The only people here who I've seen speak out against Inception is Jean and now Ben ^ Everyone else liked/loved it.
08-27-2014 10:39 AM
Jean
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather19
Quote:
Originally Posted by pablo
Interesting to see that Inception is leading. I thought people and critics didn't like it much?
I thought most people raved about it when it first came out.
yes, people did; it was bears who slept through it
08-27-2014 12:40 PM
Mattrick
Inception is a spectacle film, with little else there. It doesn't even explore the theme of what dreams are, it just utilises the idea of dreams for more spectacle. I loved it, liked it, didn't like it: order of my three viewings. I'm afraid if I watch it again I will outright hate it. Nolan's worst film.
08-27-2014 04:58 PM
Still Servant
I loved Inception. I enjoyed it just as much the second time. There's plenty to be inferred about dreams after watching the film. It's not actually discussed a whole lot, but it's there. Inception mixes so many different genres of filmmaking. At one point it feels like a Bond film at another point it's a heist film. I'm not sure how you can say there's little else there. Inception makes you question reality. What is real? Is it real just because it feels real and you think it's real? There's so much going on there I'm surprised you'd abandon the film after subsequent viewings.
"They say we only use a fraction of our brain's true potential. Now that's when we're awake. When we're asleep, we can do almost anything."
"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange. You never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on."
Those two quotes alone were enough to get my mind going.
It's certainly not Nolan's worst film in my opinion.
08-27-2014 05:22 PM
Mattrick
My dreams have beginning's and endings. Maybe Nolan just sucks at dreaming lol Subsequent viewings made me realise how little there is. Existenz and The Matrix are much better at asking 'what is reality?'. Inception explores dreamworlds but doesn't actually delve into what these dreamworlds are. The closest they came to was Limbo and even that was vague. Lucid Dreaming (which I do not believe is possible) takes people years of practise, concentration, meditation and trial and error for people to achieve lucid dreaming; it takes Ellen Paige six seconds to do it. It doesn't even respect the 'science' or processes that go into lucid dreaming. It's just a template for awesome special effects.
I think Insomnia tells a better story and actually has characterization while I can't even tell you who any of the characters in Inception are or who they are as people because they are cardboard incarnate.
08-27-2014 05:53 PM
Still Servant
You do realize this is a mainstream movie, a summer blockbuster if you will, meant to entertain, not an Indy French film, right? You just can't have long discussions about dream theory and you certainly can't spend a lot of time on Ellen Page learning to lucid dream
Also, like Nolan, I too don't have beginnings and endings to my dreams. I guess you're just special. Then again, I suppose I'm in good company.
Lastly, Existenz should never be put in the same sentence with The Matrix and Inception. Unless the sentence is, "Compared to The Matrix and Inception, Existenz is a steaming pile of cow dung."
08-27-2014 06:47 PM
Mattrick
Not saying Existenz is as good but it's themes are almost identical, including the multilayers of video games/dreams. There is no reason why Summer blockbusters can't be thematically heavy and a spectacle, hell, Nolan himself did it with his Batman films. Hell, Wall-E was a summer movie, District 9 too. I'm not saying they need to sit around and talk about everything but at least enlighten us a bit. Nolan has all this equipment that lock people into the same dreams where they can all lucid dream and go from one dream into another yet there isn't even a hint of explaining. Considering Nolan's number 1 crutch in his films is over-exposition, I find it odd how lacking in explaination the film is in just about every respect and what is explained is only explained by Gordon-Levitt. Saying 'it's a mainstream summertime movie' is submission, tapping out, you've given up on having any kind of thoughtful film from May through August. When you boil the movie down and cut out all the effects and action there is really very little plot and I see less plot each time I watch it :/ I don' t understand why
Spoiler:
Cobb just doesn't have his kids brought out to him since he's not allowed in the country, seems much easier
. I like my special effects to be the fries with my burger, not the burger. I asked my friend the other day to explain the characters and how they relate to each other in Inception to me. He just kind of shrugged and I said, 'That's why I like it less each time I watch it' lol.
08-27-2014 07:28 PM
Merlin1958
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattrick
Inception is a spectacle film, with little else there. It doesn't even explore the theme of what dreams are, it just utilises the idea of dreams for more spectacle. I loved it, liked it, didn't like it: order of my three viewings. I'm afraid if I watch it again I will outright hate it. Nolan's worst film.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Still Servant
I loved Inception. I enjoyed it just as much the second time. There's plenty to be inferred about dreams after watching the film. It's not actually discussed a whole lot, but it's there. Inception mixes so many different genres of filmmaking. At one point it feels like a Bond film at another point it's a heist film. I'm not sure how you can say there's little else there. Inception makes you question reality. What is real? Is it real just because it feels real and you think it's real? There's so much going on there I'm surprised you'd abandon the film after subsequent viewings.
"They say we only use a fraction of our brain's true potential. Now that's when we're awake. When we're asleep, we can do almost anything."
"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange. You never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on."
Those two quotes alone were enough to get my mind going.
It's certainly not Nolan's worst film in my opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattrick
My dreams have beginning's and endings. Maybe Nolan just sucks at dreaming lol Subsequent viewings made me realise how little there is. Existenz and The Matrix are much better at asking 'what is reality?'. Inception explores dreamworlds but doesn't actually delve into what these dreamworlds are. The closest they came to was Limbo and even that was vague. Lucid Dreaming (which I do not believe is possible) takes people years of practise, concentration, meditation and trial and error for people to achieve lucid dreaming; it takes Ellen Paige six seconds to do it. It doesn't even respect the 'science' or processes that go into lucid dreaming. It's just a template for awesome special effects.
I think Insomnia tells a better story and actually has characterization while I can't even tell you who any of the characters in Inception are or who they are as people because they are cardboard incarnate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Still Servant
You do realize this is a mainstream movie, a summer blockbuster if you will, meant to entertain, not an Indy French film, right? You just can't have long discussions about dream theory and you certainly can't spend a lot of time on Ellen Page learning to lucid dream
Also, like Nolan, I too don't have beginnings and endings to my dreams. I guess you're just special. Then again, I suppose I'm in good company.
Lastly, Existenz should never be put in the same sentence with The Matrix and Inception. Unless the sentence is, "Compared to The Matrix and Inception, Existenz is a steaming pile of cow dung."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattrick
Not saying Existenz is as good but it's themes are almost identical, including the multilayers of video games/dreams. There is no reason why Summer blockbusters can't be thematically heavy and a spectacle, hell, Nolan himself did it with his Batman films. Hell, Wall-E was a summer movie, District 9 too. I'm not saying they need to sit around and talk about everything but at least enlighten us a bit. Nolan has all this equipment that lock people into the same dreams where they can all lucid dream and go from one dream into another yet there isn't even a hint of explaining. Considering Nolan's number 1 crutch in his films is over-exposition, I find it odd how lacking in explaination the film is in just about every respect and what is explained is only explained by Gordon-Levitt. Saying 'it's a mainstream summertime movie' is submission, tapping out, you've given up on having any kind of thoughtful film from May through August. When you boil the movie down and cut out all the effects and action there is really very little plot and I see less plot each time I watch it :/ I don' t understand why
Spoiler:
Cobb just doesn't have his kids brought out to him since he's not allowed in the country, seems much easier
. I like my special effects to be the fries with my burger, not the burger. I asked my friend the other day to explain the characters and how they relate to each other in Inception to me. He just kind of shrugged and I said, 'That's why I like it less each time I watch it' lol.
You guys really need to get a room. This discussion is way off the beaten path. Way off!!! Let me know how it eventually comes out (Not). lol
08-27-2014 07:57 PM
mae
I'm enjoying it.
08-27-2014 08:23 PM
Mattrick
We're dicussing the film that is currently leading. I'd say we're right on the beaten path lol. Nothing wrong with some friendly debate.
08-28-2014 07:39 AM
Ricky
Quote:
Originally Posted by Still Servant
You just can't have long discussions about dream theory and you certainly can't spend a lot of time on Ellen Page learning to lucid dream
:rofl:
Also, I don't believe I have beginnings to my dreams either. They just start wherever they feel like it. I think my dream self knows where they began but, as the dreamer, I don't know.
08-28-2014 08:23 AM
fernandito
If there's one criticism leveled at Nolan it's that the characters in his films are usually just cyphers in his intellectual puzzles. Faces of a rubix cube, if you will.
In Inception's case that's not a problem because the film itself is structured like a puzzle. The cyphers exist in service to the story and theme(s). Like Mike mentioned, Inception is at its core a blockbuster. What that means is that the ratio of grand spectacle to lengthy exposition will be tipped in favor of the former. In the same way you wouldn't expect visual heavy set pieces from a 'French indie film', you'll be hard pressed to find sumptuous dialogue in a big budget film, it's simply the nature of things.
Matt tbh I'm a little surprised to hear you say that you found nothing on repeated viewings. I've always taken you as someone that can easily detect things not viewable from the surface...or is this one of those times you're being a contrarian on purpose? Lol. There is a shitload of things to discover upon repeated viewings. Some of them blunt, others are cleverly embedded
Spoiler:
when Cobb is running from those two Cobol agents and he gets stuck between those two buildings, making you question if it really is a dream or not. Genius.
To me, Inception isn't so much about the nature of reality, but whether it ultimately matters in the end if you're happy. One of Nolan's favorite themes to explore is the notion of people ignoring the facts or outright lying to themselves safeguard their fragile sense of happiness (see Memento).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattrick
I asked my friend the other day to explain the characters and how they relate to each other in Inception to me. He just kind of shrugged and I said, 'That's why I like it less each time I watch it' lol.
Get better friends.
08-28-2014 09:57 AM
divemaster
I could have easily voted for Inception and The Road Warrior and E.T. as very good to outstanding SF films. But my votes went to Robocop and Avatar.
08-29-2014 05:46 AM
pathoftheturtle
Much about the future society surrounding Inception is left to viewers' imaginations. Doesn't make me like it any less.