Not a masterpiece but more imaginative than most Hollywood movie these days

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2012)

Looper is set in a future where time travel is possible, but illegal, and used by the mob to take care of hits. The mob sends targets 30 years into the past to be killed by hit men, or loopers, like Joe (Joseph Gordon Levitt). But for Joe, someday the mob will send his future self (Bruce Willis) back to the past in order to "retire" him, and therefore close the loop. Will Joe have to kill himself?
The Good:I am not a fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt (just a personal thing), but he does a good job, as he always seems to do. They also do an OK job in altering his appearance just slightly enough so he resembles a younger Bruce Willis who plays the future Joe, but as someone who remembers Bruce Willis when he was younger it didn't fully work. I give an A for effort. As the story continues though Levitt did get a little of Willis' speaking tones and patterns well in a few scenes. The overall feel and look of the movie is also well done. It is a gritty future, not one of those super CGI cartoon ones that most Sci-Fi movies try to portray.
The paradox and consequences also can be a hard sell if not done right or over thought. This movie does a decent job with it, and it sets up some good twists. Overall the imaginative story of the movie is worth watching, and makes it much more of a drama than a action film like most time travel films are, but there is some good action.
Bruce Willis also does a decent job, which has been few and far between in recent movies for him. Not as good as he was in "12 Monkeys," but still good, and this is a much different movie than that one.
The Bad: I am always disappointed when a movie uses a British actor or actress in a role where an American southern drawl is required. Emily Blunt is a beautiful woman and a good actress, but knowing she has a sexy British accent, makes her a hard sell. Also why did they give her that hair color? Stick to the darker colors, there is no need to down play her hotness. The writing was good as far as the Sci-Fi aspects and story are concerned but dialog wise it was nothing stunning and spotty good and bad throughout. Lastly, I had the biggest twist figured out before the filmmakers even gave their first big hint.
Over all I give it 8 out of 10. It's got an imaginative, if not fully original story and a somewhat gritty appeal. The twist in the end was not ."Oh, my!" great but it was good enough.
Like my reviews, hate em? Comments, or have a DVD you would like to know if it's worth watching? e-mail me at: subliminal.lithium@gmail.com