Looper Review

Looper is one of the smartest sci-fi films in a long time and without spoiling anything, the marketing has done a fantastic job of keeping what the film is actually about under wraps, which is becoming frustratingly rare these days. Time travel is the name of the game, and while it's a premise that always leaves plot holes, Looper manages to disguise these gaps in logic enough that you simply buy into the story as it unfolds. Staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt who plays a young Bruce Willis with the help of some not so successful prosthetic make-up and an eerily accurate impersonation. Levitt's impersonation is so good in fact that you forget about the odd looking make-up and truly believe that he is a younger Bruce Willis. It's tough describing a movie that hinges so much on expectations or really the lack of them as is the case here but suffice to say Looper is an apt name, because you'll be flipped ass over tea kettle and be completely blown away by this stylish and unique sci-fi actioner. 

Strong performances and a great premise aren't the only thing making this the equivalent of Inception this year. There is a wonderful twist on typical audience expectations, and its the way the film plays around with those notions mixed with the directors stylish presentation that make this such a standout genre film. For example a simple but effective twist the movie uses is character motivations, in this case the protagonist has the motivations typically associated with the villain; greed, self interest, untrustworthy, etc. While the antagonist has motivations an audience would normally cheer on like fighting for the greater good and revenge over the death of a loved one. Its a simple twist but it keeps you engaged as you follow two characters that are going for each-others throats and you can't decide who to root for. As a tangentially related aside, this is the only movie I've ever seen legitimately justify killing a 4 year old. I looked around the audience at that moment and saw people frantically trying to figure out how to respond and looking around them for some sort of barometer. 

I really can't say more without giving too much away, simply know Looper is one of few genuinely unique and intelligent sci-fi action movies around. Great performances with a particularly frighteningly spot on impersonation by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The biggest surprise and the thing I am dancing around is worth this ridiculously coy review, without spoiling the surprise, it is something most movies fail miserably at accomplishing and yet this movie pulls off with such ease its mind blowing. When I realized where the movie was going I has all but given up, "well that was pretty amazing until this started" instead I sat there mouth agape as they defied all preconceptions and pulled off what even the most skilled filmmakers fail to do. I was stunned to say the least. The film doesn't reinvent the wheel at least not for the most part, nor does it aspire to be anything more than it is, a striking and deftly creative sci-fi film that will give your mind and your heart a run of their money. 

(4 out of 5)