Smart Script makes most of Time Travel Twist

Rating: 6/10 (1 October 2012)

....Many minor spoilers throughout...
This seems to be one of those screenplays that was given time to explore the possibilities and push the extremes. I suppose going to these extremes is required to find any daylight out of the well worn clichés with Science Fiction, but does it really need to sacrifice young kids? Sure, there is shock value. Does it aid the story? It does in a way the Terminator movies do. A lot of "fixing" to make this click on all cylinders includes an obligatory Bruce Willis in Die Hard mode mowing down countless bad guys with nary a scratch. Then there's Emily Blunt, who must make out with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, just because that's why. But who knew walking into a crime time travel thriller (see Time Cop), they would find "The Omen". The child Pierce Gagnon has an intense look in his eyes that can really make you believe he has a harsh future ahead of him. He is well directed by Rian Johnson, and pulls off a good deal of dialogue that you actually enjoy listening to. One such scene is between Levitt (you know, 3rd Rock from the Sun) and the always likable Jeff Daniels. When each character settles in, it is a joy to watch them try and outwit each other. There are nice moments like that throughout the film. But there are also clunky moments, mostly scenes where things are pushed to the degree that you lose touch with the core of the film. There is the strange course of events that go on with Emily Blunt and her child that make their characters less believable, but by that time you're in the 3rd act anyway, and this film has no intentions on sequel-baiting.
"Looper" will probably earn itself into my collection, with some slight hesitation, such as the clearly unfinished or just plain low budget effects. Especially the flying motorcycle, there are a couple shots that should have been left out of the final cut. But there you go, trying to push the Sci-Fi and the action to it's own detriment. Was the flying motorcycle essential to the story? No. Levitt seems to have gotten a little too comfortable with the generic leading man role. He plays it a little too tough and gruff. Thankfully, he is allowed a few moments of humanity. But not for Bruce Willis, the older version of Levitt. He has the thankless task of hunting down sweet little kids, not matter how sorry he is.
You should check out this original and well acted film, and forgive it's excesses.