Early "Inception" Reviews

[Caliburn24]

I woke up today to find that nearly all of my commonly visited entertainment websites had a review up for Chris Nolan's latest film, apparently the embargo just ended.

Be warned, the following each have some spoilers, although nothing that really isn't already known from the trailers.

Pure cinema at its best feels like dreaming with your eyes wide open. Cinema doesn't get much purer than INCEPTION.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45679

Inception is a masterpiece. Making a huge film with big ambitions, Christopher Nolan never missteps and manages to create a movie that, at times, feels like a miracle. And sometimes it doesn't even feel like a movie; while presented in woefully retro 2D, Inception creates a complete sense of immersion in another world.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/24313/1/REVIEW-INCEPTION/Page1.html

...suffice it to say that "Inception" is an exhilarating cinematic experience that suggests there is still room, even in the blockbuster world, for big ideas and dangerous emotions, and that may be the single most thrilling thing about it.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12...on-bends-brains-breaks-hearts-with-equal-ease

I will say this now, without reservation and fully confident that many will agree; Inception is easily the best big budget film of the year thus far. I’ll go further and say that it’s one of the most beautiful, well written, and fully realized high dollar films of the last five years. Inception, is close to perfection.

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/review-inception.php

For the past several months I've thought that Inception would be my favorite movie of the summer, but now it looks like it might be everyone's favorite movie.

Anyone seen a negative or even lukewarm review for Inception yet? I'd be curious to read it.

 

[Warped9]

^^ This is encouraging as I'm intensely curious about this film.

 

[DeafPoet]

I'm very glad, but not surprised that it is apparently as good as it looks.

I hope it doesn't bomb. After "Airbender" and "Twilight" made a bunch of money this weekend, it'd be a crime for a smart movie to flop and would send the worst possible message to the suits.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I loved The Prestige, so this looks right up my alley. Glad to hear it's good

 

[AstroSmurf]

^The Prestige is one of my favorite films. But I have enjoyed almost all of Nolan's films to date. Plus he knows how to tell a story. Most directors who start small usually crash and burn the moment a studio starts throwing money at them. Nolan adapted and made his stories, visuals and ideas bigger to match the budget. He continues to impress me.

And speaking of impressed, I am beyond thrilled about the reviews. I had high hopes (despite my loathing of Leo) so this really sells things for me!

However, this phrase, "woefully retro 2D", pisses me off a little. Retro my ass. And Nolan is right on the money with his recent comments about 3D. I can't stand it either. (I am not paying $12 for a headache.)

 

[DeafPoet]

However, this phrase, "woefully retro 2D", pisses me off a little. Retro my ass. And Nolan is right on the money with his recent comments about 3D. I can't stand it either. (I am not paying $12 for a headache.)

I think you can safely read that bit of the review with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

 

[AstroSmurf]

^ Maybe. But I have been seeing a lot of this lately I just assumed the worst. (Oh god... have I turned into one of those people? Yikes!)

 

[sidious618]

I'm really looking forward to this and these reviews only get me more excited.

 

[T'Baio]

However, this phrase, "woefully retro 2D", pisses me off a little. Retro my ass. And Nolan is right on the money with his recent comments about 3D. I can't stand it either.

Devin Faraci hates 3D. He is definitely being sarcastic.

 

[tomalak301]

Nice to see. I've been looking forward to this since the beginning of the year. It looks like an awesome film.

 

[Rii]

Great stuff. I was worried about this one too.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

This makes me all the more excited about this film (as if I wasn't already). Unfortunately, chances are I won't be able to see the film in theaters because I go underway for a month and a half the Monday after it's released in the States. It's not released in Japan until the following weekend and my only hope is that it's shown on base the same weekend as the States.

 

[auntiehill]

Good. I'm glad the reviews so far are positive. This has been a fairly uninspired summer for movies; I would love to see a SMART thriller, for a change. This looks like it could be it.

 

[TheBrew]

It's Nolan. I will see paint dry if he's directing it.

 

[stj]

I'm very interested in watching. I do wonder whether photorealism, especially in locomotion, and dreaming go together at all.

 

[Captain Craig]

It may be a good movie but I'm unsure if its going to be a financial break out of summer.

1-Its not for the teen set, which they are trying to attract by saying, "From Director of Dark Knight"

2-Toy Story 3, Twilight and Airbender are still going to be challenges to overcome.

3-It may be misplaced counterprogramming for the "popcorn mindless" set of summer. A better Fall release perhaps?

 

[Rii]

It may be a good movie but I'm unsure if its going to be a financial break out of summer.

Fortunately I'm not a studio executive and so don't care.

 

[Captain Craig]

It may be a good movie but I'm unsure if its going to be a financial break out of summer.

Fortunately I'm not a studio executive and so don't care.

Well Entertainment Weekly the forums at BOM seem to think it can or will be this big money maker. A fair amount of BOM regulars are Nolan-atics.
I just don't see it.

 

[Kegg]

Cinema doesn't get much purer than INCEPTION.

Inception is a masterpiece.

...suffice it to say that "Inception" is an exhilarating cinematic experience

Eh. Might give it a rental.


...

Though seriously, this was about the only big Hollywood movie coming out this summer that looked even the slightest bit good (aside from Pixar's latest offering). So you can count this down as my second film of the summer, as I've both seen and enjoyed Toy Story 3. Nolan is mostly someone who does well by me; he's pretty much able to craft the sort of summer blockbuster that we should have as standard - stuff that's fast and exciting but also with interesting characters and narratives.

Also what little I've heard of the film implies it's some sort of mindscrew... I love those.

It may be a good movie but I'm unsure if its going to be a financial break out of summer.
[...]
2-Toy Story 3, Twilight and Airbender are still going to be challenges to overcome.

All signs point to the last being a dud of M. Night Shyalaman porportions; though point taken about the first two. Inception may well be a film that isn't very popular or accessible... but then again, Nolan is also good at making films that sound like they'd play to five people in a deserted arthouse fairly popular; considering the high concept nature of say, Memento.

 

[Kirkman1987]

I can't wait for it, and these reviews only bolster that feeling I've had since seeing the Trailers.