Is Inception our one hope of 2010?

Christopher Nolan has recently stepped out of the buzzing, multi-dimensional metropolis that is the production of Inception, and dropped some hints on just how big this movie is going to be. Chatting to the LA Times’ Hero Complex blog, he has described the film as being everything from James Bond-esque, to “expansive”, and “something more personal”. To be honest, he had us at James Bond.

But am I right in saying that Nolan’s $200 million sci-fi blockbuster is all we have to pin our hopes on this year? What else is there to get /really/ jazzed about in the genre? The summer blockbuster season kicks off with Iron Man II (still an exciting prospect) and then is seemingly going to slide downhill with the likes of Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse all arriving before Inception. Not surprisingly, expectations surrounding these last two features are already low. So, once we finally get to see what Inception is all about, the season that is traditionally a buzzing time for the genre is pretty much over. Nolan’s movie is the genre’s last stand before autumn and winter hits us with more Potter and another Narnia sequel.

This dearth of quality could dramatically alter the way in which some critics view Nolan’s picture. In fact, both critics and viewers alike are going to walk into this movie yearning for it to be something great. This outlook of immense hope for a feature can shift perspectives in all manner of directions. While I have nothing but high hopes for this picture, and it is great to see an original sci-fi concept presented in the form of a big blockbuster, it is a cause for concern that this is the year’s sole piece of dedicated science fiction to grace the multiplexes. Although last year may have disappointed some, we at least had two original features in Moon and District 9 to ponder over. Here’s hoping 2010 has some surprises for us.

Do you disagree with this blog? Does 2010 mark a new era for sci-fi? Put your comments below.