If this is brilliance, then we are so screwed!

Rating: 4/10 (4 January 2011)

First off, it's clear that these IMDb ratings are no longer valid. This film was just 'ok' by anyone's standards, except maybe the plethora of teenagers that love anything that includes lots of gun fire and 'splosions. The plot was unnecessarily convoluted and chock full of lazy writing. I have really liked Chris Nolan's work, so this is not a personal attack on him; it's just nowhere near as slick as others have claimed. The biggest symptoms of lazy writing are: constant exposition in the guise of conversation, constant changing of rules set up earlier in the movie and supposedly brilliant people making illogical choices, when the plot demands it. Many have said that those of us who didn't like it were just clueless and didn't "get it". What's to get? The plot was not difficult to understand, just difficult to accept as anything that made any sense. A dream with a dream within a dream. Big effing deal! I bought this film on DVD and couldn't wait to see it as so many people had hailed it as the best thing since Citizen Kane. I was left feeling empty and ripped off, then again, there is an entire generation that claims "Transformers" and "Independence Day" are two of the best films ever made. I fail to understand how this over-blown, over-hyped film could garner such high ratings unless the people doing the rating have never seen a movie over 20 ears old. The concept was high-minded but the execution was pure popcorn-munching tripe. While I'll admit the cinematography was gorgeous and the acting was fairly well done, it was just so empty. As others have pointed out, when it's all just a dream, there's not a lot of tension when faceless people are shooting at you. Just plain silly, I say. (as an aside, South Park did a very funny dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream years ago!)