Confusing, intricate, pacey

Rating: 7/10 (5 October 2012)

This clever and intricate movie borrows a theme from TERMINATOR and gives it an inventive twist. It's set in 2042 USA, which looks just as depressed as 2012 USA - apart from a few new not-too-futuristic flying machines. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, one of a group of secret hit men whose job it is to dispatch people sent back from 2072 where killing has been outlawed (o brave new world!). Joe's mission takes a curious turn when his future self (Bruce Willis) is sent back for 'processing'. Old Joe sets out to find - and eliminate - the Rainmaker, his future nemesis. Young Joe has to try and protect both the present and the future.
The quest of the Joes brings them to a remote farm where Sara (Emily Blunt) is raising mysterious kid Cid who has some spooky telekinetic skills. A bunch of thugs are also in pursuit make sure the mission is accomplished - if it was made clear which future these guys were from, I missed it!
I'm not sure the time-play in this storyline completely holds together. It's as intricate as, say, INCEPTION or even MEMENTO. But there's great pace and tension, the CGI is clever without being overdone, and the actors treat this far-fetched scenario with a seriousness it may not merit. And it has a very satisfying climax.
LOOPER is a lot better than most of this summer's mega-budget blockbusters.