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INCEPTIONMovie Reviews
Science fiction thriller about a thief who has the ability to steal people's ideas by entering their dreams, but must now plant an idea in someone's subconscious in order to redeem himself. Cast:Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Caine, Lukas HaasDirector:Christopher NolanRelease Date:July 16, 2010DVD Release:December 7, 2010From:Warner Bros.Rating:PG-13Length:2 hr 28 min
Inception played to excellent reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Amy Biancolli wrote in the Houston Chronicle, "...spellbinding. Transporting. Damn-near indescribable." • And John Anderson wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "...we don't know where we are most of the time. And we profoundly do not care.... Mr. Nolan deprives us the opportunity of investing emotionally in any of it." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...could well be the summer's smartest film -- and surely is the one you'll fight about most.... succeeds in planting ideas deep in our minds."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 176 words, 07/15/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a stunningly gorgeous, technically flawless symphony of images and ideas with awesomeness, ambition and scope.... one of the year's best..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 877 words, 07/15/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...dazzling... as startlingly original as 'The Matrix' -- and just as visually astonishing.... begins with the familiar and then takes a radical, imaginative leap."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 07/15/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...engrossing and logic-resistant... audacious... dazzling and buzzy.... as brainiacally engaging as the movie is, 'Inception's' emotions beat with a much fainter pulse."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 698 words, 07/16/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart, taut, and does not reward indolence.... a very good film that involves the intellect while at the same time not ignoring the visceral."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,200 words, 07/15/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...mind-blowing... In this wildly ingenious chess game, grandmaster Nolan plants ideas in our heads that disturb and dazzle. The result is a knockout."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 06/18/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it's refreshing to find a director who makes us stretch, even occasionally struggle, to keep up.... so clever and intricately structured it may require repeat viewings."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 443 words, 07/15/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a perplexing labyrinth without a simple through-line, and is sure to inspire truly endless analysis... It is wholly original, cut from new cloth..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,150 words, 07/15/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...though there is a lot to see in 'Inception,' there is nothing that counts as genuine vision. Mr. Nolan's idea of the mind is too literal, too logical, too rule-bound..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,258 words, 07/16/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...tremendously exciting... a popular entertainment with a knockout punch so intense and unnerving it'll have you worrying if it's safe to close your eyes at night."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,148 words, 07/16/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "DiCaprio, who has never been better as the tortured hero, draws you in with a love story that will appeal even to non-sci-fi fans."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 07/16/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a perplexing labyrinth without a simple through-line, and is sure to inspire truly endless analysis... It is wholly original, cut from new cloth..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,150 words, 07/15/10
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Nolan either can't articulate or doesn't believe in a distinction between living feelings and dreams... his barren 'Inception' doesn't capture much of either."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 860 words, 07/14/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "At first, it left me cold, feeling as if I'd just eavesdropped on somebody's bad acid trip. Now I find I can't get the film out of my mind..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 972 words, 07/16/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "This is a cheat. Since the movie has abandoned even the pretense of realism, then I've lost any reason to believe and, with it, any motive to care.' "(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 973 words, 07/16/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Trata al espectador como un ser maduro e inteligente, proponiéndole un juego donde realidad y sueños se entremezclan con inusual brillantez."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 548 words, 07/16/10
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it's the story's most recognizable human struggles -- to let go, forgive and move on -- that make 'Inception' worth puzzling over..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 928 words, 07/15/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) " 'Wait, whose subconscious are we going into?' asks Ariadne at one especially critical juncture. Good question. But, alas, the answer is 'who cares?' "(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 740 words, 07/16/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...spellbinding. Transporting. Damn-near indescribable.... a spelunking trip through the cavernous human psyche."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 604 words, 07/16/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a fairly conventional heist picture wrapped in a dream... makes for a dazzling Matrix-maze that doesn't leave a lot of emotional residue..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 702 words, 07/16/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an audacious, enigmatic heist thriller that journeys to the deepest corners of the subconscious.... surely the most ambitious psychological thriller ever..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 251 words, 07/16/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a stunning movie, the kind of thing we haven't seen before, the kind of thing so ambitious and creative you wonder when, or if, we'll see it again."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 787 words, 07/16/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...lifts you off the ground and throttles your sense of stability... you may feel a little punch drunk as you look for your feet on the floor."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 873 words, 07/16/10
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...weighs nothing... You feel the movie gliding, floating forward or down, but the depths feel only directional, never psychological."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 854 words, 07/15/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nolan knows how to tell stories that insert us right into the heat of the scenes. We're there sharing the experience... scared, excited, wide-eyed. It all seems so real."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 07/16/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an action picture with truly stupendous sequences in sometimes mind-bending settings... a deeply felt work of art in the form of a big, brassy movie-movie."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,235 words, 07/16/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a blaring reminder that cheap tricks can't compensate for personal investment.... When nothing is real, there's nothing to get hung up on -- and nothing to care about."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 07/16/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a sensory and intellectual overload from start to finish, a brawny, brainy summer movie that may infuriate as many viewers as it enraptures."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 07/15/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the most daring and original blockbuster of the year, as well as a visual tour de force. If it only had a heart."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 07/16/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...filled with grand, astonishing sights and small, ingenious bits... Here, finally, is something you've really never seen before."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 07/16/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Nolan either can't articulate or doesn't believe in a distinction between living feelings and dreams... his barren 'Inception' doesn't capture much of either."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 860 words, 07/14/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...give the director credit -- nobody else I know of has parallel-edited sequences taking place simultaneously in three (four? five?) different levels of consciousness."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 07/15/10
Scott Tobias, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...ambitious, mostly dazzling... a metaphysical heist picture, staged in worlds on top of worlds like nothing since 'Synecdoche, New York'..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 381 words, 07/14/10
Todd Gilchrist, Cinematical: OUTSTANDING "...suffice to say without considering it exaggeration or unsupported hyperbole that 'Inception' is nothing short of a stunning, spectacular, visionary achievement."(See all of Todd Gilchrist's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,759 words, 07/05/10
Nick Schager, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...spends so much time explaining the rules of its narrative conceit that it fails to either emotionally engage or, except in a few notable spots, viscerally thrill."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,298 words, 07/14/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "Nolan puts the mystification to work for him. His protagonists may not succeed, but some kind of enlightenment always comes at the end."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 745 words, 07/16/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "If there's one major flaw here, it's that 'Inception' is more satisfying on an intellectual level than on an emotional one. Not that I'm really complaining about that..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 912 words, 07/13/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...we don't know where we are most of the time. And we profoundly do not care.... Mr. Nolan deprives us the opportunity of investing emotionally in any of it."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 07/16/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...though there is a lot to see in 'Inception,' there is nothing that counts as genuine vision. Mr. Nolan's idea of the mind is too literal, too logical, too rule-bound..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,258 words, 07/16/10
David Denby, New Yorker: FAIR "...an astonishment, an engineering feat, and, finally, a folly.... a science-fiction thriller that exploits dreams as a vehicle for doubling and redoubling action sequences."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,477 words, 07/19/10
David Edelstein, NPR Fresh Air: WEAK "...a clunky mix-'n'-match of other mind-bending blockbusters... It's not terrible -- just lumbering and humorless and pretentious, with a drag of a hero."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 335 seconds, 07/16/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...tremendously exciting... a popular entertainment with a knockout punch so intense and unnerving it'll have you worrying if it's safe to close your eyes at night."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,148 words, 07/16/10
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD "The problem is that the emotional stakes are consistently too low... It's a shame that 'Inception's' visual sophistication so far outstrips its emotional savvy."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,079 words, 07/14/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "...easily the most original movie idea in ages.... Sometimes originality comes at a cost though: At the end, you may find yourself utterly exhausted."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 909 words, 07/05/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...tremendously exciting... a popular entertainment with a knockout punch so intense and unnerving it'll have you worrying if it's safe to close your eyes at night."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,148 words, 07/16/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Christopher Nolan continues to demonstrate that he is one of the most audacious, inventive, and original filmmakers working in Hollywood today."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,722 words, 07/08/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD "...though there is a lot to see in 'Inception,' there is nothing that counts as genuine vision. Mr. Nolan's idea of the mind is too literal, too logical, too rule-bound..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,258 words, 07/16/10
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...we don't know where we are most of the time. And we profoundly do not care.... Mr. Nolan deprives us the opportunity of investing emotionally in any of it."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 07/16/10
23.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Inception's reviews are separated by an average 23.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Inception (53 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Inception's reviews cover 99.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 42,492 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 802 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 46.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Inception's reviews on average broke 46.3 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Inception's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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