Inception Review: Christopher Nolan Crafts Summer Movie Magic yet Again

When I hear the words "summer blockbuster," I think of high-octane action movies that put more emphasis on special effects than on having a coherent or engaging storyline. I think of movies like Transformers and National Treasure. When I picture the standard blockbuster, I definitely do not picture a movie as complex and powerful as Inception.

That's not to say that there isn't any action in Inception. If boiled down to its "main" storyline, Inception is a heist movie that features at least one action sequence that extends for over half an hour. Unlike normal action movies, however, Inception uses the action to further the story, rather than using the story as merely a framework to keep the action going.

It would be nearly impossible to give the story justice by trying to explain it, but here are some of the basics: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief who specializes in entering the dreams of other people and stealing their most precious secrets. He also faces serious legal charges in the United States, although it would be unfair to reveal them.

After failing to steal the secrets of business magnate Saito (Ken Watanabe), Cobb faces a daunting task: Place an idea into Saito's business rival's (Cillian Murphy) head and have his legal woes erased, or face the wrath of those who hired Cobb to steal Saito's secrets. To do this, Cobb gathers up former associates Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Eames (Tom Hardy), as well as chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao) and brilliant architecture student Ariadne (Ellen Page). Unfortunately, Cobb's wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), appears at unplanned times to foil the group's plans.

The intricacies of the story and how different dreams (and levels of dreaming) interact is much more complex than the synopsis, yet the movie is never confusing in the general sense. It's fairly easy to follow the main story arc as long as you're actively paying attention. The film rewards you if you pay attention, but if you want to sit in the dark and turn your brain off, Inception will likely leave you very confused.

The special effects in Inception are second to none. Mainly taking place within different characters' dreams, the effects are reasonably not held to the constraints of reality and are all the better for it. It's also refreshing to see a big-budget release that doesn't lower itself to gimmicky 3-D. I haven't seen a film that has such jaw-droppingly amazing visuals as Inception, and the chances of another movie this visually stunning coming around again this year is very slim indeed.

Director Christopher Nolan is no stranger to flipping moviegoer expectations upside down. His previous movie, The Dark Knight, reinvented the superhero movie genre. It grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, all while garnering the acclaim of professional critics and normal moviegoers. It's difficult to see Inception grossing that much money, for it is a much more difficult movie to understand than The Dark Knight, but that doesn't mean it's any less powerful of a movie.

Verdict: 5 (out of 5) stars