Will throw you for a loop!

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2012)

First, let's get something straight right off the bat; this is no Back to the Future family fantasy, or a doomsday machine ruled Terminator type of movie. This time-travelling mind bender written and directed by the imaginative Rian Johnson is one of the best and most creative sci-fi movies I have ever seen, and I don't even like sci-fi. Not for any reason other than the fact that I prefer movies I can connect with and understand, rather than make-believe science and spaceship laden what-ifs that normally lose my interest and attention early on. Yes, I am part of the minority that doesn't get what all the fuss is about Stars Wars. And that's why I really like that Johnson concentrated more on the premise, moral and story behind Looper than he did on the science of time travel or technicalities of the future. Though there are parts where he didn't go far enough on the latter, and I will touch on that further on.
Set in the year 2042, the story begins outside of a corn field (this is what I mean, we still grow stuff in the future and don't live in elevated metal cities. Thank you Rian!) where we are introduced to our main character Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is a 'Looper', which are a group of hit men hired by the mob living in the future. A future where time travel is invented and immediately made illegal, and where people are tagged such that killing and disposing of them is not so easy and therefore the mob sends their hits 30 years back in time to 2042 where they are immediately disposed of by these Loopers. When the mob decides to 'close the loop' with Joe, in other words release him from his contract, by transporting his older future self (Bruce Willis) back in time for Joe to take care of only to have him get away, that is when things get interesting.
While most of the actors deliver solid performances, with Willis channelling an older John McClane, it's Gordon-Levitt that really shines. What impressed me the most was how well he imitated Willis' every quirk and mannerism; from his cool soft spoken style to his sly smirk. As you'd expect with most movies about the future, the cinematography is grey and bleak and really nothing to write about so as to focus on the premise and storyline. Still, I think Johnson could have paid a little more attention to the technical details of the future. Other than a 1980s looking hover bike, and some futuristic buildings, it looks like 30 years from now people are still using 2012 model cars, furniture and even appliances. A little more effort could have been made in that regard while still staying focused on the story.
Still, Looper is a fantastic, action-packed sci-fi that never bores and keeps you engaged while trying to connect the dots and follow along. Johnson's directing ensures he never loses the audience and keeps you guessing the outcome until the very end where everything comes together with great suspense. I highly recommend Looper whether you like sci-fi or not.