An enjoyable sci-fi thriller

Rating: 8/10 (10 November 2014)

In the year 2044 Joe is a Looper that is an assassin sent from the future to kill victims from the future. The reason for loopers is it is hard to get away with murder in 2074 but nobody will miss somebody who is killed before they even exist! The victims are sent back tied and hooded; all Joe has to do is pull the trigger the moment they appear then collect his payment in silver. It isn't a difficult job but there is a catch; one day the payment will be in gold and that victim will be his older self. This doesn't bother the loopers too much; it means they can retire knowing that they will have another thirty years to enjoy their earnings. When Joe's older self arrives he isn't hooded and manages to escape; this is not good for Joe as his employers will harm him to get the older man. He learns there is a reason 'Old Joe' didn't accept his fate; he believes he can change the future and save his wife by killing the person responsible while he is still a child. If all that isn't confusing enough, as well as time travel, some of the population now have telekinetic powers.
Just thinking about time travel and the paradoxes it would cause inevitably leads to confusion but thankfully this film isn't too confusing if you can suspend your disbelief just accept that for the purposes of the film time travel is possible and follows the rules set out by the creator every time travel film seems to have slightly different rules! The biggest surprise of the film is the fact that the protagonist is not a good person; he is a killer who has no problem with his job, he isn't even bothered about killing his future self. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a solid job as Young Joe and Bruce Willis is equally good as his old Joe. Young Pierce Gagnon, who plays Old Joe's target manages to be surprisingly menacing for a child; a nice change from the usual precocious child character. There is plenty of action throughout the film and it is well handled and exciting. Overall a solid sci-fi thriller that fans of either genre can enjoy.