Looper

Looper

Looper is a great sci-fi movie.  It is a movie far more interesting than what the trailer shows.  There are more sci-fi aspects than what is presented in the trailer.  The movie is interesting, but there are a few plotholes and timeline problems that are never revolved.  While it isn’t completely a dark movie, it does have some darker elements that might turn off some people.  With all that written, Looper is still a very good sci-fi movie. 

The plot is very complex, so you have to stay with me.

Basically, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a looper, a killer for hire, and he waits for a person to appear from the future in a field in his time period.  When the masked person appears, the Looper instantly guns down the person from the future.  The person has a bag of silver bars attached to him, and that’s how the looper receives payment.  However, there is catch.  Eventually, the looper has to “close his loop” by killing his future self.  When he kills himself, he receives gold bars instead of silver bars.  The looper no longer works for the future gangsters, and lives the rest of his life with the money until he meets his end with his past self.  Thus, we now know why they’re called loopers. 

Joe finally discovers that his future self is sent back in time, but Old Joe is unmasked and ready for Joe and escapes.  This leads to all sorts of events. 

Keep in mind that all of this is only in the first act of the movie.  The movie goes in a completely direction from then on.  The time travel plays a huge role in the story, but there are other elements brought into the story as well. 

It is Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s versions of the character of Joe that will draw people into the story.  Imagine if you could meet your future self?  You can see all the pain, mistakes and successes that you’ve had.  Yet, by meeting your older self, things are different.  Old Joe has or will have a different life than the currently Joe because the timeline jumped off the track once Old Joe refused to close his loop.  The leads to some interesting discussions on how time travel works in this universe. 

One of the cooler and creepy aspects about time travel in this movie is the way things change.  If your younger self does something to his body, it will retroactively appear on your older self.  It is a cool concept that I’ve never seen before, but it does sort of open a can of continuity worms though.  It is a fresh take on the time travel concept, but it does open a glaring plothole. 

Bruce Willis is very good as Old Joe.  Keep in mind he does some terrible things I won’t spoil for you in order to restore the future and past.  I am surprised they took it that far given the climate of guns and the issues of gun control. 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is excellent with expressions of Bruce Willis.  He mimics Willis mannerism.  The fake nose is a bit distracting, but I got use to it.  He turns from being an a-hole murderer to a person that tries to protect a family from Old Joe.  I like this change in the character.

Overall, Looper is a very good and fresh sci-fi drama that actually has some original things to say about time travel.  Rian Johnson outdid himself as writer and director.  Minus a few large time travel plotholes, this is a movie I can recommend highly.

Grade B+