Looper Reviews

Looper wasn't as action heavy as expected, instead the vision of the future and the idea of time travel was intelligently handled and the great performances and clever writing were the big thrill. A satisfying and refreshing change. As well as the performances and story, the direction is very stylish, the pace, editing and originality was both engaging and exciting. However, I thought the ending was very weak indeed. *Spoilers* I'm not sure what the point of raising so many ideas and questions is when you have no real idea of where it's going or how to answer them. The ideas where fresh and original, the 'Martyrs death' we see at the end seemed like a cop out to me, an easy way out and lazy writing. The last thing we needed was martyrdom at the end of this film, a better story would have found a clever way of answering the conundrum rather than just pulling the plug. Talk about anti-climax.

A

I really liked the special effects sequences and how they moulded together with the story. The movie has enough going for it, but might be a bit complicated for some audiences.

The idea feels original, and I enjoyed the film's style. I found it exciting most of the way, and I especially appreciated the conclusion, which took a different tack than the vast majority of action movies (spoiler alert?) in the way it depicted characters breaking the cycle of violence. It was particularly strange, for me, that I watched this movie around the same time as the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., as the film is somewhat interested in what we teach our children about violence. I wondered if over time, the film might come to be linked to the event, or at least, to the stricter gun control laws that (I hope) will come of it. But never mind the politics: this an unorthodox action movie, the enjoyment of which is only slightly diminished by the miscasting of Emily Blunt and some weird makeup on Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Definitely worth seeing, I really liked it.

Nothing here thqt impressed me. 2 1/2 stars 3-5-13

This is a good time travel thriller. It didn't have as much action as I was expecting, but the story is good and the special effects are done well and not over used for the sake of it. A well made enjoyable film that for once deserved some of the hype.

Looper is a clever and thoughtful techno-noir that has some plotholes but it makes up for them with a well executed ending.

Argh. Much as I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, this is not his best move. The idea has some potential, but . . . . Well, to each his/her own. Can't recommend this. Really takes the fun out of time travel. And, as you may know from my previous comments, I'm partial to time travel movies, so I really wanted to like this one : (

Sci-fi movie about time travel in the future that feels a bit like an old western. Clever, mind-bending and emotionally gripping. What's not to like?

Confusing. Some things not explained well. I was rather disappointed.

"Sometimes when a movie gets so much hype, it ends up not deserving it. But this movie does. It's one of the smarter sci-fi films I have seen in recent years. The film has a great cast, I love JGL, Bruce, Jeff Daniels, Emily Blunt and Paul Dano. The acting is great by them all. JGL is transformed into a younger version of Mr. Willis, and it was a little creepy. But he was able to pull it off by adding a few of Bruce's mannerisms. The young boy, Pierce Gagnon, who played Cid, was really good in this movie too. He scared the hell out of me and then made me want to pick him up and cuddle and protect him. Great acting by that little guy.

The story is really interesting and makes you think. The time travel is nicely done and doesn't come as cheesy and cliche'd like in so many other films. I kept going back and forth on how I thought it would end and who I wanted to survive, the older Joe or the younger Joe. They both had good reasons for wanting to survive. But then when it ended I was still surprised by the choice that was made. It's really a great film with plenty of action. I would definitely see this again."

Looper cannot overcome time travel paradoxes. It is nevertheless a more than worthy and welcomed entry into the sci-fi and time travel genre. Great acting, special effects and plot.

Face your future. Fight your past.

Good movie! Looper was enjoyable enough but I really can't understand all the praise. Maybe I expected too much of this film, but I was looking forward to a slick piece of speculative sci-fi that was thought- provoking, realistic and fairly deep. Instead, I got a lazily strung together generic action movie with a splash of time travel and super- powers. All in all, I really wouldn't agree with the reviews saying its clever etc. In my opinion the plot is extremely lazy and is secondary to the action. Which is fine. If you want to watch an action film. One of the main reason's I've even written this view is to counterbalance these reviews raving about this very mediocre film calling it a "masterpiece". I read reviews touting it's cleverness or how it goes to extra lengths to not leave plot holes and I think: am I even watching the same movie here?

In the year 2044, a man working for a group of killers called "Loopers" (they work for the mob and kill people who are sent blindfolded back in time from the year 2074 by their bosses) recognizes a victim as himself. He hesitates resulting in the escape of his older self.

Movies with a central time travel theme often reward the audience that pays attention to everything no matter how small the detail. Unfortunately, there aren't too many hidden gems to look for in here. In fact, as the movie progresses it's spelling out more and more of what the movie is all about with little implications and open-ended ideas. Some could say this is one of the movie's strongest features. Giving the audience a break from the norm of having to constantly take notes while watching a time travel movie. Honestly, I think that very thing is what dropped my rating on what is still a pretty good movie.

Looper is one of the few films that couples a new, fantastic concept with excellent execution and gutsy direction. It's especially special that it happens to be a science fiction film with intelligence to match all the visual thrills. It's not as mind bending and visually splendid as a film like Inception, but it's gritty B movie thrills are just as good on a lower budget. The performances are solid with Gordon-Levitt playing a tragic hero who grows on you throughout the film. The character development is actually very good. Bruce Willis plays the same kind of character he is well known for and does well. The first half of the film is kind of slow at parts and takes a while to get going, but once the plot starts revealing itself the film never lets up until a brave and utterly satisfying conclusion. The action is lots of chases and shooting at first, but it eventually gets to some incredibly tense moments. Looper is one of the most original science fiction movies I've seen in a long time and has the story and thrills to back it up. One of the best movies of the year.

A gem of a sci-fi movie concerning a hitman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in 2044 Kansas, who kills people sent back from the future, 30 years to be exact, when the mob wants someone gone in that time. When his future self (Bruce Willis) is sent back to be killed, a severe identity crisis takes place. A creative premise is anchored by phenomenal acting, especially Gordon-Levitt, beautiful cinematography, and a "Blade Runner"-esque take on society. The film has a couple problems with some characters, but aside from that it is hard not to enjoy the ride. Thank God we have an original film like this in an age of hollow remakes and hack jobs. At least this film actually has a heart and is touching when it needs to be. Gordon-Levitt is one of the best actors of our time and his films all deserve a view for his presence alone, and Bruce Willis has always been a commanding on-screen persona. Highly recommended.

A example of well made storytelling and quite impressive sci-fi film. Looper is kinda film that restores faith in originality in films overall and reminds me that art, entertainment and big heart can fit into one single film. With this thrilling film director/writer Rian Johnson turns all of expectations upside down and creates unforgettable cinematic adventure.
I was not that impressed about his debut feature Brick and his second film, Brothers Bloom was disastrous on almost every level. But with Looper he gets things more right. Some may approach this film as a pure entertainment but it is much more than that. Looper is actually complex, suspenseful, twisty and in the end emotional and touching story about another chance and love with possibility of redemption in it. Johnson's screenplay carries a huge emotional weight on it's shoulders and the well written lead characters feel like real humans with real emotions.
One of Looper's biggest surprises is clearly the performance by Bruce Willis. His older version of hired assassin Joe is possibly his most most well nuanced and complex perfromances in his whole career. It reminded me that Willis is actually an actor with talent and not some mindless action icon, which he too often is seen these days. Sure, there are some action scenes which involve Willis here but the way Johnson stages them is fresh and in contrast Willis give us believable portrait of a tormented soul in a desperate mission to save one person he loves the most. Equally good is always reliable Joseph Gordon-Levitt (as a younger Joe) who proves that he is capable of carrying this kind of leading role completely on his own. With his typical charm and boyish looks he once again wins over audiences empathy, even when he is playing a cold blooded assassin with a bad habit of drug problem. Only minor distraction is Levitt's heavy make-up effects that occasionally is too on the nose. I am not sure if it would be necessary to make it that heavy. Above Willis and Gordon-Levitt is stunning performance by Emily Blunt. Her protective mother Sara, who comes into the story somewhere in the halfway through film and her realtionship to her son Cid, is in the end this film's beating heart. When the story moves into the old farmhouse surrounded by eerie cropfields the whole film elevates into a somewhere so unexpected that you have to admire Johnson's ability as a writer.
Where many other directors might have turned this film into a pure slam-bang action flick, Johnson actually makes it more character driven drama with supernatural sci-fi twist. There are so many different elements on work here. The whole time-travel aspect of this film is quite impressive and Johnson's visual eye is confident as it is inventive. Nathan Johnson's score is haunting and pulse pounding in a just right places. Biggest credit still goes to Rian Johnson himself. Looper is only the third film in this young director's filmography and with it he achieves something truly original. It does not reach the heights of greatest sci-fi films like Duncan Jones' Moon or Ridley Scott's Prometheus, but i admire ambition and innovation behind it. It certainly is worth to see.

I enjoy sifi/time travel movies and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was GREAT!

As a time travel movie, it isn't without its fair share of paradoxes (don't see it if you're one of those people who hates movies that have logic flaws). However, Looper's fantastic cast and interesting sci-fi premise has that elusive effect of feeling like you're watching a future classic.

Probably the most mind-blowing action picture of the year. Both lead actors have never been better; Willis and Levitt have an intense chemistry together that is simply riveting. Writer-director Rian Johnson delivers a roller coaster ride of cool high concept sci-fi and slick action while still delivering an emotional punch that may leave audiences thinking a little.