Decent, above average

Rating: 8/10 (15 October 2012)

Looper is a movie based on the idea of time travel. Time travel is a concept that rises philosophical and logical questions in itself if someone starts to think about it too deeply. However, Looper is no more difficult than any other time travel movies, and it doesn't take too much effort to follow the story, to understand what is happening and why.
In Looper, time travel is invented in year 2074. It becomes outlawed, but it is used by criminal organizations to send people they want to get killed back in time where paid assassins are waiting for them. The assassins are called loopers, because when their contract ends, they themselves are sent back in time as well and get killed the same way, thus closing a loop. The complications begin when Joe, a looper, encounters his older self as one of his targets sent back to him into year 2044.
The movie is visually pleasant with well constructed scenes. It's up to the standards of a modern science fiction movie with all the bells and whistles, for example levitating objects and slow motion sequences of unrealistic scenarios.
Sound effects and the soundtrack are OK, although there is nothing extraordinary. There are no tunes or sounds that will get stuck in your ear for a long time, but it doesn't mean the movie is lacking anything in this respect.
Overall, the scenes are well designed, and there is a certain distinguished tone and mood throughout which fits the plot well. There are a few humorous scenes too, which are about right in their style and quantity. It is still a science fiction action movie.
The cast stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt, all of whom are well established actors/actresses. We can't go wrong with Bruce Willis when it comes to action movies, and the others play equally well if not better.
In my personal opinion it is not going to become a classic or cult movie, there is nothing groundbreaking about it. On the other hand it is a very decent workmanship, which is well above average, definitely worth watching for those who like the genre.