2010 has been a pretty great year for comic book movies so far. (well, apart from Jonah Hex maybe!) With Iron Man 2 and Kick-Ass doing well with fans and critics alike, not to mention the box office, we also have Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and Red to look forward to! However, today I saw a movie that was better than the first two and that will undoubtedly be better than the latter two as well. That film was Inception and it might just have been one of the greatest movies I've seen in my life. As I promised in the teaser to this review, I plan on making it spoiler free (because you would truly despise me if I even revealed so much as one minor plot detail - believe me!) so here's a general synopsis of the film that you'll have probably already seen by now.
"Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible—inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming"
Sounds pretty straightforward huh? Believe me, there is a lot more than just that to this film! Without going into detail just expect to be taken on a complex roller coaster ride of action, excitement, twists, turns and great characters. The movies plot might be a little confusing here and there (although i never found it a problem to keep up) but pay attention and you'll be rewarded with one of the smartest movies in years.
Christopher Nolan once again proves that he's one of the greatest directors of today and this is probably his best made film to date. He's crafted a true epic with this movie and handles the more character driven scenes just as well as the exciting action ones that are bound to keep you on the edge of your seat! The script, as I've mentioned above, is also great and structured very well. If Nolan isn't at least nominated for Best Director and Screenplay at the Oscars, it'll be a travesty! He's helped as well by an amazing cast of actors all of whom deliver some of the best performances of their careers here. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers his second Oscar worth performance of the year (the first being in Shutter Island) while there's not a weak link in rest of the cast with Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy - among others - all giving stellar performances.
The action is a great blend of practical and CGI effects, both of which look superb. There are several scenes which gave me literally baffled as to how they could have pulled them off so well and I eagerly await the inevitable "Making Of" on the blu-ray to find out! The scene where Levitt is fighting in a corridor with no gravity (as I'm sure you'll have seen in the trailer) is breath taking as are the various gun fights and vehicle stunts - the majority of which are done practically rather than with a computer, making Nolan's movie even more of an acheivement. Speaking of which, the CGI could've very easily gone wrong and looked fake especially as so many of the scenes where it features are things that have never been done before. Have no fear though - like the rest of this great movie, it's flawless.
I'll finish this review as I began. Inception is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was already looking forward to Nolan's take on Batman 3 and Superman but if this is the kind of amazing movie he can deliver outside of those characters, I'm even more excited for his next non-CBM related project!
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