It's just an idea

Sometimes the mass can be really untolerable: they may pay very little attention to cinemas at any other time of the year, but once they hear that the movie in question was directed by James Cameron, or Christopher Nolan, they become so worked up and so enthusiastic to watch their most recent work -- some even without knowing Alien, the Abyss, or Momento.  Because of this we had some trouble getting tickets for Inception in the first week it is shown in Beijing.  The watching was satisfying, yet we also feel that we were all cheated by the media to some extent.  One thing for sure is that this layered movie is still straightforward, with clear indication of the level of dreams, any average audience will have no problem following the story.

On the one hand, No doubt that some of the audiences just want to watch the said-to-be-convoluted movie to enjoy the ecstasy from imagined improvement in their intelligence.  On the other hand, the script is sophisticated enough for a movie with considerable potential of being interpreted in many ways and become a model that may be praised in the highest form of imitation.  The execution of photography, editing and acting is almost flawless, too.  However, I cannot find the shock after watching the Matrix, nor the health confusion brought by Mulholland Drive. The theme of the movie, I think, is that ideas can grow and transform people, any overinterpretation will not serve the purpose of the movie any better.  Concerning the argument of whether the ending was a dream, it is just the way Nolan proves that he managed to plant the idea in the minds of the audiences, and is not in any sense the centre of the issue.  Thus, there is not anything revolutionarily new suggested by the movie.  If you think Nolan want to imply an endlessly layered dream, Inception would not do any better than the 13th Floor, decades after the latter's release.

Based on these reasons, I can give Inception a score of 4/5, or 90/100, meaning that it has done perfectly in almost every aspect required by a masterpiece, but have not changed the way I perceive and react to the world.