8.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Dom Cobb is a professional thief with a difference: the spoils he goes after are not material objects but the thoughts, dreams and secrets buried in the minds of other people. This rare talent has cost him dear, rendering him a solitary fugitive stripped of everything he ever really cared about. When he is offered a chance for redemption by reversing the process and planting an idea rather than stealing it, he and his team of specialists find themselves pitted against a dangerous enemy that appears to pre-empt their every move.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Ken WatanabeAction | 100% |
Adventure | 98% |
Sci-Fi | 76% |
Epic | 70% |
Thriller | 59% |
Crime | 44% |
Mystery | 27% |
Heist | 21% |
Surreal | 20% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
There is a small, militant camp of malcontents who despise everything Christopher Nolan has ever committed to film, and their numbers only seem to grow as countless critics and the movie-going masses at large declare him to be one of modern cinema's greatest visionaries. They see Memento as pretentious, arthouse drivel; Batman Begins as a serviceable but unspectacular foray into comicbook adaptations; Insomnia as bland and uneventful; The Prestige as an over-scripted mess with three twists too many; and The Dark Knight as an overblown, over-hyped cash-in that doesn't deserve the accolades it's received. To them, Nolan's latest buzz-earner, Inception, is either a dull, confounding, over-plotted misfire or a convoluted, self-important, superficial brain-bender. My apologies if you're one of these disgruntled few... I can't come out and play today. I've long been one of the masses, willingly drinking more and more of Nolan's Kool Aid with each passing film. As far as I'm concerned, Inception not only stands as the pinnacle of a master filmmaker's canon, but as a cerebral masterpiece in its own right; one that's far and away my favorite film of 2010, and a strong contender for my favorite film of all time. And believe me, that isn't the sort of statement I ever make lightly.
"You create the world of the dream. We bring the subject into that dream and fill it with their subconscious."
If you were one of the outspoken few who despised The Dark Knight's Blu-ray transfer -- those who, like me, still complain about its overcooked contrast, crushed blacks, overzealous edge enhancement, unsightly ringing and shifting aspect ratio -- prepare to breathe a well-deserved sigh of relief. Inception's 1080p/VC-1 encode isn't the year's be-all, end-all video presentation, but it comes so close to perfection that it was all too easy to overlook its minor issues and descend, undistracted, into Nolan's mesmerizing dreamscape. Although faces occasionally appear a tad overheated, Inception's unassuming interiors, wind-swept city streets, lush parks, warm hotel hallways, stormy beaches and icy military bunkers are brimming with bold, beautiful colors, rich blacks, (generally) lifelike skintones and striking contrast leveling. Likewise, while slight ringing rears its head throughout the film -- most, if not all, of which appeared in the film's theatrical presentation as well -- detail is crisp, clean and organic, fine textures are exceedingly well resolved, object definition is sharp and satisfying, and most every aspect of Nolan's intricate world is given ample opportunity to shine. On the technical front, artifacting, noise, smearing, aliasing, crush, banding and other obnoxious compression anomalies are either non-existent or kept to an absolute minimum, and the transfer is as proficient as they come. Perfect? Not quite. A perfect representation of the film's theatrical presentation? As someone who watched Inception several times on the big screen, I'd say so. Negligible issues notwithstanding, Nolan disciples, head-scratching newcomers and, really, filmfans and videophiles of all stripes will be most pleased.
Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is, by my estimation, one of the best -- if not the best -- lossless audio mixes of the year. Powerful, engaging, resonant, immersive, overwhelming... all applicable adjectives, all wholly inadequate when describing the sonic stunner that awaits listeners. LFE output is robust and rewarding, fully embracing every tumbling van, falling elevator, devastating explosion, collapsing building, burst of gunfire, and hair-raising crescendo and brassy bellow in Hans Zimmer's score. The rear speakers are just as involving, granting Nolan's world all the nuance and activity it requires. Interior acoustics and environmental ambience, whether real or surreal, are given the support of the entire soundfield, and directionality is as convincing as it is precise. Through it all, dialogue remains undeterred, and the actors' lines, whether shouted or whispered, are never lost in the mind-bending madness. Voices dwell and thrive within the mix (yet never succumb to its ground-shaking force), effects are crystal clear, and prioritization is spot on. In fact, I don't have a single gripe to share. To put it mildly, Inception sounds utterly fantastic.
The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Inception spreads Nolan's supplemental content across two BD-50 discs, and includes both a standard DVD and Digital Copy of the film. Unfortunately, the special features aren't nearly as exhaustive as I had hoped. Warner's Extraction Mode offers 45-minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes alongside the film, but without an audio commentary, Maximum Movie Mode or Picture-in-Picture track, the Extraction experience doesn't cover enough ground. Enthusiasts clamoring for a frame-by-frame deconstruction of Inception will be disappointed, particularly once they realize Warner's two discs only offer two-and-a-half hours of material to dig through (forty minutes of which involves an audio-only presentation of Hans Zimmer's score). Even so, the content on hand is high-quality stuff, and most fans will walk away fairly satisfied.
Not everyone will fawn over Inception. Some will call it pretentious, others will call its junk-science a deal breaker. Still others will see it as further proof that Christopher Nolan isn't the grand auteur so many believe him to be. However, there aren't many films like Inception -- strike that, there aren't any films like Inception -- and those who yield to its surreal, multi-layered dreamscape, arresting complexities, sprawling set pieces, jaw-dropping special effects and visual wonders will be left in stunned silence. As I see it, Nolan's trippy head-game is cinema in its purest form -- bold, inventive and daring -- and I was completely swept away by its story, momentum and intensity. Better still, Warner's Blu-ray edition is a must-own release. Its supplemental package is a bit lighter than I expected (despite the presence of an In-Movie experience and a second disc of special features, Inception only offers an hour of true behind-the-scenes material), but its video transfer and DTS-HD Master Audio track are both outstanding. Be sure to add this one to your collection as soon as possible.
Movie-Only
2010
Shooting Script
2010
2010
Briefcase Gift Set
2010
2010
2010
2010
Repackage
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
Iconic Moments
2010
2010
2008
2012
1999
2020
2003
+BD with the 3 versions
1991
1990
2005
2003
2011
2015
20th Anniversary Edition
1997
2010
2005
2009
Extended Edition
2013
2012
2015
2004
2001