Willis Gets Time Travel Right Again

Rating: 9/10 (6 March 2017)

Back in 1995, Bruce Willis starred in a movie ("12 Monkeys") that managed to do what most time-travel movies cannot: make even a modicum of sense. In "Looper", Willis (this time sharing the screen with Joseph Gordon-Levitt) once again gets time-travel right.
For a basic plot summary, "Looper" is set in a future where time travel isn't invented yet...but will be in thirty years, primarily used by the mob to get rid of their "dirty laundry". Each day, Joe (Gordon-Levitt) waits in a field and guns down time-looping individuals as they appear. One day, however, Joe must "close the loop" on himself by killing the older version of himself (Willis). When the time comes, though, Young Joe hesitates and Old Joe does not, leading to an interesting scenario filled with astounding possibilities.
Where "Looper" primarily succeeds (like "12 Monkeys" before it) is that it perfectly walks the fine line of successful time travel fiction: it doesn't come off as hokey, yet it doesn't spend too much time deconstructing the science involved. This is a story about people and their relationships, with the time travel being the vehicle towards that end. It also gives the viewing mind a lot to think about.
Only helping matters is the acting of the two leads. It is absolutely astounding how Gordon-Levitt was made to look like a young Willis. He is almost unrecognizable from his previously roles in films like "Inception" or "Dark Knight Rises". Their chemistry with each other is both intense and interesting, a fact that is only bolstered by the fact that they are one in the same person!
Overall, "Looper" is just a well thought-out time-travel flick that also packs a ton of drama and character emotion. High praise must be given to director Rian Johnson for making what can be a maddening subject into a coherent screenplay. It makes you think, makes you feel, and always keeps you guessing as to what will happen next.