By MaryBeth Dagg

If any movie needs a second run, it’s Inception. Unlike many Hollywood productions, this movie is not dumbed down to appeal to the masses. It’s complicated. It is also a daring, imaginative and wholly original piece of movie making.

Writer/Director Christopher Nolan took 10 years to write the Inception screenplay, so no one can blame themselves if they can’t absorb all the details in the 148-minute viewing. In fact, many viewers have gone back several times to grasp the whole mind-bending story line. The film is designed to be disorienting, much like Memento or The Matrix. You never quite know if you’re watching reality or a dream. Even the ending leaves you with that nagging question.

The story revolves around Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled thief and leader in advanced corporate-intelligence methods. He steals valuable information and ideas by raiding the subject’s subconscious during the dream state. Cobb's mind-infiltration skills have made him a big player in the high-stakes world of corporate espionage. They have also cost him his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), and forced him into exile.

The action of the film centers on one last job that will clear Cobb’s name and reunite him with his children. He is hired by a powerful billionaire (Ken Watanabe) to infiltrate the mind of a corporate rival. All he has to do is the impossible: Inception. Instead of stealing an idea, the job requires him to introduce an idea into the rival's mind, and do it so well he believes it is his own.

Cobb assembles a highly skilled “dream team,” to help him. Among them is Ariadne (Ellen Page), a brilliant young architect who designs the landscape of the dream.

The task is formidable and the team is up for the challenge. But no amount of intricate planning or foresight can prepare them for what they encounter once they are in.

When the dream begins, it’s time for edge-of-your-seat suspense and thrills. It has all the elements of a great heist movie – only it’s four simultaneous heists all within the subconscious mind. Trying to keep track of the different dream levels – with their own separate but intertwined twists and perils – will leave your head spinning.

The star-studded ensemble is well cast. Ellen Page is refreshing and engaging, Marion Cotillard gives an edgy yet heart-breaking performance as Cobb’s wife, Michael Caine is riveting as always, and Leonardo diCaprio is, well, Leonardo diCaprio. He gives a solid performance but nothing new to see here. The rest of the team does a great job creating depth out of what otherwise would be under-developed characters.

For showtimes, call The Admiral at 206-938-3456.

Rated PG-13