Review of Looper (2012) by Gavin S — 01 Oct 2013

For sheer enjoyment and originality 5 stars upon first viewing. When the first thing I want to do is watch a movie again, it was obviously very good or very confusing. This is the former, with bits of the latter, but not confusing enough to be bothersome.

I love so much about this movie...Joseph Gordon-Levitt is absolutely fantastic as Joe, the younger version of Bruce Willis. He looks like him (actual makeup and prosthetics, not CGI) he kinda talks like him he has mannerisms like him, he even moves and fights like him...if nothing else this is fantastic mimickry. However, when you throw in the plot involving Hitmen in the present (the titular Loopers) killing people from the future and then destroying their bodies in the past...it gets interesting. Also, what happens when your future self comes back and stares you in the face when you're about to execute him/you?

This has shades of all the good parts of 12 Monkeys, and goes even darker too. We're never entirely sure who's the good guy and bad guy, or if they're actually both good/bad, but it doesn't matter because it's fun, fast paced, and keeps you thinking.

Another reviewer said if you don't have to put Emily Blunt into your movie until an hour in, you must have a damn good one...this is true. Her story crossed into Joe(s) path(s) and by the time we get to the reveal at the end, mind is blown, and 2 days later I'm still trying to process how it could work...

I always like Time Travel movies, and this one just throws the usual rules out the door. Not only do selves meet up, they actually try to change the timeline as much as they can to manipulate the future. There's some great parts when a present self is communicating with a future self by carving in his arm, so the future self sees it as a scar on his arm...very cool.

I love so much about this, and I haven't even mentioned that Bruce Willis gets to kick some serious ass here. Nor did I get to Jeff Daniels solid turn as well, and the questions I still have about his character.

I always feel like if you walk out of a movie talking furiously and asking tons of questions or having major discussions, then mission accomplished in the making a brilliant film department.

I will DEFINTELY be watching this again, and I encourage anyone who likes movies with any sort of substance to watch this. I will be shocked if you're not entertained.