I can honestly say that if I don’t see another movie this year after Looper, I would be fine with that. There have been few truly great movies that have done what Looper has done. Rather than giving us an adaptation of something we have already seen, writer/director Rian Johnson delivers us an original story and does it brilliantly. Trust me, when I say that you are going to be seeing Rian Johnson’s name around a lot more after this film.
Sure, time travel is nothing new in science fiction films, but Johnson brings us a fresh idea on the subject. And if you think you know what is going on in this movie based on the trailers, I am here to tell you that you don’t. This movie is definitely more cerebral and complex than you expect it to be and you’re hooked on the plot from the very beginning. This is not a date night movie by any means because Johnson intends to blow your mind here and accomplishes the feat.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Joe lives in 2042. He’s a Looper, a hired assassin for the mob (but the mob of 2072). Loopers are given contracts that tell them to be at certain places at certain times in order to perform hits sent from the future. At the exact time stated in the contract, a tied up and hooded target pops into 2042 and in an instant are killed and their bodies destroyed.
Loopers make a good living off this. A mafia that exists in both times run things and Jeff Daniels plays Abe, who is from the future and coordinates the contracts in the past. A mad man is taking over the business in 2072 and for unknown reasons is terminating the contracts of the Loopers. At the time of your contract being terminated you are to kill yourself and cash in heavily, also known as a “loop”. That’s where Willis, who plays Joe from 2072, comes into play. Willis presence in the past is no mere coincidence, but rather the start of a much larger mission to alter the future.
Not only is this movie very smart but it is also quite funny and full of action packed sequences. The shots are beautiful and the visuals are amazing. The film is crisp and quite stylish and the cgi feels very natural and quite real. It also accomplishes the feat of creating a believable future without overdoing it.
Looper is a film that is less concerned with the sci-fi elements than it is with the development of its central characters. Sure, this isn’t done perfectly but it done very well. Now, while all of the performances are great, it’s really Joseph Gordon-Levitt that shines in this film. Levitt has prosthetic attached to his face so he would look more like younger Bruce Willis, and once you get past that you know it’s there, you really get lost in how much he looks and acts like Willis.
Levitt definitely gives this film his all and it clearly shows. Willis gives a very emotional performance as future Joe and Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt are also great in this film. But child actor Pierce Gagnon gives the most unexpected and fantastic performance in the film. I can’t tell too much about his role without revealing anything about the plot but he’s definitely one of the highlights of the film. When this loop comes full circle you will definitely not expect it.
Looper, without a doubt, is definitely one of the best films to come out this year. The story is going to throw you through a “loop” that will having you walking out of the theater and instantly begin discussing the themes of the movie with the people you saw it with. Time travel has not yet been invented but you do have the ability to relive these two hours over again and you are going to want to.
Rating: 5/5