Over the years, moviegoers have had their minds pleasantly twisted by filmmaker Christopher Nolan with films such as “Inception” (2010), “The Prestige” (2006), and “Memento” (2000). We have also been taken on all manner of celestial journeys, from “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) to “Gravity” (2013) to the “Star Wars” franchise.

This year, we are treated to “Interstellar,” in which Nolan combines the wonders of space travel with the type of thought-provoking premise that is his hallmark.

Set on an Earth which is rapidly and irrevocably running out of resources, the film follows Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), an ex-pilot who is enlisted by NASA to take the controls of the Endurance spacecraft. The goal of the mission, to be carried out by Cooper and three scientists (one of whom is Dr. Amelia Brand, played by Anne Hathaway), is to enter a wormhole to another galaxy in the hopes of finding a habitable planet to save the human race.

The premise is compelling, and the screenplay (co-written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan) does it justice for the most part. Some portions of the dialogue come off a bit clunky; this is especially true when characters are exhibiting sentimentality, which has never been one of Nolan’s strong suits, but Nolan does do a great job of characterizing the relationship between Cooper and his family. Characters also have the tendency to blurt out unprompted explanations of scientific theories and phenomena, but this is more understandable considering the hefty subjects the film addresses.

The movie doesn’t become an undeniably Nolan-esque film until about a third of the way through, and the shift in tone is a bit of a jolt. However, the shift ultimately becomes welcome, as this spike in intensity makes the viewer mostly unaware of the well-paced film’s 168-minute running time.

One aspect that works consistently in favor of “Interstellar” is the acting. McConaughey continues to impress after his success in “Dallas Buyers Club” (2013), Hathaway deftly portrays the brainy Dr. Brand, and the two are rounded out by the likes of Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Wes Bentley, and Matt Damon.

The main constant issue with this film is the sound mixing. Sound mixing has to do with balancing the respective volumes of the dialogue, the effects, and the score, and the film often misses the mark in this regard. Important chunks of dialogue are sometimes obscured – or drowned out entirely – by the louder parts of Hans Zimmer’s score (which, by the way, is excellent). The sound effects themselves are impressive, but it’d be preferable if they were toned down just a bit to allow the characters’ lines to make it through.

Contrarily, the visuals are nothing short of spectacular. It is increasingly difficult to be impressed visually at the movie theater anymore, but “Interstellar” will blow you away. Viewers are treated to the picture-warping experience of a wormhole, the untapped wonder of new planets, and even the haunting beauty of a dying Earth. Each of these is expertly shot, and it’s all topped off by seamlessly executed effects. This is a film that requires being seen in a theater if at all possible.

Then, of course, there’s the science. Nolan did his homework with “Interstellar,” enlisting the help of theoretical physicist Kip Thorne to ensure that every piece of science fiction is rooted in science fact. Thorne explains in “Building a Black Hole,” a behind-the-scenes featurette, that “Neither wormholes nor black holes have been depicted in any Hollywood movie in the way that they actually would appear” – until now, that is.

The movie delves into advanced theories of relativity, extra dimensions, and gravity in ways never seen before. Though some of the material will naturally go over many viewers’ heads, the film is ultimately able to explain enough of the science such that viewers can join Nolan in wondering at the possibilities presented on the screen.

With “Interstellar,” Nolan provides viewers with both a feature-length sci-fi extravaganza and, following that, plenty of room for discussion. After all, a large portion of what makes this movie so entertaining is the piecing together of the puzzle that inevitably occurs afterwards. Overall, “Interstellar”, is a cinematic experience that simply cannot be missed.