Inceptionwas a phenomenal movie about a fascinating subject, but there was a lot more potential for the movie which was highlighted inside the story. Christopher Nolan is a wonderful storyteller, who puts his heart and soul into each project, refining them over years, and then sweeping a whole host of awards with each new release. And among his wonderful successes,Inceptionstands out as one of the movies that really put him on the map in the main stream.

However, despite theincredible imagination ofInception, there are flaws in the film that could have been enhanced. This is, of course, speculative, and opinion based, asChristopher Nolan is a visionary, and the project he set out to make came together beautifully. Indeed, it even had some of the most creative and imaginative shots in modern film history as worlds folded in on themselves, but there are elements that would have made this film about dreaming into an even more immersive and satisfying experience.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb holding a gun and the spinning top from Inception

Inception Never Dreams Big Enough Despite Limitless Story Potential

Inceptionis a movie that is about people implanting themselves into other people’s dreams, playing with their subconscious, and trying to either retrieve information, or, as seen in the premise of the film, implant new ideas. So, it’s afilm that is all about dreams. But, despite the fact that these characters step into the deepest recesses of peoples minds, their adventures are typically incredibly mundane. There is some skiing on slopes, and abseiling down a building, but a lot of their time is spent in spaces that appear to perfectly resemble the real world.

The issue is, dreams are rarely so mundane. People can fly to the sun, or dive to the depths of the ocean. A dream could see someone chased by a witch, or piloting a hot air balloon. There is limitless potential in dreams, and thus,Inceptionhad an infinite number of possibilities and ideas to play with for this mind-bending movie. However, theend result appears more like a spy thriller, and it ultimately feels as though the story could have “dream[ed] a little bigger,” as suggested byTom Hardy’s Eames, before he pulls out a massive weapon to ward off the security that threatens to put a stop to their mission.

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A Different Movie About Shared Dreams Dreamed Bigger Than Inception

Movies About Dream Hopping Have Big Potential

Of course,Inceptionwas always intended to look and feel like a thrilling espionage story which intersects with the human mind, but it did feel like a missed opportunity to not be more playful in its approach. Especially when considering how well-received scenes where reality and the laws of physics were disregarded. By far, some of the best scenes in the movie involve Cobb and Ariadne walking through a city as it folds around them and reshapes before their eyes. ButInceptionlacked this kind of imaginationwhere other movies, likePaprika, did not.

Paprikacame out four years beforeInceptionto a Japanese audience, before being translated and distributed by Sony Pictures for a wider English release. The film features a similar plot, as a research psychologist tries to track down a dream terrorist who uses new technology to enter the world of others' dreams. Over time, with prolonged exposure, serious effects arise, and the game of cat and mouse delivers something similar to the thrill ofInception, but itexplores dreams and their endless potentialin a much more fluid and interesting way.

Inception’s Well-Behaved World Was Part Of The Christopher Nolan Movie’s Charm

Christopher Nolan Has A Very Specific Style In His Movies

There is a huge distinction between anime, and animated films as a whole, and live action. And even still, there is a much wider gap between the worlds of anime and a Nolan film. Even when the director tackled Batman, everything was grounded, gritty, and real, with the fantasy elements of the character and his rivals absent. Ultimately, Nolan uses these rules, and therhythm that is created in his stories, to create something that is uniquely his, and that can be felt as the movie unfolds.

Inception Ending Explained - Is Cobb Still Dreaming?

Inception’s ending sees Cobb walking away after pulling out his totem, but whether the top ever stopped spinning may not be as important as it seemed.

Despite endless possibilities, Nolan’s world-building starts with finding a sure and solid foundation upon which to build. Things are planned out meticulously, as they are in Inception itself, as the director incepts his own sensibilities into the work. Theworld ofInceptionmay not feel endless or limitlessin terms of its potential, but the story that was delivered feels complete, with the focus zoomed all the way in on the details that he views as the most important. This created something unique, and very worthy of the accolades it received inInception.

Inception

Cast

Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.