"Inception" - All you need to know is that you should see it

I've been seeing trailers for "Inception" for a while now and I still have no idea what this movie is about. It took me a while to figure out that that's intentional to stir up intrigue and mystery; they're letting the star power sell the film Initially, I figured the trailers were just baffling to make us wonder in awe at the visuals. After all, in a world where "Avatar" makes more money than anything else, of course Hollywood is going to embrace the visual splendor of a film, oftentimes over solid narrative. I was afraid that this movie would be all neat images and nothing else - a beautifully wrapped box ultimately filled with nothing. I also assumed the trailers weren't being purposefully vague because many films are marketed poorly. Case in point? The recent Tom Cruise film "Knight & Day." I still have no idea what that movie is about after seeing multiple trailers. Some of the trailers differed greatly in tone from the others, some emphasizing drama and others emphasizing comedy. Match that with two past-their-prime actors, (except in the case of "Mission Impossible" movies. The third film in that series was actually really great, but I give more credit to JJ Abrams and the other onscreen talent Cruise was working with) and you have very little pre-release buzz. I was also concerned that we might have another "Paranormal Activity" or "Snakes on a Plane" scenario, where you get tons of manufactured hype and you end up with the most boring excuse for a horror movie ever or the dullest example of cheese and camp ever.

But a movie like "Inception" has the right to be vague. The marketing team knows what it's doing. I, like many other people, still want to see this movie and here's why: the people involved. First off, it was written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. He's the man who pulled off the impressive feat of reviving the "Batman" movies with some depth and class. "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight" paved the way for grittier, more realistic, less campy comic book/superhero movies. Second, and probably the most important factor, is the cast. Leonardo DiCaprio is always a strong choice as a lead. I'm not sure if he's right for the role, but since I don't know what the role really is and I haven't seen enough of the movie to know, I'll trust that he can handle it. Ellen Page also stars, and while she is best known for her role as the titular character in "Juno," she has received praise for numerous other smaller or lesser known performances. "Batman Begins" alum Cillian Murphy is in it as well, which thrills me to no end. I haven't seen him in anything lately which makes me sad because he's a fine actor when given a good role and he's one of my personal favorites. Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine also star, but I have to admit that the one I'm most looking forward to seeing is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's not quite in the public consciousness yet as he's done a lot of indie movies, but he's been fantastic in those indie movies. He's probably best known for "(500) Days of Summer" lately, but I think he is superb in "Brick" and "The Lookout."

With an all-star cast and skilled writer/director at the helm, how on earth could this movie possibly suck? Well, I'm sure it's possible. It'll probably suck just so I feel like an idiot for writing this article in defense of the film prior to its release. But at least I'll feel like an idiot with plenty of other entertainment news outlets. Entertainment Weekly just posted a story that cites defenses for the vague trailers that give away nothing. The plot about the power of dreaming gave me pause in the beginning, but I'm hoping it's just crazy enough to work. I'm ready for a quality, thought-provoking film. I'm ready for something that isn't a sequel or a remake. I'm ready for something new and daring. Who said the summer was only allowed to have mindless fluff that would only interest preteen girls? ("Toy Story 3" aside, of course).