Will there be an 'Inception' backlash before the movie even opens?

I've been getting the feeling lately that Hollywood movies are finally driving our nation's embattled film critics completely crazy. Reviewers are either full of vitriol and indignation -- as they were with recent films such as "The Last Airbender" and "Killers," which received almost unanimously contemptuous thumbs-down reviews -- or they're in a frenzy of awe and adoration, as is clearly the case with the early reviews for Chris Nolan's "Inception," which currently has a perfect 100 at Rotten Tomatoes, based on a batch of raves from early screenings of the film, 

The critics are so over the top about the film that I thought it would be fun to start keeping track of the most wildly overblown, hilariously highbrow claims for the film, which opens July 16. (If you spot one before I do, please share.) First up is Justin Chang's wide-eyed review of the film in Variety, which not only calls the Nolan film "commandingly clever" but compares the look of one sequence to Magritte and M.C. Escher, while also theorizing that the film contains an homage to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

As if that weren't enough, Chang also makes the claim that having applied "a vivid sense of procedural detail to a fiendishly intricate yarn set in the labyrinth of the subconscious, the writer-director has devised a heist thriller for surrealists, a Jungian's 'Rififi,' that challenges viewers to sift through multiple layers of (un)reality."

Hey, isn't that just what you'd tell your friends to get them to see a movie? Come on, guys -- this one's not a Freudian's "Topkapi"! This one's a real Jungian's 'Rififi'!" I don't know about you, but I may have almost thrown out my back trying to bear the weight of all those pretentious references in a single sentence.

When the critics start building a film up like this, it only inspires other critics to assert their independence from the overwhelming groupthink by taking pot shots at the movie sooner rather than later. At this rate, the "Inception" backlash could begin before the film even plays Peoria.

Photo: Christopher Nolan, left, with Leonardo DiCaprio on the set of "Inception." Credit: Stephen Vaughan / Warner Bros. Pictures

Comments

[ww]

patrick, you are out of touch. this film has great buzz. its the critics themselves who should be worried.

[Joshua]

This is why I read what you write about movies. Hope your back is fine and please keep up the fantastic work of keeping your head out of your own... yeah.

[Sam]

"which not only calls the Nolan film "commandingly clever" but compares the look of one sequence to Magritte and M.C. Escher, while also theorizing that the film contains an homage to "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Are any of these things far fetched?

[Fabrisse]

I know that Inception was the only "must see" movie of the summer for me based on the trailers. As far as the Escher and Magritte references, those visuals are in the trailer as well and logical to pursue in a review.

[Marya]

I think a reference like "This one's a real Jungian's 'Rififi'!" " is exactly the kind of thing to say to my movie friends when it comes to a film we all expect to be amazing.

maybe it goes over the head of your everyday movie viewer, but as I see it, the film probably will too.

Not every film needs to be created for the same crowd that liked "Grown Ups" nor does it need to be reviewed at that same level of intelligence.

[Sterling W.]

Good for Chang if he was able to make so many connections while he watched the movie. I'm sure it made the viewing all the more enjoyable.

Who are you to mock his observations?

[Heisenberg]

What's wrong with a film for intelligent people? I can't wait to see this.

[Jon]

I love On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's certainly the most underrated and unjustly overlooked of the Bond films. Bring on the homage!

[Terrence]

Just wait..Armond White will crap on this movie like he did Toy Story 3. Any movie he craps on is definitely a great one.

[Dirk]

That's what is great about the Rotten Tomatoes site. It's an average of LOTS of different critics, be they print, TV or web. The 'cream of the crop', plus the little guy running an obscure movie review site on the internet.

So if lots of them like 'Inception', so be it. The RT rating has kept me from many a movie, but it has also made me check out films I didn't think I'd enjoy.