An Incredibly Solid Action Film & Creative Bit of Sci-Fi

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2013)

I am an instant fan of new, creative science fiction when it comes along. We don't get it often but we've gotten a nice resurgence in recent years with Duncan Jones (MOON, SOURCE CODE) and Neill Blomkamp (DISTRICT 9). I haven't been lucky enough to catch any of writer/director Rian Johnson's previous movies but there was a lot of positive hype surrounding LOOPER. The trailers hadn't grabbed me and the premise, while interesting, seemed like it could go in a generic direction. But the widespread positive word-of-mouth dragged me in and I'm so glad it did. LOOPER is the latest in well-directed, thought-provoking science fiction. It's set in the year 2044 where most of civilized society is in shambles. Poverty and violence are commonplace, so it's no surprise that many people turn to crime. There is one segment of the criminal world worth notice: the loopers. Loopers are hired guns overseen by a minor mob boss from the future, a future where time travel was invented and instantly outlawed. Some of the larger criminal organizations use it to send their victims to a time where their body can be disposed of without issue. The loopers kill the target, dispose of the body, and collect the rewarduntil their loop is closed. Thirty years in the future, the retired loopers are sent back in time for elimination to remove any trace of their involvement. When Joe, a young looper, is put in the position to close his loop and fails, he becomes a target unless he can track down his older self and kill him.
I admit it sounds really confusing to have to try and explain it to someone. This really is one of those movies you just need to watch. Keep in mind, this is a movie about time travel and you can expect paradoxes or plot holes or whatever. It's going to happen, as it does with all of them (yes, even the classic BACK TO THE FUTURE). Just accept it. The time travel element is handled incredibly well and nitpicking is going to do nothing but ruin the experience for you. Even the elder Joe (Bruce Willis) is given a scene in which he basically says it outright: don't worry about the mechanics of it all. That's not where the story lies. The story is about young Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the elder Joe (Willis), and the strong woman they encounter on a rural Kansas farm with a little son who is more important to the future than she could ever imagine. That's what I liked most about the story. I walked in expecting a cat-and- mouse chase movie where Joseph Gordon-Levitt spends the entire time chasing down his future self and saving himself from the mob heavies on his trail. Instead, the movie quickly shifts gears when Bruce Willis arrives in the past and discover that his intention isn't just to avoid his own assassination but to change the course events in the future. It becomes so much more than a chase movie and I give it a lot of respect for that alone.
I also love that the majority of the effects in this movie were done practically. You wouldn't necessarily know it from looking at it. There was a lot added digitally into the background to improve on the cityscapes and all that, but a lot of the gunfights, TK (telekinetic) effects, and even the hovering motorbikes were all done practically. I love any movie that prefers practical over digital because it feels that much more real. Then there are the makeup effects. Gordon-Levitt was made up to look more like a thirty-year younger version of Bruce Willis and it really works. It's a little off-putting at first to see him with bright blue eyes, but it's crazy how much he was able to emulate Willis's nature and mannerisms. It's an easy sell to accept him as the same person minus thirty additional years of experience and suffering. Emily Blunt is in the movie as Sara, the strong independent mother of a special child. She does a commendable job in the movie, considering the only thing I've seen her in previously was THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT and didn't give her much to work with. As an added bonus, we get Jeff Daniels as mob boss Abe. All of this comes together to create one of the most unique, exciting movies of the year. LOOPER is one that I hope everyone will check out at some point. It's great science fiction without the burden of exhausting tech details or geek culture. It's just an incredibly solid action film.