If you were paying attention between the weekend's barbecues, you probably noticed a trickle, and then a flood, of reviews for Christopher Nolan's Inception. Unsurprisingly, they were uniformly raves -- more restrained ones from the trades; full-on geek-outs from the blogs. It's looking like the quality summer smash everyone hoped for and expected from one of big Hollywood's smartest and most ambitious filmmakers.

This is a huge relief, since Inception was our last, best hope for a terrific summer flick for adults. I'm as big a fan of Toy Story 3 as anyone -- bigger than most -- but even I was holding out for something a bit meatier. (Splice fit the bill for me, actually, but it obviously didn't even make a dent in the zeitgeist.) It looks like we have it.

The spoiler-wary will probably want to avoid the full reviews, but below the fold I've compiled some excerpts that give you a taste while preserving the film's secrets. Start the countdown, nerds! We've got something to be (unironically) excited about.


Cinematical: "Ultimately, Nolan's is probably not the kind of movie that should be written about after just one viewing, and shouldn't be viewed even once with any preconceptions or expectations, sky-high as I may have made them for folks who read this far.... But in the interim, and hopefully without providing too many specifics, it will nevertheless suffice to say without considering it exaggeration or unsupported hyperbole that Inception is nothing short of a stunning, spectacular, visionary achievement."

Variety: "Availing himself of the resources that come with a studio's confidence, Nolan places mind-bending visual effects and a top-flight cast in service of a boldly cerebral vision that demands, and rewards, the utmost attention. Even when its ambition occasionally outstrips its execution, "Inception" tosses off more ideas and fires on more cylinders than most blockbusters would have the nerve to attempt." [Ed.: Which. incidentally, is precisely why I'm so excited about this movie, and each of Nolan's projects -- the fact that he dares to be cerebral, and occasionally opaque, on hundred-plus-million-dollar budgets.]

The Hollywood Reporter: " Following up on such ingenious and intriguing films as "The Dark Knight" and "Memento," Nolan has outdone himself. "Inception" puts him not only at the top of the heap of sci-fi all-stars, but it also should put this Warner Bros. release near or at the top of the summer movies. It's very hard to see how a film that plays so winningly to so many demographics would not be a worldwide hit."

Anne Thompson: "As intricate as the script is-Nolan worked on it for a decade-the movie is not just a feat of cinematic wizardry, even though it comes close to the level of technological derring-do carried off by the likes of Stanley Kubrick.... The movie also has heart."

Devin Faraci: "Inception is a masterpiece. Making a huge film with big ambitions, Christopher Nolan never missteps and manages to create a movie that, at times, feels like a miracle. And sometimes it doesn't even feel like a movie; while presented in woefully retro 2D, Inception creates a complete sense of immersion in another world. The screen before you is just another layer of the dream."

Ain't It Cool: "What's most exciting about Inception is that it finds Nolan peaking as a visual artist; he's using the extravagantly cinematic tropes of other genres to connect with the viewer intellectually. With Inception, Nolan joins the company of Coppola, Lean and not too many others as a filmmaker who treats the big canvas with the respect it deserves - but with the steely verve of a chess player who can see dozens of moves ahead."

Ebert: "If Nolan's Inception is even half as good as Anne Thompson says it is, I'll be gob-smacked." [Ed.: Thanks for the splash of cold water, Rog.]