Inception might be my favorite Christopher Nolan film, or at least right there with The Dark Knight and Interstellar. The film features some well done performances and groundbreaking visual effects and storytelling that despite the eight years since its release, still holds up incredibly well.
Inception
(2010)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Warner Bros. | PG13 – 148 min. – $27.99 | December 19, 2017
Date Published: 01/16/2018 | Author: The Movieman
|
|
|||||||||||
THE MOVIE — 4.5/5 |
|
Plot Synopsis: Dom Cobb (LEONARDO DICAPRIO) is the best there is at extraction: stealing valuable secrets inside the subconscious during the mind’s vulnerable dream state. His skills has made him a coveted player in industrial espionage but has also made him a fugitive and cost him dearly. Now he may get a second chance if he can do the impossible: inception, planting an idea rather than stealing one. With the help of his crew — right-hand man and researcher Arthur (JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT), forger Eames (TOM HARDY), dream architect Ariadne (ELLEN PAGE) and dream cocktail creator Yusuf (DILEEP RAO), as well as businessman Saito (KEN WATANABE) — they must enter the mind of Robert Fischer (CILLIAN MURPHY), the soon-to-be owner of a conglomerate energy company. But to accomplish their mission, they must dive into the dream within a dream.
Inception is a movie I’ve probably now seen four or five times over the 8 years (wow, been that long?) since its release and it has held up quite well over that course and obviously one of the stand-outs is the combination of special/visual effects and the literally layered story and timing of each level from the real life on a plane, to the rain-drenched city filled with armed security, to a snowy mountaintop right out of a James Bond movie and finally the dream abyss where minds can get lost. Although those plot and effects were the selling point, I actually really enjoyed the ensemble cast. Leonardo DiCaprio, as always, gives it his all playing a guilt-ridden character; Tom Hardy gets some of the more “quirky” scenes while still being a bad ass action hero; Ellen Page has a few nice scenes opposite DiCaprio, kind of a confidant understanding Cobb’s internal conflict; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to impress even in a lesser role. Others like Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe were serviceable giving just enough emotion for me to care about them. As for Marion Cotillard, she was creepy as all hell, though that’s to the detriment of a character who was supposed to be charming and sweet, sadly we really don’t get to see that side of her, still, a solid performance and far (FAR) better than her work on The Dark Knight Rises.
I’d be remiss not to mention Hans Zimmer’s score. Yes, the “bwong” sound has become a meme but I’ve found the music to be fantastic working both within the context of the film but on its own as well and “Time” easily my favorite, filled with so much emotion. Just an amazing score/soundtrack. Writer/Director Christopher Nolan’s Inception might be one of his better films not named The Dark Knight and perhaps most entertaining and I’m happy to have watched it again for this review and will gladly check out again in a couple of years. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.5/5 |
|
This release comes with a glossy slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Disc 1 (4K): Disc 2 (BD): Disc 3 (BD): Project Somnacin: Confidential Files is access to the highly secure files that reveal the inception of the dream-share technology. This is a BD-Live feature so… 5.1 Inception Soundtrack (38:38; HD) – Composer Hans Zimmer teams up once again with Christopher Nolan to create the soundtrack and we get to hear the various pieces. Rounding things out: Conceptual Art Gallery, Promotional Art Archive, some Trailers (4:50; HD) and TV Spots (11:28; HD). |
VIDEO – 5.0/5 |
| Inception dives onto the 4K format presented with a 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p high-definition transfer and no surprise, it looks absolutely amazing with sharp detail levels throughout and colors have a good range from bright and cheerful showcasing the Paris streets, to the colder shots in the rain-soaked city, the crisp white snow landscape and finally the warmer limbo dream level. |
AUDIO – 5.0/5 |
| Unlike most of these re-releases on 4K, this includes the regular DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and while I’m certain an Atmos track would’ve taken it to the next level, this one still sounded fantastic providing clear dialogue coming mainly from the center channel and some incredible depth for the various action sequences not to mention the bass kicking into for that extra oomph shaking and rattling the floor and walls. |
OVERALL – 4.75/5 |
|
Overall, Inception might be my favorite Christopher Nolan film, or at least right there with The Dark Knight and Interstellar. The film features some well done performances and groundbreaking visual effects and storytelling that despite the eight years since its release, still holds up incredibly well. The 4K combo pack comes with a good selection of bonus features while the video/audio transfers were simply phenomenal. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.