Looper Review

There are some who say that originality is dead in Hollywood, that all the movies that come out these days are tired remakes or predictable sequels.

Those people need to rush out to see Looper right away. In fact, everyone should rush out to see Looper right away. There hasn’t been a science fiction film this good in a very long time.

Writer/director Rian Johnson has crafted a fantastically detailed futuristic world, populated it with rich, complex characters, and set them off on an adventure filled with action, drama, mystery, and emotion. The film combines a lot of elements to explore a central question:

How far would you go to change the future?

Would you assassinate people sent to you from the future? Would you harm others to send a message to their future selves? Would you kill innocents today if it meant stopping a monster in the future? Would you avoid a deadly future confrontation, or would you meet your fate head on?

Looper asks these and other questions in a gripping story that uses time travel better than most.

The story features Young Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as an assassin, called a Looper, who acts as a strongman for mob bosses operating 30 years in Joe’s future. The mobsters send people that they want eliminated back in time for Young Joe to deal with. One blast from his trusty blunderbuss is enough to solve the mob bosses problems and earn Young Joe a nice stash of silver.

When we are first introduced to Young Joe, things are pretty good for the lad. He is one of the few people in the dystopian society with money and possessions, and he spends his time living the good life. Things completely unravel, however, when the mob bosses task Young Joe to kill his older self. The arrival of Old Joe (Bruce Willis) onto the scene, and his subsequent escape from Young Joe touches off one of the most thrilling films of the year.

To discuss the plot in detail risks ruining this fantastic film, so I won’t write much about what happens. This is a film that you need to experience cold, with as few details of the film’s events spoiled for you. You only need to walk into the theater expecting to see a great science fiction film that blends time travel, telekinesis, and deep moral quandaries into a gripping narrative. What I will discuss is how well the components of the film fit together.

Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are great. They both are top-notch actors, and pitting the two of them against one another is inspired casting by the director. The two actors don’t look much alike in real life, but, thanks to a bit of makeup wizardry, you’ll believe they are the same person as they sit across the table from one another.  JGL even manages to capture some of Willis’ mannerisms, so they seem like the same person even when not sharing the screen. Leave it to Johnson to recognize that you get quality actors into your film no matter what it takes.

The world that Rian Johnson creates feels wonderfully authentic. The future according to Johnson is not pleasant. The gap between the haves and the have nots is not so much a gap as it is a gulf. The ones who are down and out will do anything to make ends meet, including steal and murder with impunity. It's a tough world meant for tough people. Those with money wield true power. They have the best of everything, and there is little to stop them from living out their fantasies. The social structure of the world is great, but the look of the world makes it feel very real. The production design takes our current technology, modifies things to seem a bit more futuristic, and then, importantly, rubs a little dirt on everything. It’s this lived-in quality of the world that really makes it authentic. This isn’t some high-gloss, ultra-clean civilization. It’s a real place in which real people struggle to make ends meet. The realistic quality of the setting reminds me of Children of Men, the wonderful film by Alfonso Curon from 2006.  

Some movies dealing with time travel become confusing muddled messes. It can be difficult for directors to keep the intricate plots, characters, and timelines clear, but there are no such concerns here. Johnson deftly manages a complex storyline and presents things in a clear, easy to follow manner. It’s remarkable that, despite the complexity of the story, every frame is packed with details and is electric in intensity. I wonder how many drafts of the script he needed to get such a tight story. However many it took, I applaud Johnson for putting in the effort to work out every detail and make sure that every moving part works well.

Few films are as well constructed as Looper. Few tackle complex themes in such a clear, powerful, and ultimately entertaining way as Looper. It’s original, deep, exciting, and it packs an strong emotional punch. Even coming into the film with very lofty expectations, Looper managed to surprise and awe me. Looper distinguishes itself as one of the best of the year and is a must see for anyone who values quality science fiction films.

5 out of 5 stars