Inception Review: A Blockbuster Heist Inside Dreams
9/10 — Inception (2010)
Pros
- Ambitious, original premise
- Stunning practical effects
- Zimmer's booming score
Cons
- Heavy on exposition
- Thin supporting characters
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a thief who steals secrets from people’s dreams and is offered a final job: planting an idea in a target’s subconscious. Christopher Nolan builds a layered caper around dreams within dreams.
What works
The ideas are original and intricate, and the set pieces, including a rotating hallway fight and a folding Paris, are showstopping and largely achieved with practical effects. Hans Zimmer’s score thunders, and the cast, including Tom Hardy and Elliot Page, is superb. Beneath the puzzle, Cobb’s grief gives the story heart.
Where it falters
There’s a lot of exposition to wade through, and some characters exist mainly to explain the rules.
Verdict
A thrilling, thoughtful blockbuster that still has people arguing about that final shot.
