's lacking. Who they are isn't given as much attention as the deep, diverse, and complex plot. It's gonna be 50/50 for me on this one as far as recommending you pay for it or not. You'll get taken for a good ride but at the end you'll realize the ride could have been so much more. Speaking of the end, nothing happens after the credits.