Face your future. Fight your past.
Looper is a 2012 science fiction action thriller film directed by Rian Johnson, written by Rian Johnson, produced by TriStar Pictures, Film District, Endgame Entertainment, DMG Entertainment, and Ram Bergman Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. The film was not nominated for any Academy Awards.
"You're going to kill this guy? Your own self?" -Sara
Plot
Joe is a looper. He works for a crime syndicate from the future that sends their targets back in time for Joe to kill. When they send Joe's future self back in time to be killed, younger Joe isn't able to kill him. Now, both versions of Joe are in mortal danger as time is running out.
My Favorite Part of Looper
My favorite part of Looper is absolutely the ending. As we entered the final twenty minutes, I got worried. I was not confident that they were going to wrap the film up in a satisfying way. And not only was the end satisfying. It was shocking. It was awesome. It was one of the most unexpected and perfect endings I've ever seen. I haven't read reviews on this movie, so I don't know how many people agree with me, but the ending of this movie is, in my opinion, one of the best and most satisfying endings to a film...ever.
My Least Favorite Part of Looper
I think the structure of this film is a little bit weird. You don't really know what the main plot line is until halfway through the movie. The first half of the movie isn't really plot. It's setup. It's world-building. And I found this world so interesting. I really dug the first half. The second half is much more story-based, but I think it's a problem that I found the world-building and the setup more interesting and better than the actual story itself. It kind of feels like two separate movies, just because the first and second half are so different.
Why Looper Is Great
When done well, sci-fi is one of the coolest genres in film. Looper blends an interesting concept with exciting action and thrills, good characters, fun performances, and a slam-bang finale. While the back half of the film wanes in quality a little bit, the strong, complex world-building and awesome ending will make up for it. This is a really good sci-fi thriller. If you like time travel movies and you like psychological thrillers, this is a blend of those two. And you will dig it.
Final Thoughts
Looper is a very slick, very cool sci-fi movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat with an interesting idea and a tense atmosphere.
I will go Savory here. Age range is 12+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad)
Moldy (Terrible)
"Looper"
Directed by Rian Johnson
Rated R for strong bloody violence, nudity, language, thematic elements
Released on September 28, 2012
1 hour and 59 minutes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Young Joe
Bruce Willis as Old Joe
Emily Blunt as Sara
Pierce Gagon as Cid
Paul Dano as Seth
Jeff Daniels as Abe
Noah Segan as Kid Blue