Some movies leave you with little to talk about afterward. Not “Interstellar.” Christopher Nolan’s ambitious sci-fi epic is nothing if not thought-provoking, even though it’s wildly uneven as a work of art.

The science often takes front and center, but I’ll leave it to, you know, science people to discuss the merits of what’s presented here.

As for the movie side of the equation, though? Here goes.

• Considering all the post-apocalyptic thrillers that have been spawned by the ever-improving state of special effects, “Interstellar’s” view of future Earth is easily the most effective and moving. It’s still the world we know, but it’s dusty and damaged and quietly menacing. A scene of dirt-covered cars trying to escape from a gray downtown is eerie.

• In outer space, apparently, you can hear “2001” echoes. Nolan reflects various sci-fi masterpieces but none more than Stanley Kubrick’s classic. It’s a fun where’s-Waldo exercise for viewers.

• While Nolan’s past films have boasted some outstanding performances (think Guy Pearce in “Memento” and Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”), the acting in “Interstellar” isn’t particularly memorable. Anne Hathaway is okay. Jessica Chastain is okay. Matthew McConaughey is okay — although he should have enunciated better in the first part of the film, where his lazy drawl is so quiet and mushy, it’s sometimes difficult to know what the heck he’s saying. But Bill Irwin is entertaining as he voices the robot TARS. And Mackenzie Foy as McConaughey’s young daughter gives the tough-and-tender vibe the role requires.

• Spoiler alert: The star who hasn’t been advertised as part of “Interstellar” is — look away if you don’t want to know — Matt Damon. He brings his everyman gravitas to the proceedings, but he’s hampered by scenes his character has to play that are downright silly — astronaut fist-fight, anyone?

• The music clunkily overemphasizes every emotion we’re supposed to feel.

• Nolan is a director who’s never met a longer cut he didn’t love. His movies invariably careen past the two hour mark and, in this case, threatens to close in on three. He could easily tighten scenes, which would only improve the film’s impact on audiences. The climactic dramatic scene, for instance, loses its power as Nolan drags it out past its point of effectiveness.