TENET (spoilers)

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Grand Moff Yenchin
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TENET (spoilers)

Post by Grand Moff Yenchin »

This probably is the weakest Nolan film up to date.
The plot, in short:
An agent "The Protagonist" is recruited into an organization called "TENET" to assist in preventing a world ending event caused by future people using a machine called "The Algorithm" which will "reverse the entropy of the whole world". After a lot of time travel shenanigans involving the Protagonist and other characters the event is successfully prevented, additionally the Protagonist discovers that he himself is behind TENET.

Time travel in the film is achieved by using a machine called "turnstile", which people become "inverted" and go thru time backwards, every second of it. Therefore inverted people see vehicles go backwards, water splashing into puddles when they step on them, and getting frozen when lit on fire. OTOH, people in normal states would see inverted people (as well as objects they interact) in a rewinding state as well. Inverted people are still able to interact with objects and normal people, sounds are heard backwards.

Additionally, objects could also able be inverted, resulting in bullets that could "return" to guns from bullet holes (with the holes sealing up by debris, don't ask...)

While the concept of "inverted entropy" is a fun gimmick (in the end there is this massive cluster(chrono?)fuck combat with troops, inverted and not, all fighting together), it doesn't seem to stand well and becomes annoying when one starts really thinking of it. Some events, such as a broken mirror, start out of nowhere in the film and it was kind of handwaved by a couple lines. Not a good way to solve casual loop events. The interaction between inverted and normal people also complicates the issue and fortunately I was quick to understand what Nolan was trying to do and ignored all the implications and WTFs until after viewing.

The main plot itself strikes some memories of older Bond films (Russian bad guy, girl, gimmick, car chase, final battle with troops) and I'd suggest to not think too deep into things regarding the time travel thingy when watching.
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Re: TENET (spoilers)

Post by Eternal_Freedom »

I saw this and spent much of the film wondering what the hell was going on. About the only thing that stopped me from not caring entirely was the villain played by Kenneth Brannagh, in an (as usual for him) compelling performance despite the weakness of the material he had to work with.
Baltar: "I don't want to miss a moment of the last Battlestar's destruction!"
Centurion: "Sir, I really think you should look at the other Battlestar."
Baltar: "What are you babbling about other...it's impossible!"
Centurion: "No. It is a Battlestar."

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Jub
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Re: TENET (spoilers)

Post by Jub »

It sounds like it may have been better as a book where scenes can be laid out at a pace that's easier to process and where you can focus on the bits that make sense without overwhelming the audience with a bunch of questions all at once. Even then, the concept may just be too flawed to make work.
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