After walking out of the theater with my head spinning for 20 minutes, and discussing the ramifications of the ending with my date for another 10, I realized that Christopher Nolan’s “”Inception”” isn’t the summer blockbuster that many were expecting to save this disappointing summer movie season. It’s better.

The story starts with Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a mysterious man who specializes in “”extraction,”” the stealing of secrets from the minds of corporate executives through their dreams. After a mission goes terribly wrong, Cobb and his associates are hired to do a bigger job, one that’s said to be impossible: “”inception,”” the planting of an idea into someone’s mind. What follows is a story filled with complexity, mind-blowing twists and turns, a firecracker ending and an emotional undercurrent strong enough to bowl most hardened souls over. To say more would ruin the plot, as it is best left untouched and gone into it with a blank slate.

The casting is extremely well-done; Ellen Page is a particular standout and delivers on a serious performance many were hoping for. She makes her snarky “”Juno”” character a thing of the past. Page is an extremely talented actress going forward and she is here to stay.

Ultimately, none of that matters on its own because at its core, “”Inception”” is about ideas and the power they hold. It has all the standard bells and whistles of a Nolan film but in the end, “”Inception”” rises above its director and cast to become something more. It’s a complete film. It has the plot, the character development, the perfect pacing, the emotional involvement and the novelty required to etch it into every viewer’s mind. It defies genres and blends them to create something undefinable.

“”Inception”” is absolutely mind-blowing. There are many simultaneous storylines going on forcing the viewer to keep track of and make sense of everything that is occuring, and the film benefits from this requirement of concentration. It’s cerebral for sure; try going back after the ending and see if you can sort it all out the first time. I’m willing to bet you can’t.

This is easily one of the best movies of the year. Fans will find more to understand with each viewing. It is without a doubt Nolan’s masterpiece, and it is difficult to imagine how Nolan could possibly do any better in the future. At the same time, it’s hard to doubt him.

He gets better with every film he makes and at this point, must be considered this generation’s Hitchcock, Kubrick or Mann.

“”Inception”” is a fantastic, compelling accomplishment. Movies don’t get any better than this, and you can take that to the bank.