(CNN) -- "I hate my dreams. They're so ... infantile." Heaven knows what artist Laurie Anderson would make of Christopher Nolan's first film since "The Dark Knight," but if audiences don't go for it, we're more likely to hear a different complaint: It's just too darned complex. A spectacular fantasy thriller based on Nolan's own original screenplay, "Inception" is the smartest CGI head-trip since "The Matrix." The premise is so out-there, it requires not just a leap of faith but also too much screen time to explain, so do yourself a favor and pay attention. Leonardo DiCaprio is Cobb, an "excavator," who digs around in people's subconscious while they're catching some zzzzs. This act of infiltration is "not strictly legal"; the motive is not therapeutic but espionage and theft.
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"Inception" is a spectacular fantasy thriller based on director Christopher Nolan's screenplay
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Leonardo DiCaprio digs around in people's subconscious while they dream
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"Inception" is the summer's best bet to bust the blocks
It certainly hasn't escaped @placeholder's attention that this dream life functions as a metaphor for the movies.