Inception (2010)

I've seen a lot of movies. Over the better part of a decade, I went to the theater 1 to 3 times a week. Couple this with all the titles I bought that didn't go to the theater, and I can't even guess how many I've watched.

As someone who enjoys this art form, I often get the question of what my 'favorite' movie is. I always struggled to answer that. There are many I can watch over and over. Tons that I have a great time revisiting. But finally, after all this time, I can finally call out a favorite.

Inception came after Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The first time I saw it in IMAX was incredible. I went three more times after that. I can't even guess how many times I've seen it since I bought it.

Everything about Inception worked for me. The subject matter, the actors, the way the story was told...it was genius. You can see the influence of the Batman movies, how Nolan put this together. You can sense his work from Memento. It's an excellent science fiction adventure with depth.

Fortunately, it was a critical and box office success as well, proving that something mostly unique could still be made. It's got heart, emotion...it moves, never once feeling like a two and a half hour long experience.

I'm not a huge fan of Hans Zimmer but the soundtrack for this one is spot on. If I was still in my 'buy soundtrack' phase, I'd have this one for sure. It's got some fantastic cues. Great work all around.

Then there's the actors. Tom Hardy nearly steals the show. Joseph Gordon Levitt's best role. All the supporting actors help established this shared space, this incredible world. Their commitment sells it perfectly.

Much like John Wick, they ensure you feel like this is a fully realized alternate world. Unlike Wick though, they didn't bank on it with sequels, pushing to dive deeper. You still only get the peripheral edges, just what you need to understand the story and no more.

So many movies could've learned from this (The Matrix didn't need two sequels).

If you have not seen Inception, you need to take the time to do so. Immediately in fact. If you have, revisit it. You'll find it's worth the trouble. It was such an impact, it gets referenced in other mediums. (30 Rock: No I never fly. I don't want to be incepted).

Anyway, Inception is probably my favorite movie.

Rating: 5 out of 5