INCEPTION should be called DECEPTION

The run away summer movie blockbuster is Christopher Nolan's "INCEPTION". I saw it a few days ago.

The basic story line given by Warner Brothers is this:

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Now before I say what I thought of the movie, I will say Christopher Nolan is a movie-making genius. His work on the new Batman installments and a few other recent flicks have established him as a big-time up and coming director. Still, Inception was a two hour exercise in visual and mental manipulation. LOTS of people like such a thing, but not me.

The movie had such a positive buzz I was sure I wouldn't be disappointed. All sorts of "smart" people were saying how great it was. As I watched the movie I had trouble following it...no...I was lost pretty soon after the thing started. I understood the concept of getting in to people's heads and planting thoughts (I think), but the movie didn't play out in a way that made the premise in any way believable. I kept thinking to myself, "Why can't I understand this? Am I stupid? Why does everyone else get it? " Then I thought of the friends and acquaintances who were giving two thumbs up and I realized most were of the "Matrix is the greatest movie ever" ilk. But I "got" that film (the first one anyways)...comprehending Inception was a different story for me. About 45 minutes in I would have been happy to see NEO come and shoot everyone up and end the thing.

Bottom line about Inception- Little of it made any rational sense or was in any way realistically coherent. Total manipulation from start to finish. Every once and a while they'd throw a little something you would "get" leading you to think you're not as stupid as you feel and they're total cinematic geniuses...only to throw it all away with the dumb ending. People who say they understood INCEPTION are probably lying because they think cool, smart, hip people should get it.

It's totally uncool to say what I'm saying. Cool people understood Inception, right? I'm sure Steve Jobs totally tracked with Inception. I don't expect anyone to comment in favor of my analysis, but secretly- and you know who you are- this blog post makes many of you feel better because you didn't "get" Inception either.

Now where'd I put my Dumb and Dumber DVD? Oh, there it is...under the Nacho Libre disk...