Nolan makes these big ass bombastic movies that take themselves super seriously but crowds still seem to eat 'em up. I'm historically not a fan of his shit. I can't point to a single Nolan movie that I absolutely love or even think is great. That said, I liked this one at least as much as any of his others.

A huge part of that comes from the *experience* of watching it projected via 70mm IMAX film on basically the largest screen possible. That helps take it to another level for me. Nolan's decision to shoot in this massive format matches the massive ambition of the movie and helps elevate it. It's far from perfect but the largeness and boldness and vividness of it went a long way. It's loud as fuck. In this format, it's easy to get swept up. I thought Gravity was just an OK movie too, all things considered, but the very act of watching it on a massive screen in 3D was a special movie-going experience. I kind of felt the same thing here. (And for the record, I'd take large-scale true IMAX over 3D any day of the week.)

It takes itself seriously. It pains a bleak (and pretty believable) picture of what life on earth might look like someday. It's very earnest and, ultimately, optimistic. It's corny and sappy, but that goes back to the earnestness. I think Nolan probably believes what he's selling. There are "plot holes" (which I personally don't really care about). At the end of the day, it's a simple (and kind of simple-minded) parable about love and family and the unique traits that make us human. Worrying about scientific accuracy and plot logistics kind of fails to see the forrest through the trees in this case. There are also some genuinely awe-inspiring moments (especially in true IMAX).

Also, McConaughey was perfect for the lead in this. Works his ass off the whole time, and definitely earned his paycheck. Lastly, bonus points for very sparing use of CGI. That's a gripe I usually have with big-budget adventure movies. They look like computer-animated cartoons. Not the case here.