FTG-Nerd Review: Looper (Movie)

Rian Johnson wrote and directed Looper, the sci-fi film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. Is this movie ahead of the game or should we close the loop on it?

STORY

Time machines are invented in the year 2072 and are immediately outlawed leading to them only being used by high profile mobsters. Since all people are tracked constantly it’s almost impossible to kill someone and hide the body so the mobsters start up an organisation in 2042 where people called Loopers are tasked with killing people from 2072 sent back to 2042. It’s all done anonymously where the victim is tied up with a bag over their head and the Loopers paycheck strapped to their back. The organisation is headed up by Abe, played by Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom, Dumb and Dumber), sent back from 2072 to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Anonymous killings, that’s the Looper way

At some point Loopers are sent their future selves to execute but are paid a huge sum in return, this is called closing the loop and means the Looper lifespan is only 30 years but they live like kings in the poverty stricken future of 2042. Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, 50/50), is a Looper living the high life but things go awry when his future self is sent for him to kill but escapes.

OVERVIEW

Looper’s a futuristic sci-fi movie with a brilliant cast all playing their parts perfectly. Both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis (The Expendables 2, The Cold Light of Day, Red) play the roles of young and old Joe brilliantly and they play off each other really well as the same person and do so very believably, which is to be expected of those actors. Emily Blunt (The Five Year Engagement, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Adjustment Bureau) also puts in a notably great performance as Sara. One actor I was surprised at was Pierce Gagnon (One Tree Hill, The Way Home). He played Cid in Looper and while I won’t go into his characters role because of possible spoilers, I will say that his performance was outstanding. Gagnon conveyed Cid’s emotions perfectly and played the part brilliantly, and not just for a child.

Unlike most movies set in the future, Looper feels quite grounded with only a few weapons and vehicles having a typical ‘futuristic’ look. It’s a great take on a believable future environment where nothing feels out of place. Rian Johnson (The Brothers Bloom, Brick) wrote and directed this movie brilliantly, balancing the action with the storytelling to produce a film without any unnecessary scenes but a film that also feels complete and uncut. The direction is great and although some might find the premise quite confusing, things are explained very well. Time travel is an easy thing to get wrong in films, usually over-complicating explanations and leaving large loopholes in logic, but I love how the story develops and how Rian Johnson doesn’t unnecessarily over-complicate anything yet keeps the story intricate enough to keep it interesting. Looper isn’t a gritty movie, even though it does have some graphic scenes, however this is balanced out by a few funny lines to lighten the mood from time to time. It was a greatly entertaining movie that’s less predictable than it seems.

Looper is a brilliant sci-fi film with a great story, top class acting and compelling characters. Even though the plot does include time traveling, the movie stays quite grounded making watching it that much more engrossing. It’s a superbly interesting take on the future and the unique story paired with brilliant acting make it a must see for anyone that finds it even a little bit appealing. The only complaint I really have is that there’s a bit too much make-up on Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

In Theaters: 28th September 2012

Runtime: 1 hours 58 minutes

Rating: R (for strong violence, language, some sexuality, nudity and drug content)

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Pierce Gagnon, Paul Dano and Jeff Daniels

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Official Site: http://www.loopermovie.com/

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