An enthralling film, yet could've been better-developed

Rating: 8/10 (29 September 2012)

Let me start by saying that this is probably the best science-fiction film of the year. Somehow, Rian Johnson was able to turn time travel into a relatively unique, fresh concept that was at times very dark. In fact, this entire film is very dark, yet it handles it well--you are not consistently being hit over the head with it, although it is definitely always there. This film absolutely takes you on a journey, and I was highly entertained the entire time, and found myself wondering what was going to happen, and how it was going to end.
This film also makes you care for the characters, which I feel many movies and films today skip over. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a great job as the present-day looper Joe, trying desperately to close his own loop before the mob catches up with him, and Bruce Willis is fantastic as Gordon-Levitt's future-self trying to avenge the death of his wife by murdering the potential past-selves of a mass-murdering vigilante (it gets a little complicated, but by no means is it not followable). All the while, Joe comes to know Sara, portrayed by Emily Blunt in a fierce and standout performance, and her son, who are both hiding dark secrets. All of the actors, from Jeff Daniels to Paul Dano, actually do very good jobs, and as I said the characters are really well thought-out.
However, this film is absolutely not without it's flaws. I was actually expecting something quite different when I walked into the theater--it was definitely more supernatural than I thought it would be, which sort of detracted from the otherwise-believable world, but ends up being a central plot-point. Also, there are plenty of loopholes and paradoxes that could've been explained better or fixed within the confines of the script. Lastly, many people are saying that this film has three acts, but I'd almost say it only has two, at least based on the setting. For me, the two halves have completely different feels to them, possibly because of the contrasting settings, which doesn't necessarily detract from the film, but makes it somewhat incoherent.
(Half of it is essentially set in a rundown, futuristic city, and I liked the fact that, although it was not beaming with future technology, there were hints here-and-there where you could tell it was in the future. The other half is set in a farmhouse that's old even for today's standards. It's quite a contrast, although I felt as if Johnson was saying something about how modern society is slowly taking over traditional values.)
That being said, the script is still great, and there are actually some genuinely funny moments of dry humor, snide remarks, and comical situations. I'm not sure if all of these were intended to be taken as comical, but the majority of the theater was laughing at some points throughout the film. Overall, though, it is definitely quite dark and dramatic, but don't come expecting an action movie. There is action, for sure, but this is more of a character's film, and I'd say that despite the fact that it could've been better-developed, it definitely didn't disappoint.