Once I was done watching this, part of me was surprised about the high average rating, but as I read comments from viewers who gave it 8/10 stating they found the movie boring or underwhelming, understanding ensued. At some point in his career, Nolan must have hit the jackpot with mainstream audiences, such that they—thinking he can do no wrong—will view any of his work through rose-tinted glasses, compelling them to hand out a higher grade than one matching their perceived entertainment value. His 2000s titles feel like passion projects, and although Inception is the only one I'd call myself a fan of, most indeed deserve high praise. Something happened later, the Marvelization movement I suspect, and authenticity went out the window to be replaced by pandering.
It's funny to contemplate that a three hour movie feels rushed, yet this did. As others have mentioned, it is a messy burst of snippets allowing little time to connect with the characters, or draw any emotion. By the end I still didn't have the main character pegged down, and this Oppie even comes off as unpleasant, which I'm sure was not the intent. While RDJ was delivering his lines I found myself thinking "good job man, you really nailed that! Show them you're not just Iron Man", almost applauding. You know you're getting bored with the narrative when your focus starts to shift on an actor's performance.
Many reviews point out there are too many characters and I can only concur. Some are briefly introduced out of nowhere, then briefly reappear a while later and you're like "wait who's that guy again?". And Florence Pugh's boobs—why? Gratuitous nudity isn't something I associated with Nolan, and just further highlights the pandering approach he's been reduced to.
As someone interested in quantum physics, I thought I could at least derive some enjoyment out of that and maybe learn something. Unfortunately, that aspect of the movie was glossed over and dumbed down, to avoid patronizing viewers I suspect.
Review by KeldianBlockedParent2023-11-16T14:37:03Z— updated 2023-11-22T00:27:49Z
Once I was done watching this, part of me was surprised about the high average rating, but as I read comments from viewers who gave it 8/10 stating they found the movie boring or underwhelming, understanding ensued. At some point in his career, Nolan must have hit the jackpot with mainstream audiences, such that they—thinking he can do no wrong—will view any of his work through rose-tinted glasses, compelling them to hand out a higher grade than one matching their perceived entertainment value. His 2000s titles feel like passion projects, and although Inception is the only one I'd call myself a fan of, most indeed deserve high praise. Something happened later, the Marvelization movement I suspect, and authenticity went out the window to be replaced by pandering.
It's funny to contemplate that a three hour movie feels rushed, yet this did. As others have mentioned, it is a messy burst of snippets allowing little time to connect with the characters, or draw any emotion. By the end I still didn't have the main character pegged down, and this Oppie even comes off as unpleasant, which I'm sure was not the intent. While RDJ was delivering his lines I found myself thinking "good job man, you really nailed that! Show them you're not just Iron Man", almost applauding. You know you're getting bored with the narrative when your focus starts to shift on an actor's performance.
Many reviews point out there are too many characters and I can only concur. Some are briefly introduced out of nowhere, then briefly reappear a while later and you're like "wait who's that guy again?". And Florence Pugh's boobs—why? Gratuitous nudity isn't something I associated with Nolan, and just further highlights the pandering approach he's been reduced to.
As someone interested in quantum physics, I thought I could at least derive some enjoyment out of that and maybe learn something. Unfortunately, that aspect of the movie was glossed over and dumbed down, to avoid patronizing viewers I suspect.