REVIEW: Looper

 There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: In 2072, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.


THE GOOD: Story. Looper is a new film about time travel, and I love time travel movies. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson who is responsible for one of my favorite films of all-time, Brick. Honestly, Johnson can throw time travel into any story he's got and I'm going to automatically love it, but this guy is super clever. Not only is the premise ear-raising, but where the movie actually goes in terms of the story is incredibly engaging. Marketing has done a great job of making this look like a straight cold-blooded sci-fi action thriller. That's what's going to get people into the theatres. But I'm thankful that almost the entire second half of the movie is barely hinted at in the commercials and trailers, so it comes as quite the surprise. Time travel works in many different ways in the movie world. Johnson's version is just as original as anyone else's. Are there holes in the theory? Absolutely, but in a key scene in the diner, Bruce Willis says, "I don't want to talk about time travel, because if we start talking about it then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws." Some people see this as an excuse or Get Out of Jail Free card for Johnson, but I love this quote because it tells us two things: 1) Don't over-think things, and 2) time travel is not as important as the story itself. People who get hung up on facts or reality often are going to nitpick at this film. What I would urge those folks to do is remind themselves that this is sci-fi... Science Fiction.

Miatas are apparently not just for girls in the future.

Rian Johnson. You can really tell that Rian Johnson puts a lot of TLC into everything he does. From Brick to The Brothers Bloom, and from Breaking Bad to Looper. His attention to detail and focus really makes him one of the best emerging directors. I like to compare him to Joss Whedon a lot. Sure, Whedon is almost 10 years Johnson's senior, but their abilities in original storytelling are similar. Where Whedon might go for a little more fun and silliness, Johnson takes the higher road and really ups the ante with every film he directs. The other individual I like to compare him to is Christopher Nolan. Nolan certainly has a more refined sense of storytelling, but as Johnson grows with experience, I am certain that we are going to see really high caliber stuff.

Acting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a really great Bruce Willis. In an interview, I heard him say that even Willis was impressed at times. The make-up team also deserves some props for completing the physical transformation of the young actor. As far as Bruce Willis goes, I'm happy to say that he's good here. Lately, it feels like he takes certain roles just for the paycheck, but there seemed to be a lot of passion for him behind this project. Considering that the movie had a budget of only $30 million, this was not just a simple payday for him. Emily Blunt is quite good in the film as well. She does an impeccable southern accent, but slips out of it every now and then into a regular American accent. Better than going into her British accent, I suppose. Finally, child actor Pierce Gagnon plays Emily Blunt's son in this picture and he deserves a lot of praise for his intense performance.

Score. Nathan Johnson is Rian Johnson's cousin who has been scoring his films since Brick. For Looper, Nathan Johnson used a lot of industrial noises to create virtual instruments in some computer software. He wandered the streets of New Orleans picking up sounds for the score. The Looper score is his best work yet.

Willis and Gordon-Levitt clear some room on the table to play some paper football.

THE BAD: Hoverbike effects. Most of the special effects in Looper are great, especially considering the smaller budget. Pretty much the only problem I had with the film was with the hoverbikes. Anytime a character was riding them, it looked bad. Really bad. Wish a little more attention would have be paid here.


THE END: Looper is one of the best time travel films. While I do not enjoy it as much as Brick, it is a completely different style of movie. I expect some big stuff to happen to Rian Johnson in the near future. I'm predicting a major big-budget motion picture. Maybe another film or two before, but he'll be directing something with a $100+ million budget in no time. Go see Looper as soon as you can.


DISCUSS: What did you think of Looper? What's your favorite time travel movie? Did you enjoy any of Rian Johnson's previous films? What did not work for you in this movie?

 Here, Joseph Gordon-Levitt learns that this film is basically just a reversal of the movie The Kid.