As a Christopher Nolan film that didn't have Batman in it, I was expecting big things. Nolan is a director who can come up with really cool concepts, and use them to make really cool films. Thanks to his Batman success he had been entrusted with a much larger budget to put behind one of his ideas. You can see where the money has gone. His interesting ideas are perfectly visualised on screen, there are a lot of really cool visual moments.

The issue with Inception is the idea itself. The film is not half as clever as it thinks it is, and there are a lot of little niggles and plot holes that have to be glossed over in order for the film to hold together at all. Only two characters get any real development at all, the rest are there only for the various reasons that the plot needs them there for. Hardy is enjoyable, and Levitt has a few good moments, but in general these side characters aren't engaging at all.

I must say, I loved the ending, and found it quite challenging. It was really the only time the film actually made me properly think in an interested way rather than an annoyed or confused way.

Compare this to other blockbusters, it has to be commended for at least an attempt at an interesting concept and trying to make you think. I don't think it's particularly successful at either. Compare this to Memento, and it's clear Memento is the better film, with a more interesting plot and more rousing feel.