A reasonable and stylized movie, although ultimately somewhat forgettable

Rating: 7/10 (21 January 2013)

Review originally posted on InspirationRation.com - 'Looper' is a sci-fi action thriller starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The plot revolves around the concept of illegal time-travel. The movie is set in the year 2044, where time-travel hasn't been invented yet. But 30 years later, it will have been. It will be immediately made illegal, but the mob of the future still use it for one simple goal; body-disposal. When they need someone gone in the future, they simply send him back, and a 'Looper' in the movie's current time will kill and dispose of the body. Very 'clean'. This plot device is intriguing, but in the end it is rather detached from the ultimate direction of the film.
If you have seen the trailer for 'Looper' I must warn you. There is a strange disconnect between the trailer and the actual movie. This had me somewhat confused for a reasonable portion of the movie, as it really wasn't heading in the direction I was anticipating beforehand. This is in no way a fault of the script or director, simply an unfortunate outcome of my preconceived notions of the film.
The actual movie had somewhat less action and suspense than I anticipated, opting instead for a more slow and deliberate pace. The whole time- travelling angle of the plot was also less involved than I originally gleaned from the trailer, with it being used pretty much exclusively to set the stage for the story. I felt this was slightly off kilter with the premise of the movie. The slower parts of the movie can actually feel somewhat dull at times, rather than suspenseful, which is what I think the director was going for.
There are some very fun aspects of the film though. Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a younger version of Bruce Willis' character adds a few laughs and plenty of impressive make-up effects. The world in which this story is set is very well thought out and crafted with its own impressive style. This radiates throughout the movie, which truly has its own unique identity. This is brought to life with some impressive acting. Bruce Willis is as great as always, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt really stands his own in the lead role, bringing some impressive Bruce Willis impressions and mannerisms to the table. Emily Blunt also impresses with her depiction of the character 'Sara'. The actor that impressed me most however was the little kid who played 'Cid'. I'd wager he is about 6 years old and he gave one hell of a performance in the rather large role he plays in the film. It was really impressive irrespective of his age, but even more so because of it.
'Looper' is the latest in a line of what I call 'Bruce Willis' Sci-Fi adventures'. Examples of previous installments of this are 'The Fifth Element' and 'Surrogates'. It seems Bruce ventures into another sci-fi project every few years, each one with the same basic result; A reasonable movie which is ultimately somewhat forgettable. 'Looper' is no exception, but at least brings a truly unique style to the genre. - Review originally posted on InspirationRation.com