If you like TV Show LOST - its a 10

Rating: 8/10 (10 September 2010)

Not a big fan of Lost, but this is still a good movie. After my long critique below. Just remember this: Its a very entertaining movie, nonetheless.
I think there's a lot of similaritie with Lost, the two use a similar formula. Note: Inception has a lot more action, though the action in Inception seems planted and fake at times. (more on it later)
Here's how the formula works. Writers come up with a loose plot, with multiple possibilities, and throw ideas on top of it. Here, it worked. They constructed a pretty nice story, which is more like a piece of abstract art than a well knit tale. This is no "Memento", "Usual Suspects" or "Vanilla Sky". In those movies, you eventually understand how everything happened. This is intentionally different.
It has an open plot. Keeps you thinking. The story? Above average. Think about it. The plot surrounding the action sequences is pretty cookie cutter. A special team breaks in... type movie. The complexity revolves around the sub-plot, Leonardo's character, how do the two tie together?
The characters? C'mon. Not that good. There's 1000 movies with more emotion and more developed characters. This was built to be an explosion-filled summer blockbuster. Do you always dream about guns and explosions? I don't. Apparantley every character in this movie does. I just thought they could have taken the dreams in so many interesting ways, but relied on the James Bond formula too much, for Summer ticket sales.
This movie has a unique hook. They want you discussing it. They want you to try and figure it out. There is no 100% 'accurate' solution to how the two plots (mentioned above) fit together. It will leave some frustrated with an empty feeling.
Some of the characters were developed way too fast. I thought they needed to spend way more time on Ellen Page and Decaprio's relationship. Ellen Page goes from innocent student to commanding expert in no time.
The movie thoroughly confuses you, then comes together. Or does it? It leaves you thinking there's more to it. And thats what they want.
I think the action sequences are a little off. They give no reason for why everyone shoots guns in dreams and behave like trained special forces. Thats just 'understood'. There's quite a bit of this movie that supposed to be 'understood'. And you'll be trying to understand it for quite a while.