An Effective, Captivating Tweak on One of Sci-Fi's Favorite Premises

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2012)

A bright, complex challenge to some of time travel's longest-running traps, backed by a seriously curvy, dazzling plot. Although some holes can't be avoided, (that goes with the territory) Looper is able to lean on its high-concept premise for support during such moments and effectively gloss them over. Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, no strangers to sci-fi action sagas, seem perfectly at-home in this oddly familiar future setting, and though they're hounded by a violent gang of darkly-clad killers, the film's darkest role alternates repeatedly between its two leading players. There's a lot to celebrate in the details here, from the oil crusted, not-so-distant future (which, admirably, looks an awful lot like the present) to the strict rules and regulations of the core concept, and for a short while the film seems content to toy with the spoils of its own ingenuity. Of course, there's also a time for leaving such trivialities behind, and Looper doesn't back away from it. When push comes to shove, it smartly explores the depth and dimensionality of its cast before ultimately pursuing an unexpected, yet appropriate, final destination. Smart, savvy and convincing, my one qualm is that it's occasionally too passive in pressing the accelerator. Worthy of (and rewarding to) multiple viewings.