First Inception Review From Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers

Posted on Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 11:30 am by George

The New York Post is reporting that the new issue of Rolling Stone features the first review of Inception. Although the review by Peter Travers has yet to reach the magazine’s website, the New York Post provides an excerpt from the 3.5/4 star review:

The mind-blowing movie event of the summer arrives just in time to hold back the flow of Hollywood sputum that’s been sliming the multiplex. ‘Inception’…will be called many things, starting with James Bond Meets ‘The Matrix.’ You can feel the vibe of Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’ in it, and Nolan’s own ‘Memento’ and ‘The Dark Knight.’ But ‘Inception’ glows with a blue-flame intensity all its own. Nolan creates a dream world that he wants us to fill with our own secrets. I can’t think of a better goal for any filmmaker. Of course, trusting the intelligence of the audience can cost Nolan at the box office. We’re so used to being treated like idiots. How to cope with a grand-scale epic, shot in six countries at a reported cost of $160 million, that turns your head around six ways from Sunday? Dive in and drive yourself crazy, that’s how.

For comparison purposes, Peter Travers gave Memento 4.5/5 stars, The Dark Knight and The Prestige 3.5/4, and Batman Begins and Insomnia 3/4. This is a great first review for Inception, although the box office concern feels genuine. Or perhaps he’s underestimating general audiences. Hopefully we’ll be able to read his full review within the next few days.

Tags: Inception, Peter Travers, Review, The Dark Knight
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Jake088800

I was hoping for a 4-star review, but 3.5 is great. Travers was one of the first to review TDK, too.
Glass

Cheeky guys just post an exerpt that’s more of a production/plot summary. Can’t wait for the actual review.
apw

Memento got 4.5/5.

According to a cached review from the Rolling Stone site and Rotten Tomatoes, Insomnia got 3/4.
http://www.nolanfans.com George

Thanks apw. I’ll make the changes accordingly.
Metacritic has Peter Travers giving Insomnia a 100, so i assumed that meant 4/4.
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Chee

3.5/4? Not bad at all!

Is he the type of person that rarely gives out perfect reviews?
rbevanx

Yeah Memento is his best film by miles but that sounds positive on Inception.
I agree Inception is a bit of a gamble but a bad movie tends to lose about 60/70% of it’s audiance after the first week in the US.
So it’s more than worth while to put a bit of effort in a film’s script etc.
JimH

This movie has a world wide release so the low brow tastes of US audiences doesn’t necessarily apply to Europeans and beyond. I’m sure it will make Nolan and WB proud.
http://www.screenrant.com Mike Eisenberg

Maybe if critics would stop calling it too smart for audiences, audiences would at least pay to find out. I didn’t hear this kind of talk around the Matrix, which was highly psychological underneath the sleek and cool surface.
Chris (movieman1005)

I was worried when it first mentioned 3.5 out or 4, but now i see he also gave dark knight the same, and I believe 4 stars is, in fact, a huge rarity.
Colin

@Mike
That was over ten years ago, just before the awful change that came about in summer movies, in other words it was before they became completley dumbed down. Lest not forget that the first Matrix wasn’t actually a summer film but it was a spring appetizer that could get away with being a little more brainier.
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http://www.screenrant.com Mike Eisenberg

The key to all of this is remembering that many of cinema’s classics didn’t make $1 billion. A lot simply didn’t latch on to the masses at first – Blade Runner for one. They need years and years to settle into the psyche of the audience.
filmmaniac111

Yeah, he doesn’t give 4/4 easily.
This guy isn’t my favorite reviewer. Wait for Empire and Roger Ebert.
J Hawkins

I believe this movie will be a success in terms of how critics rate it. GREAT START!
gangefan83

Peter Travers gives everything 3.5/4.
Gary

Ebert’s review is the one I’m anticipating. He is a smart man and actually explains the reasons for his rating. Unlike Travers, who I think is a complete moron. Just read all his reviews – he just comes up with fancy sayings and phrases so he can be quoted in ads.
Chris (movieman1005)

Don’t forget Richard Roeper!!!
Gary

Roeper is great, too!
A@babo

My favorite is Richard Roeper
Eternalist

Forget Travers, the only review you need to read is Armond White’s. If it’s negative (100% likelihood) then you know Inception is gold.
Danny King

Travers usually only gives out one or two 4-star reviews each year. In addition, he put “Precious” at #1 on his top ten list of 2009, but initially only gave the film 3.5 stars, so his ratings should generally be taken with a grain of salt.
J Hawk

Eternalist- Armond was one of only a few to give a poor review to Toy Story 3 and TDK

Im with you buddy! Biggest critic troll I’ve seen. But everyone’s entitled to their opinions right?

haha
Chris (movieman1005)

I just looked up Mr. White, I think your right. As much as it is possible that these are his real thoughts on movies, tt honestly seems like he also gives these reviews because of wanting to be different attention, not on his actual beliefs. That’s sad. Bad for the movie-goers.
J Hawk

Chris

I’m totally with you on that!! Armond wants to be known and heard. He’s in the business more for personal gain from my standpoint. I would never read his review, even if he gave Inception a positive review. The TDK review still gives me a bad taste in the back of my throat.
leagueofshadows

I think that Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, and USA Today’s Mike Clark are the critics that best represent what audiences will think of a particular movie. Mike Clark was my favorite critic, but he is reviewing blu rays and dvds for homemedia.net. In regards to Armond White, he sets out to ruin movies with a fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com. I have some insight on this because I am distance learning Master’s of Liberal arts student with the University Of Oklahoma. My concentration is film criticism.

Its nice to know that bloggers have noticed Armond White’s pattern of bashing what most audiences and other critics consider quality films.
leagueofshadows

Does anyone know the budget for inception? I have seen 160, 170, and 200 million.

I am a Sailor stationed on an AirForce base in Misawa Japan. The Japanese usually get North American movies 1-2 months after they are released in the U.S and Canada. However Inception hits Japanese theaters 1 week after the U.S release. I estimate the movie will make about $250 million in the U.S; however I believe that it will clear over $400 million overseas. Europeans and Asians usually support intelligent U.S films. Michael Mann’s “Heat” barely made its budget back in the U.S, but grossed over $300 million overseas.
JimH

Reply to comment 27: leagueofshadows

I think your prediction is spot on and I believe Team Nolan planned it this way by having an international cast (Canadian,French, Japanese,Indian,GB,US) as well as filming in six in locales across the globe. Plus a rapid world-wide release. I mean the bases are covered here for all possibilities. I`m Canadian – I only have a mild interest in the opinions of US reviewers.
Scooter

JimH is 100% dead on. I never thought of that strategy (marketing).
jude

on travers’ list he put milk as the #1 movie of 08….
Carl

http://vimeo.com/12815724 – Fan made. Kinda cool
Randall

Traver’s does give out 3.5 a lot, but he usally does give that rating to atleast half decent films most of the time.

But he usally dosen’t give out many 4 star reviews, yet he gave it to where the wild things are last year and it wasn’t his number 1.

So it’s hard to predict his ratings and the overall quality of a movie, but we should look at this as a positive, this might be the kick start to rave reviews for inception.
Mr.D

Looks more like a preview than a review !!!
EMIRC-DNIM

This guy sounds like a tool-bag. I am fully confident, and have faith, that Inception will be one of the few movies that I think are 99.9% perfect. What are the other movies I think are 99.9% perfect you ask? The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige, District 9 and Forrest Gump. Hmmm, let’s see, who directed the first three again? Yeah that’s what I thought Mr. Travers. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinions though
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drummer3

Generally, I read Peter Travers and Roger Ebert for a gauge. From following critics for a while the tendency of for classic movies if Travers is 3 1/2, is Ebert for 4 stars. And obviously read a few others. But also there’s subjectivity involved. You have to read through critically their reviews and check the kind of evidence/reasons they give for praising it beyond elaborative adjectives (Travers’ tendency). Ultimately though, watch the film for yourself and make your evaluation when it comes, using non-fanboy language.
JeffC

I don’t take any critic seriously really. I mean I respect there opinion, but if I wanna see a movie and it happens to get a poor review, well I see it and decide for myself cause in some cases, they aren’t as bad as the review says it is. Also, if he gave the Dark Knight a 3.5 outta 4 stars like he did for Inception, that just means to me that Inception will be, if not as good as TDK but maybe even better than TDK. But based on the trailers, I can’t see this movie not raking in a respectable amount of $ in the box office
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Telugu Cinema

The makers must be appreciated for coming up with a simple storyline but presenting it in a convincing manner.