INCEPTION Review Thread (SPOILERS!!)

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Defiantly before, I don't think the drunken mind can comprehend this movie without melting

Critic from MTV "Do they pass out Weed in theaters to see this?"

Or something like that.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

[Show spoiler] I believe they died in Limbo of growing to old? Then he had them die by train to get out of the 2nd dream level. I think it was the 2nd because they created a dream within a dream which means 2 levels. But how did they die in the 1st level.

I believe that it was a situation where

[Show spoiler]they were actually deeper than that. They must have been into a 3rd level because Cobb mentions that he kept pushing to go deeper and everyone seems to always be so comfortable with the notion of 2nd tier dreaming. As for how they kicked out of the other levels? I don't think that it is relevant or necessary to know that. They grew old in limbo. They died in limbo by the killing themselves with a train. They got back to reality. That's all that really matters. We know for a fact that they made it back to the real world because of the totem factor. Maul refused to believe it because the incepted idea took over like a virus and clouded her perception of even the totem. That's why the notion of inception is such a powerful, dangerous, impossible, and almost forbidden topic. Being incepted with the knowledge of being in different states of reality can lead to disastrous conflicts of perception between what is real and what one thinks is real.

As for the ending:

[Show spoiler]I clearly saw a teeny wobble of the top. It faltered ever so slightly, jumped back up to upright, and then the screen went black. All within a matter of about 3/4 of a second.

[Rudeboy2025]

My mind has been blown. Seriously that was f***ing amazing. Christopher Nolan is a damn genius.

The casting was perfect, the acting was awesome, and the special effects were amazing. Of course the story is the most important thing and, at the risk of sounding repetitive, it is also amazing. It's so intricate and complex that I was in awe as the story progressed. I'm biased of course as I've loved all of Nolan's films that I have seen. Although because of that, I went in with HIGH expectations and this satisfied me completely. This is just my opinion, so go watch it and make up your own mind.

Inception and Toy Story 3 are by far the best movies of the year.

10/10

[X12Celtics3]

Yep, I absolutely loved this film, and I went into it with higher expectations than any other movie I've seen. I think that everybody I talked to on a regular basis was getting annoyed with my excessive excitement and anticipation for the movie, but now they'll have the joy of me constantly reminding them that they need to see it

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by hardcorefrokid

Hans Zimmer better get an Oscar nod for this score.

Couldn't agree more.

[Show spoiler]The way it ended, I think there could have been four possibilities:

1. He's back in reality.

2. When he and his wife got killed by the train in limbo, they delved into a second limbo--but they thought they returned to reality, thus she was right the entire time (that it was still a dream). Arthur was right that there is no inception. Inception means a beginning, and as Cobb said, you can never trace a dream back to its origin... and it was impossible for him to return to his original reality (he had gone too deep).

3. The "reality" he came back to is actually a first dream state (thus bumping every other dream state up another level--totaling 5). In other words, he's been dreaming the whole time.

4. He could never escape the limbo (it never actually showed him escape anyway), so he is stuck in the 4th dream layer


I haven't chosen which yet, but I am leaning towards #2.

[tommyboy81]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Couldn't agree more.

[Show spoiler]The way it ended, I think there could have been four possibilities:

1. He's back in reality.

2. When he and his wife got killed by the train in limbo, they delved into a second limbo--but they thought they returned to reality, thus she was right the entire time (that it was still a dream). Arthur was right that there is no inception. Inception means a beginning, and as Cobb said, you can never trace a dream back to its origin... and it was impossible for him to return to his original reality (he had gone too deep).

3. The "reality" he came back to is actually a first dream state (thus bumping every other dream state up another level--totaling 5). In other words, he's been dreaming the whole time.

4. He could never escape the limbo (it never actually showed him escape anyway), so he is stuck in the 4th dream layer


I haven't chosen which yet, but I am leaning towards #2.

[Show spoiler] So you mean his reality is actually Limbo? Hmm.. Could be.

[cajmoyper]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

You really weren't paying attention properly if you have no answer to all of those questions.

[Show spoiler]
#1. They grew old in limbo. Cobb says they experienced 50 years while in limbo (mere hours in real time when in a deep enough state). His memories of them together, knowing that it was a dream reality, was that of the youthful souls that remained in the real world when, in HER perception, they were growing old. Believing her limbo to be her actual reality would force her mind to accept and perceive it as real linear time.

#2. Cobb had to convince her that her limbo reality wasn't real. Thus, the inception. However, Cobb wasn't careful enough to isolate his incepted idea to ONLY the limbo reality. His planted idea grew to the point that she would believe that EVERY reality was not the real one.

#3. The train... I can only surmise that it was a certain way to have both of them killed at practically the same moment without the fear of the other chickening out. A gun scenario would not have worked. Each would have to have a gun and do the deed simultaneously. And Cobb couldn't trust her to pull the trigger at the same time since she had previously become so attached to this reality. He couldn't kill her first with the gun and then himself. She would have resented him for that action. Plus, being that deep, she would have had to accept her own choice or risk being lost deeper in limbo. Their heads on a railway track (which they did create themselves) was a surefire way to ensure quick and simultaneous identical execution.

#4. He didn't have to convince her to do it. He planted the idea in her head so that she would convince herself to do it. That's the most beautifully elegant aspect of the whole film. Not to mention that the entire plot of the film is centred around this very idea.

#5. In this case, a level up kick didn't seem feasible or possible. I don't recall mention of anyone else being involved with the experiment that sent them into the depths of 3rd level dreaming. They would have had to rely on their own means of jumping between levels.

I believe that a 2nd viewing when you are more alert may be in order.

I guess I should've pointed out that the mix was awful in my theater. Ken Watanabe's lines were practically un-understandable. I missed a lot of the key explanation points in the movie. Plus, not to do with an understanding of the film, the screen was set up for an IMAX ratio film so there were obnoxious black bars at the theater. It's fine at home, but at the movies, no?

Excellent explanations BTW.

[Show spoiler]So what about Limbo? Is it the same for everyone? Or did Maude, Maul, Mom...whatever her freaking name is, drag Fischer and Saito in with her?

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

As for the ending:

[Show spoiler]I clearly saw a teeny wobble of the top. It faltered ever so slightly, jumped back up to upright, and then the screen went black. All within a matter of about 3/4 of a second.

Yep I saw that too!!

Absolutely brilliant movie. I managed to avoid all previews and summaries of what this was for nearly a year and went in knowing nothing beyond the fact of the cast. I am a huge JGL fan and loved Tom Hardy in Bronson, I am hoping this movie launches their careers and they get the recognition they deserved. I am definitely going to need many repeat viewings to fully understand what I just watched, but this movie was ladies and gentleman Legen.....wait for it.......DARY!!!!!!!!

I am actually shocked to read that every comment so far that I've read has loved the film. I expected there to be a lot of haters because i'm sure a lot of people aren't going to get the movie after one viewing, but I am very excited to see all the positive opinions.

[mjsmufc99]

Best film ive seen in a long time...... Nolan pulled it off so did all the cast. EXCELLENT job guys! Nolan should be proud. It was Jaw Dropping! Its gonna take a long time for me to find a better film!

[DRS]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

I believe that it was a situation where

[Show spoiler]they were actually deeper than that. They must have been into a 3rd level because Cobb mentions that he kept pushing to go deeper and everyone seems to always be so comfortable with the notion of 2nd tier dreaming. As for how they kicked out of the other levels? I don't think that it is relevant or necessary to know that. They grew old in limbo. They died in limbo by the killing themselves with a train. They got back to reality. That's all that really matters. We know for a fact that they made it back to the real world because of the totem factor. Maul refused to believe it because the incepted idea took over like a virus and clouded her perception of even the totem. That's why the notion of inception is such a powerful, dangerous, impossible, and almost forbidden topic. Being incepted with the knowledge of being in different states of reality can lead to disastrous conflicts of perception between what is real and what one thinks is real.

As for the ending:

[Show spoiler]I clearly saw a teeny wobble of the top. It faltered ever so slightly, jumped back up to upright, and then the screen went black. All within a matter of about 3/4 of a second.

Yeah, Nolan cut away when he did for a reason.

I think you can choose to believe what you want, any personal interpretation would be valid

Kinda like the end of Pan's Labyrinth

[gunner89]

well i saw the film earlier, i went in with very high expectations of this movie and even with expectations that high, i was not dissapointed.

From the very first scene it felt like such an epic movie. For a film that was this long it was paced incredibly well. The casting, script, storyline and music was flawless, for me anyway. Im sure people will pick at this film like every other film ever made, but to me it was perfect.

Im going to see it again tomorrow, i understood it fully after the first viewing and it is going to take a long time to find a film that is this brilliant. I came out of the cinema thinking that i have just been on this huge ride and i still felt like i was riding it even after i was on my journey home. Nolan has done a fantastic job.

As for the ending, it was obviously intentional that you can take from it what you will and whether you believe he reached where he wanted to reach.

Cant wait to see it again and of course owning it on blu ray!

[hardcorefrokid]

Originally Posted by gunner89

For a film that was this long it was paced incredibly well.

That's what I thought when the credits started to roll.

[Gamma_Winstead]

Here is my take on the ending:

[Show spoiler] he was in reality, but he was living his dream, to see his kids faces for real. To really be with them. Thus the top falters, because it is reality. But it doesn't stop because it's also, in a way, his dream. It's just a metaphor.

[csdot]

really cant think of anything i disliked about it, so i gave it five stars
perfect pace, which is one aspect of TDK that i thought could have been better. the cast was top notch all around, Tom Hardy was a real stand-out, i have a feeling hes going to be a big name in the near future.
possibly Nolan's best work yet, but i DEFINITELY need to see it again to absorb everything properly.

[tommyboy81]

this poster got me to thinking. Where was this scene? Or was this for poster purposes?

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by hardcorefrokid

That's what I thought when the credits started to roll.

I thought it could have used less gunfighting.

[Show spoiler]Didn't it seem excessive? I felt like half the movie people were dodging bullets and I was left impatiently waiting for the story to carry on.

[mikey6]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I thought it could have used less gunfighting.

[Show spoiler]Didn't it seem excessive? I felt like half the movie people were dodging bullets and I was left impatiently waiting for the story to carry on.

i thought it had the right amount of gunfighting...

[Show spoiler]though i wished that anti gravity hallway fight scene would never end! not really a spoiler but i want to see if i know how to make a post spoiler proof in future

[Batman1980]

Still not quite sure what I thought about all of that but that was a heck of a way to "meet" Marion Cotillard.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Couldn't agree more.

[Show spoiler]The way it ended, I think there could have been four possibilities:

1. He's back in reality.

2. When he and his wife got killed by the train in limbo, they delved into a second limbo--but they thought they returned to reality, thus she was right the entire time (that it was still a dream). Arthur was right that there is no inception. Inception means a beginning, and as Cobb said, you can never trace a dream back to its origin... and it was impossible for him to return to his original reality (he had gone too deep).

3. The "reality" he came back to is actually a first dream state (thus bumping every other dream state up another level--totaling 5). In other words, he's been dreaming the whole time.

4. He could never escape the limbo (it never actually showed him escape anyway), so he is stuck in the 4th dream layer


I haven't chosen which yet, but I am leaning towards #2.

I highly doubt that #2 is correct.

[Show spoiler]If that is the case, then he'd be dragging projections through the levels with him. And, if all of the main characters of the film are projections, they couldn't be just his. They would be his wifes as well since they were sharing the dream together. In that case, the only explanation would be that Cilian Murphy's character is trying to invade his dreams and they are all attacking him for that reason. This theory totally destroys any depth of meaning to the film for me.

I highly doubt that Nolan intended for this to be that simple. And, if it WERE that simple? He would have made it much more viable an option.

Originally Posted by cajmoyper

I guess I should've pointed out that the mix was awful in my theater. Ken Watanabe's lines were practically un-understandable. I missed a lot of the key explanation points in the movie. Plus, not to do with an understanding of the film, the screen was set up for an IMAX ratio film so there were obnoxious black bars at the theater. It's fine at home, but at the movies, no?

Excellent explanations BTW.

[Show spoiler]So what about Limbo? Is it the same for everyone? Or did Maude, Maul, Mom...whatever her freaking name is, drag Fischer and Saito in with her?

Ya, my theatre had some sound hiccups as well. It sounded like a speaker on the left side of the theatre kept shorting out during the first 2/3 of the film.

As for your limbo & Mal question?

[Show spoiler]Mal was just a fragmented projection of Cobb's psyche penetrating into Ariadne's dream. Part of his psyche wants Cobb to go back to limbo where he can live a dream life again with his wife (even though it won't be real). So, like most repressed emotions (mainly his guilt for planting the idea in Mal), it eventually forced its way to the surface in order to try and foil Cobb's plans in a desperate attempt to regain control of his perception. His subconscious is trying to sabotage itself. That's where his big struggle is with himself. He's trying to contain his urge to make limbo his reality because he knows that it wouldn't be real. Letting go of Mal near the end is his key to getting back to reality for good. If he wasn't able to say goodbye to her, then I would agree that the end implies that he is still stuck in limbo. But, without that guilt, he can now live the life he once had in reality.

Wow... I haven't had this much fun talking about a film in a LONG time!

Originally Posted by gamma626

Here is my take on the ending:

[Show spoiler] he was in reality, but he was living his dream, to see his kids faces for real. To really be with them. Thus the top falters, because it is reality. But it doesn't stop because it's also, in a way, his dream. It's just a metaphor.

Yes... that is exactly what I couldn't manage to put into words all of this time! The way the film ends creates a perfect

[Show spoiler]metaphor! Cobb is in reality and it is so perfect that the top wobbling without stopping implies that he has found his way back to his own personal garden of Eden... perhaps too good to be true? I think I smell a sequel in that IDEA!

THANK YOU!

Originally Posted by tommyboy81

this poster got me to thinking. Where was this scene? Or was this for poster purposes?

HAHAHA... are you serious? You don't remember the coolest fight scene in the film???

[Buddy Christ]

Originally Posted by cajmoyper

Excellent explanations BTW.

[Show spoiler]So what about Limbo? Is it the same for everyone? Or did Maude, Maul, Mom...whatever her freaking name is, drag Fischer and Saito in with her?

Ok EXPLAINED and I had to see it the second time to understand

[Show spoiler] LIMBO! When someone goes to limbo (they are so deep that when they die and a kick wont work, they go to a place that is pure unconscious) EXCEPT for it being a place that someone else was in limbo in the shared dream. Meaning that since Dom Cobb was the only other person that had experienced limbo, whenever someone else in that shared dream goes to limbo, it will have Cobbs "flavor" to it. When Saito was in limbo at the end it was Cobbs place on the shore where he and his wife spent 50 years. That is why Cobb felt he could find Saito there.