'Inception' Review Embargo Lifted July 5

Named "The Most Man-ticipated Film of the Year" at the 2010 Spike TV Guys Choice Awards, Christopher Nolan's Inception could be just the ticket to salvage the mediocre summer movie season. In an unexpected move, Warner Brothers Studios lifted the review embargo on July 5, giving critics the option to publish opinions about Inception a full 10 days before opening.

Did Peter Travers break the Inception embargo?

Entertainment writers, especially long-established movie critics, are painfully aware of the review embargo process. Press screening invites typically contain the words "Please hold all reviews until opening today." Screening invites this summer, however, have been tersely worded, outlining the consequences of a review "breaking" before opening day. Suffice to say, breaking embargo can be a career killer.

That's why there is some debate over Peter Travers publishing his Inception review in "Rolling Stone" on June 24. Though not the most respected journalist in movie circles, Travers has been publishing long enough to know not to break a review embargo. Some publications think he received permission from the studio ahead of time, however. In any event, the official review floodgates are now open for the rest of the critics.

The buzz over Inception

Christopher Nolan, 40, was the miracle worker who resurrected the failing Batman franchise, directing both Batman Begins and a little 2008 film called The Dark Knight. With the next Batman film still two years away from theaters, Nolan's fans are especially hungry for more of his work.

In addition to Nolan behind the camera, Inception has one heck of a cinematic pedigree. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, a thief who takes corporate espionage to the next level. Using a process called "extraction," Cobb and his team create a dreamscape that their target populates with his/her innermost secrets. All Cobb has to do is go into the dream and cherry-pick the information he needs to sell.

Naturally, crimes of this magnitude don't go unnoticed, and Dom Cobb quickly becomes an international fugitive. To get a clean slate, Cobb is hired to use his unique talents to plant ideas in very important brains, a technique called "inception." If Cobb does a good job, he's free to live his life as he chooses.

A-List stars increase interest in Inception

For Inception, Nolan also has stacked the deck with some true A-List talent:

• Ellen Page. An Academy Award-nominee for Juno, Ellen Page is a bundle of talent and easy on the eyes. For Inception, Page plays Ariadne, a young woman recruited by Dom Cobb to help him with his subconscious operation.

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Making the transition from television's Third Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has made his name on the big screen, especially in the romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer. At Spike's "Guys Choice Awards," Gordon-Levitt joined the Inception cast onstage to accept the Golden Mantlers.

• Cillian Murphy.A member of Christopher Nolan's ensemble, Cillian Murphy played the Scarecrow in Batman Begins. A critically-acclaimed actor, Murphy also gave a chilling performance in the high-flying thriller Red Eye.

So is Inception worthy of the hype?

After The Dark Knight became the hot movie of 2008, it raised the creative bar for Christopher Nolan. Travers' Inception review wonders, though, if audiences are smart enough for Nolan's new film. Jennie Miller over at Cinematical.com believes that viewers want to be challenged and think about a film long after the final credits roll. In just 10 days, everyone with the price of admission can draw their own conclusions.

Inception, rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence throughout, opens nationwide on Friday, July 16.

Resources:

Cinematical.com, "Will 'Inception' Be Too Smart for Audiences?," Jenni Miller