Funny how things come full circle at times. Some friends rented this movie and I watched it with them last night. I should say I'm not big on films, and I had seen zero previews only knowing that Inception was a more recent movie.
Honestly, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. To start, I felt that it plodded along, spent way too much on slow down, back and forth, and pointless scenes to display cool seeming special effects. Also, I had zero idea what the movie was about going in, and the first part annoyed me as it felt a bunch was shoved on you with no rhyme or reason.
Such a long movie too. Character development was nil, heck they never really explain what they are doing, or why they are doing it, or even what inception is until well in the movie. Though after the first part, it was clear they were dealing with lucid dreaming. If I saw the previews or hype this likely would not have been an issue, but personally, wide exposure or not, I feel it's a poor idea to assume your viewers know the premise that is explained in previews. I also love how little characters question things and drop from one topic into another in a very unnatural flow of conversation. Like when the main character's father recommends, I can only assume a colleague of his based on the scenery of a busy college hallway, to help main character pull off the job. The scene where she questions the need for a test, and main characters response that the job isn't exactly legal. then straight into drawing a maze that's solvable in a minute with just two to draw it. There is little given about characters, and it takes a while of spoon feeding to get to explaining or showing things you've likely already figured out. Thankfully the actors did a good job with giving the characters personality, but the lack of character development or background killed much of any reason to care or associate with the characters. Though, the main character gets a billion monologues and repeated scenes that don't add much to his background after a point.
The heavy usage of the one symbol, anyone who's seen the movie knows what I'm talking about, felt like a, "I'm so clever and cool for thinking this up" type thing from the writer(s) and/or producer. I hate when they make sure to shove something in your face a billion times, assuming you need anywhere near a billion to understand what they are getting at. Making the top thing slightly warble at the end as it faded to credits was a bit nauseating for me.
But down to the core of what Inception of about, and what prompted me to remember having briefly passed through this place some months ago. I called shenanigans on feeling pain in dreams to my friends. I should say, I never was the norm with dreams. Over the years I've come to find out my typical dreams are the types a lot actually focus on experiencing, or no where near like many others experiences. For years I erroneously believed that lucidity in dreams signified a very realistic seeming dream and nothing more, and never looked into if further.
I found out from both of my friends last night, they actually do feel appropriate pains in dreams. However, I've been stabbed in many dreams and even died, but only an odd 'numb' sensation that varies with what accompanies the action that would normally bring pain. In the case of death it usually signals the start of a different dream, but sometimes I can take on a new existence in the dream I died in.
Of course, I usually (always?) have some level of lucidity in my dreams, it varies, but if I've had a dream that I was not at least aware I was dreaming at some point during it, it would have had to happen before elementary school. My favorite ones are the very out there ones, the ones that you get to do all sorts of fun things with physics and such. So long as I can remember, I can fly in all of my dreams, but it varies how I am able to do so from dream to dream.
I still remember the dream that I learned how to end or 'change dreams' I had sometime in my elementary days. Ever since I've always had no worries in dreams, because well, when you are aware you are dreaming, what does it matter?
Back on topic though, while I don't feel Inception was a great movie, or one I'd ever recommend, I can say one great thing about it. It reminded me about a subject I had only more recently learned of, and well, dreams have always been a fascination of mine, period. Inception brought me back to looking further into lucid dreaming, and hence, it brought me back here, this time to post on the forums.
Lastly, I can say not much of the premise of lucid dreaming portrayed in the movie matched my own experiences. It is very likely this added to my somewhat negative view on the movie. Also, I like something a little more engaging than watching a movie generally, and half way in on Inception, I was doing my best to patiently wait it out til the end. I sure had to complain a bit when the credits rolled though.
I know it sounds like I'm blasting the movie, and really my opinion on movies won't mean much to most. Honestly, if it was half as long as it was and moved things in an actual direction in the time used up by drawn out scenes, special effect bonanzas, or leading up to an awkwardly timed joke (and maybe used that time to make the characters feel more 'real') , it would have likely enjoyed it.
|
|
Bookmarks