Overrated or Misunderstood?

Rating: 7/10 (10 December 2014)

Excitement for Interstellar has been building ever since its announcement, due partly to its relation to debatably one the greatest directors of the previous decade, Christopher Nolan; director of highly acclaimed films such as Memento(2001), The Prestige(2006), Inception(2010), and The Dark Knight Trilogy. With such an incredible resume, Interstellar had high expectations to meet, and whether or not it met them is debatable.
The plot seems relatively easy to understand: in the future the earth's food supply is short and planetary colonization is being set into motion. You may wonder how this simple concept could sustain a movie that lasts for nearly three hours, and you would be right to do so, but there is so much more to the movie than what was revealed through trailers and plot summaries. Some actors in the film are not even credited or were never reported to be included, remaining a complete surprise when they appear. The main plot in itself is rather predictable, leaving many of the emotional and shocking moments the film will be remembered for as side stories. The film can be divided into three parts: the sentimental and down to earth beginning, the tear-jerking middle, and the astoundingly confusing end. The movie itself is a very unusual experience different than nearly every movie released in the past half century. The only comparable films are 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968), Sunshine (2007), and the more recent Moon(2009), due to its artsy style, space theme, and confusing and intense ending sequence. Now, the big question: is it worth seeing?
The film is visually stunning, fantastically acted, and highly emotional. The vast majority of the movie utilizes practical special effects rather than the overused CGI, ( Computer generated imagery), a Christopher Nolan trademark. The visuals manage not only to overcome the cheesiness of practical effects, but also the realism of CGI. The visual effects, though impressive and stunning, are unable to be appreciated for the same reason the film can be seen as "bad": it is far too overwhelming. The movie is so detailed and rich with no break from its endless power. The visuals, in- depth plot, and length of the movie confuse the audience, making it near impossible to take it all in in just one initial viewing. To be clear, the plot is not hard to follow, but rather is so deep that a lot doesn't sink in. The films length also hurts itself for the plots depth only deepens as the movie progresses, never giving the viewer a break. In short, it is too much for too long. If it weren't for these setbacks the film could be considered one of the greatest of all time, and assuredly to many it already has been. With repeated viewings the film would be better appreciated, but that requires a lot of dedicated time that not many have. Now that doesn't mean you won't leave the theater with your mind blown, just a little underwhelmed. Overall, it's a great piece of cinema, but it has its drawbacks.