Looper is my favorite movie of the year. I got the blu ray the day it was released and watched it immediately. I find the self inclosed story (with no need for sequels or prequels) to be very refreshing in a genre populated by franchises. While I avoided the movie in theaters for some time, after hearing about how good it actually was I went to see it and was blow away. Part of this is most likely because my expectations were not great. The idea of the mob using time travel didn't seem plausible. I think a bigger organization than the mob would be required to harness and use a power as awesome as time travel. How about a government conspiracy with CIA agents instead of criminals? Regardless of that fatal flaw the world created by writer director Rian Johnson is flawless. He brought a skeptical viewer (myself) to an adoring viewer in less than 10 minutes.… Expand

A well constructed story-driven scifi film that doesn't hit you over the head with explanations about causality but just works with the already well established (mainly by Back to the Future I guess) hollywood time-travel ruleset. Levitt plays a younger Bruce Willis and does so very well but his 'altered' appearance does take some getting used too. One of the better films of 2012 and certainly a recommended watch!… Expand

The summer brought us many blockbusters, The Avengers, Men in Black 3, Prometheus, the Amazing Spider-Man, and the Dark Knight Rises. It was a successful summer overall, but the fall season is where the Oscar contenders come out, and with that, I have Looper, which is the first fall movie of the year that looks like it can contend with the heavy weights. The story takes place in the year 2044,

It's a mix of "10" scenes and three times as much "6". Worth watching--as is any film that manages to have even a minute of level ten. But, 66 critics saying 8.2? They're bonkers.

I've shied away from movies of late. There was a time when I would have got excited by the next big science fiction movie, but I didn't really care Looper, and didn't rush out to see it, (even if it did feature the beautiful Emily Blunt). Especially since advertisements had compared it to that Wachowski Brothers film, which, although visually inventive at the time, had laughable dialogue. I eventually rented Rian Johnson's movie one bored Saturday evening. At first I couldn't get into it, so slept on it and watched it the next morning when I was more awake. Firstly, I must say how refreshing it is to see a movie that actually works. The visual aesthetic is convincing, and never at one point could I not suspend disbelief in this reality. Although it does not suffer with bad dialogue like many high concept movies where the focus is too much on the topography and plot of the movie, the dialogue is still probably the weakest element here. The film is competently acted by its cast leading me to check afterwards that Emily Blunt was indeed English. Props to her there for the accent. The film kept me engrossed throughout it's two hour duration. Admittedly it never really set my pulse racing, nor did it provoke me, or set the synapses firing, but neither was I bored. The plot is not overly taxing, but there are enough temporal shifts to keep it interesting. There were some nice stylistic flourishes which were probably unnecessary, but you come to expect style over content in this genre. The film does feel a little horizontal and flat at times, but maybe that is the mille plateaux. I would have to agree that I never really felt for the characters, although there was some humanity from Blunt's character. Although dystopian, to say that there is no hope whatsoever is untrue. There is some optimism to its denouement. I'm still waiting on a science fiction film that does not rely on weaponry for its thrills, and I'm growing tired of hearing profanities. I think it makes for lazy dialogue. However, I must concur this is one of the better things I have seem for quite some time. They called it a golden age at the Baftas, and I must admit sensing something of a renaissance in film at the moment.… Expand

"Looper" is great, simply great! It's original, fun, well written and directed, Gordon- Levitt and Bruce Willis are awesome as the same person, it has a fast rhythm and a dynamic soundtrack, it's just fantastic!

I expected a twist to come at some point in the movie because everything had been so predicable. Even during the final minutes of the movie I was hoping for something to happen other than the ending I had predicted about 30 minutes into the movie. I was sorely disappointed by another derivative Hollywood cut-and-paste sci-fi.

First of all, let me take a moment to praise outstanding work done by the director and writer of this movie, Rian Johnson. I have watched a lot of science-fiction films that incorporate the elements of time travel and in the beginning, this movie seems like any other typical science-fiction film but it has a lot of surprises, the amount of creativity that has been put in the making of this film. Looper is a remarkable and beautiful film, with astounding performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Young Joe Simmons), Bruce Willis (Old Joe Simmons), Emily Blunt (Sara Rollins) and Pierce Gagnon (Sara… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Time travel stories are tricky. No matter how much you try to put it all together, there always are loose ends. As good as this Sci-fi story may be, it suffers from this problem. Einstein called this "the time travel paradox". While travelling in the future is concievable through time dilation, traveling in the past is an other story.

In Looper, Old Joe comes back in time to prevent the death of his love. However, Old Joe is a different version of the Young Joe in the movie. Old Joe who actually killed his older self 30 years ago, now escapes from his younger self. This is a time paradox : if old Joe escapes, young Joe will not follow the course of events that leads him to become the old Joe who loses his wife and travel backs in time. The very fact that Old Joe saves himself denies his very existence. The only way the old Joe can exist with altered Young Joe is if we suppose that 2 different versions of our universe can co-existe. If looper sticked to this theory, it would actually make sense. Unfortunately, it doesn't. At some point, you see that everything Young Joe does to himself affect old Joe. If Old Joe is from universe B and Young Joe is from universe A, than whatever Young Joe does to himself is unlikely to affect Old Joe, since they both come from their own universe. However, Old Joe is affected by Young Joe, and can only possible if there can be only one universe that auto-corrects itself. The writter of this story conveniently switches between two VERY opposite theories of time travel to push the story forward.

I'll take the ending as an example to make my point. Old Joe's quest to kill the child version of rainmaker ironically leads him to create the tyran version rainmaker of his own futur. The very one he wanted to change. old Joe nearly fulfills his destiny as he shoot the child rainmaker in the jaw and is about to the mother. Young Joe sees the never ending loop that he must now break. So he takes his own life, detroying Old joes very existence in the process. Does it make sense? Not really... If old Joe very existence disappears, so should every of his actions. He never, came back from the futur, escaped, gave the adress of the barn to young Joe who thus never meets the child version of rainmake and so he never kills himself to save his mother. Yet... the childs jaw is still wounded, and yound Joes body is still there. So how can Old Joe very existence be erased and the consequences of his actions still exist? The ending just dosn't make sense. By killing himself, only two things could have happened : A) Old Joe doesn't disappaer because he is from a different universe in which he killed his older self B) The only one universe either collapse on itself, or "corrects itself". If it does correct itself as the movie suggests at some key points, then at the very moment young Joe killed himself Child rainmaker's wound would disappear, he and his mother would be back in their house enjoying some tea. None of them would remember Young Joe or Old Joe.

I enjoyed the movie, and overall the story is very "enjoyable". I am not saying it's bad, but the way this movie exposes time travel is choppy.… Expand

Looper seems to suffer from over-expectation, going by some reviews. Heavily pushed as the "new matrix", I struggled to find the similarity to the Keanu Action-blockbuster. Sure, Looper is a high-concept movie but its much smaller in scale and focus - and all the better for it. There's action but its quite spaced out and rarely the showstopper that a film like the Matrix would require. Instead we get a very good turn from JGL playing his character like a young Bruce Willis. When it works, its fantastic although sometimes the eyebrows seemed a bit too much. Willis himself is great as the reluctant assassin and the two play off each other well in their scene together. The rest of the cast work well, although I would have liked a bit more of Jeff Daniels. But sometimes its better to be left wanting more. Overall though, Looper is a nice bit of sci-fi but not the picture some will be expecting. The script can feel a little clunky but its got enough nuance to carry through to the ending which, while some hated it, I quite enjoyed.… Expand

Looper is a really good movie! Great special effects and a great story. The best thing about Looper is that it perfectly mixes story and action making it a must see! I'd highly recommend it to anyone so long as they don't have an extreme hate of the Sci-fi genre!

If you could go back in time and kill baby Hitler, would you? Like

What happened to cinema, Looper is a terrible film, reasons are 1. shaky cam 2. baby being shot 3. poor writing 4. not believable. Joespeh gordon levitt really gave a poor performance as well as the others. The best scenein the film was the credits, everything was so off. It was unwacthble, do not see this, my nan approved this message.

This movie has an interesting premise and great actors and acting, which make up for the sometimes-lackluster action sequences. I think that if ones goes into this movie looking for simply an action movie, they will be disappointed. However, if you want something deeper: compelling characters and character development, suspense, moral dilemmas, then you will be satisfied. The film does suffer a bit at a few crucial plot points, where it's not entirely clear what happened. If you leave the theater confused, then look online for an explanation and it should make those little pieces fall into place nicely.… Expand

Anyone that has not seen this movie yet, you need to see it. This movie is an instant classic. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is amazing in it. This movie will really f**k with your mind if you like that s**t. I really rec amend this movie to everyone.

Truth to be told, I don't get why everyone thinks Looper is so great. Joseph Gordon Levitt's makeup to try to look like Bruce Willis is awful and makes him look like a wax figure and that's the smallest of Looper's problems. The premise is good but never fully explored. In the end, it just falls into the cliches of sci-fi, like the fake kid who talks like an adult. The boy who performs that character promises to become the new Nicholas Cage with his over-the-top acting. Emily Blunt is great as usual, but her character's relationship with Joseph Gordon Levitt's was terribly contrived. The villains are cardboard characters which you know are bad guys because they wear black clothes and are dumber than an Adam Sandler character. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and the few action there is are what made Looper a barely passable movie.… Expand

I have mixed feelings toward this movie. Looper was well edited, and suspenseful. The acting was solid, and I enjoyed the futuristic/dystopian world they created. The music fit the mood perfectly, the cinematography was also great. The problems start with the movie's plot. There are some plot holes and inconsistencies in the story, because the way time traveling was portrayed. It was impossible even on a theoretical level (I could write an essay about the problems, there are so many). I wish they would not screw up the time travel part, because that part meant to be a key element, but it just made the plot confusing and senseless at some points. Otherwise technically the movie was really well made.… Expand

I went in to this movie with high expectations because of the reviews, than i watch the movie and i was bored by it, this movie is clearly made for fans of time travel and science fiction and no one else, the plot is vary complicated and requires a lot of thinking and concentration, i got bored by this movie because i'm not a big fan of time travel movies, if you are not a fan of time travel,science fiction or vary complicated movies, i would say avoid this movie because you will probably not like it

5/10… Expand

The most interesting Movie of 2012 by far. The storyline is just great. If the middle of the wasn't a bit overextended, I think I'd give it a 10. The Movie is full of memorable characters, the actors play well. Also the ending is really intense!

One of the masterpieces of the science fiction, where we appreciate good theories abiut the future and the mafias of the future.
The Performance of Gordon-Levitt and Willis is awesome, and we appreciate some similarities between the two actors
This movie shows us again that the science fiction is a genre able to make excellent movies.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well written,strong performances and brilliant action set pieces. I loved this film when I first saw it, I missed the marketing so I wouldn't ruin anything (The young boy who played Sid and Jeff Daniels). Joesph Gordon Levitt does a great job 'as Bruce Willis' and this was one of Bruce Willis's best performaces in years (massive fan of his). Emily Blunt was fantastic as Sid's mother, but for me Sid stole the movie. I had no idea there was a telekinetic part to the plot which was a great surprise for me. The only thing I had a problem with was Jeff Daniels was under used (I think he is very under rated)

I think this will have a following in 20 years like Blade Runner!… Expand

Reading some of the reviews on imdb.com I was excited to see this, I dont think the movie's story is all that great, I guess I was expecting a better movie, 7/10 is the best I can give this.

Looper was a disappointing film that, having promised so much in its trailer, did not satisfy in both its uncompelling storyline, cliched acting and futuristic (borderline annoying) cinematography.

I loved this movie. It has an original take on a dirty future that does not require old blade runner sets remade. It handles the time travel stuff perfect. Not to mention it has Bruce Willis and a some machine guns, what is not to like.

What bothers me about this movie isn't that it's stupid. It's that so many stupid people are calling it "smart". Right, so the Mob has time-machine technology. But instead of using it to, say, send them back football scores or manipulate the stock market, they use it to get rid of bodies. Right, that makes ALL KINDS of sense. Oh, and instead of just using the time machine (which would obviously have to also be a "space" machine, since the planet is constantly moving) to dump the bodies into the ocean, or a volcano, or outer space, they hire people in our time to kill them. *sigh* If you think this movie is "smart" or "clever" or any of the other terms currently being used to describe it, it's because you yourself are an idiot.… Expand

I am writing this review 30 minutes after I saw this movie. This movie started ok, it had a few plot holes but otherwise the first third the movie went smooth. Then it was destroyed. The rest was a mix of mass confusion that didnt add up at all. It had magic 10 year olds, and became rediculous. None of the characters were connecting with me. The entire movie I was thinking, "I dont even care what happens to these people". The movie was funny at times, but only due to the ridiculous scenes. This movie couldve been more like Inception or The Matrix, but instead of being thought-provoking, it was a bad action movie. Definitely skip this.… Expand

A good sci-fi story done with finesse. Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt closely. He may not "look" like a younger Bruce Willis, but he has his familiar mannerisms and speech down: especially in a sit-down with a crime boss. For the most part, the story takes some unexpected turns but doesn't hold up in the ending, which is telegraphed in advance. Too bad, because this had the makings of a classic. Still, the acting and direction elevate this to a must-see of Fall films.… Expand

Best movie I've seen in a long time. Genius plot, awesome actors and great cinematography. Definitely the best movie of the year. I really was excited when I saw the trailer, but I didn' t expect to have been as surpised as I became.

Looper is a movie that has time travel in it, but at its core, it is a character drama, a movie about a crime and redemption.

First of all, while time travel is a plot element which tends to promote intricate, complex plots which can at times be confusing but also enjoyable, Looper intentionally tries to avoid that by keeping vague the actual details of what time travel is and what effects actions in the past have on the present. Looper is less interested in exploring what the actual implications of time travel would actually be, and rather simply uses them to achieve its real goal, which is a way for the main character to literally come face to face with himself, and try to decide what he wants to be.

Because of this, the movie has a very noticeable shift in pacing midway; at the start, the film is chaotic with very few moments of respite, while once everything is in place for the real story to start, the movie really takes its time to build up to a final conclusion.

The problem I had with this movie wasn't that any part of it was really bad; but that the focus of the film was actually much weaker than the premise and exposition. The technology and setting of the movie are incredibly detailed. There is a definite feel to the cities that aren't quite too futuristic but are also just a little different to modern cities. And while the time travel was a little less sophisticated than I would have liked, it really wasn't difficult to get the suspension of disbelief going because everything in the film was just so consistent. I think my favorite segment was just the very first ten minutes, where we get to gleam a sort of basic understanding of the world. However, when the movie shifts into a drama, a lot of the initial charm of the movie is lost. Two of the major characters are introduced midway through, and because of that, it's just difficult to become emotionally attached to them. A lot of the scenes that are intended to create sympathy just feel rushed, and it felt like a weak way of manipulating me into caring, rather than actually showing or emphasizing the characters of the movie. This may be a minor spoiler, but in general I don't think it's a good idea for a lot of the emotional weight of a movie to depend on a child; it's simply too difficult to get an actor good enough to carry that burden. In particular, I remember in multiple scenes of the movie, which were intended to display the child's emotional instability, laughter erupted in the theater because the kid's expressions were just so exaggerated. And while we are on the topic of tone, there was almost TOO much comedic relief in the movie. It got to the point where it detracted from what was actually going on.

Again, there really wasn't any part of the movie that I didn't enjoy, but the first half was incredible while the second half, intended to be the real climax of the film, was just plain good, and that just gives me a feeling that a lot of potential was wasted.… Expand

Looper is a film that could have spiralled out of control at any moment either with its introduction of new sci-fi elements throughout the first hour, or its slightly complex use of time travel which is the emphasis of the science fiction portion of this film. The reason nothing went into disarray is because it was expertly written, keeping itself grounded as much as it could while delivering the viewer with a world to sink its teeth into. What Looper does to surpass itself from merely being an incredibly visceral science fiction and action experience, is it delivers character development and individual moments that transcend what is already a pretty packed film full of interesting ideas and motifs. It's hard not to instantly compare the film to others such as Twelve Monkeys, Inception and even The Matrix, but I think that's what Johnson does best is pull the vibe from other films and source materials (he read a lot of Philip K. Dick before writing this) then incorporate them into a film that feels wholly his own.

Go to http://independentcinema.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/im-from-the-future-go-see-looper/ for the rest of the review.… Expand

One of the best films of 2012, if not, THE BEST. This movie aims to achieve the main thing we all want in movies, a mesmerising and intriguing science fiction action movie that drives the attention of the audience at all times, and that is what a great film does.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Looper has a fantastic start but soon collapses under a weak combination of different storylines and a somewhat random plot element that has too much contrast with the Rian Johnson's "realistic approach".
I was enjoying the film profusely in the beginning - and then Johnson brought up "telekinesis". Yes, being able to move things with your mind. Up until that point, "Looper" has been depicted as a semirealistic movie that focuses on the gangster influenced youth. Bringing telekinesis in for about ten seconds, Johnson then abruptly drops it until it appears in a major plot point. The problem: telekinesis simply has too weak of a context to be actually taken seriously at this point in the movie, making it just seem like a cheap gimmick.
There was also a huge issue in the way the characters were portrayed. At first, I really admired the way Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon Levitt tackled the whole "one being, future vs present" issue: one of them is a naive hothead, while the other is a slightly sadistic but mature old man. Both have great traits that enable us to sympathize with both of them, and the whole first third or so of the movie really plays this development out. And then, Johnson introduces the stupid kid, Sid. Why is Sarah not his mom? Why does that even matter? Why is he so annoying? Why is he such an obnoxious child? Johnson wants us to sympathize with this superkid, yet he makes him as annoying as possible. He also adds an extraneous tension with his mom, Sarah. Apparently she's not his real mom...or is she? Why does it matter, why does Sid have to hate his mother? Willis already suggests that he saw his mom die, so why can't that mom be Sarah and not her sister?
Johnson then wants the audience to feel for Sid by giving him...super telekinetic powers. Yes, a little brat who treats his pretty awesome guardian like crap also causes **** to fly around when he gets mad. Is this Looper or "It's a Good Life"? Instead of the highly anticipated, and heavily emphasized game of cat vs mouse between Willis and Levitt, we get two separate simultaneous story lines that show Willis being cool and Levitt learning to open his heart to women and children. I understand the need to keep plot details to a minimum in trailers, but jesus christ what a misleading bunch of teasers. I wouldn't even mind if the unshown twist was well done and clever; instead we get the same old "kid and mom warm up a killer's heart".
There are plenty of other issues. Every single **** Sid freak out scene is just done so poorly...it's supposed to be serious and emotional, not some guy floating in mid air dancing. Also, Johnson makes us sympathize with Jesse the hired gun: he **** puts his gun down when he sees Sid fall, and then he gets ripped apart by telekinesis? How are we supposed to **** sympathize with that super brat?
I really wanted to like Looper, and I still do. Rian Johnson made a fantastic movie with Brick, and Joseph Gordon Levitt is one of THE best actors today. And who could forget Bruce Willis - one of the most overly typecast and underrated actors of movie history. Unfortunately, there are simply too many flaws with both character development, plot devices, and just plain old "not supposed to be funny but **** hilarious scenes" (Jesse flying and looking like an idiot before getting ripped apart). Unrelated nudity, too many characters...Looper was a great big letdown.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Looper is a movie that epitomizes how an ending can make or break a story. Looper is the complete and utter opposite of what we saw happen with the Mass Effect franchise. Whereas the ME series was fantastic up until the last 10 minutes of ME3, I found Looper to be "just okay" up until the last 10 minutes - and then it blew my freakin' mind. Without getting "spoily," I will be completely honest - I almost walked out on Looper about 45 minutes in. Why? I have a personal problem with disturbing/graphic violence. I'm very sensitive and have trouble dealing with certain kinds of violence (not so much guns and shooting, but the kind of violence that haunts the imagination). The first 45 minutes or so has a LOT of that. There were parts I couldn't watch, while there were other parts I COULD watch but freaked the hell out of me (hint to people who have seen the movie: Old Seth. I can't get it out of my mind). However, when the movie gets to the point where we're introduced to the young version of the Rainmaker, I decided to stay - and I'm glad I did. Whereas the Mass Effect ending completely ruined the franchise for me, the ending of Looper completely redeemed the convoluted blood bath that went before. My initial thought when the credits rolled: "I hated it - and it blew my freakin' mind." My feelings about the movie as a whole are mixed. I admit my bias against graphic violence plays a huge role in these mixed feelings, so I will put all of that aside and say that the premise is fantastic, the acting is superb (the kid in this movie was outstanding) and DESPITE the violence, the story of this movie is well-written and mind-blowing. It reminded me of the original Terminator movie (one of my favourite movies of all time). I probably won't watch it again because of my sensitivity to violence, but for those of you who can deal with it, it's a story that's both touching and profound will leave your jaw hanging open when the credits roll.… Expand

Looper keeps you guessing the entire way through. The character development is great, while Willis and Gordan-Levitt play the same person, they act differently. Gordan-Levitt shines on screen with his true big screen debut, with this being his first film he plays the most significant role. Willis does a great job at displaying his emotion effectively on-screen. Looper's action scenes and special effects are top-tier the whole way through, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. It has some great twists throughout adding to the how unpredictable it is. Looper is one of the smartest sci-fi films ever made, and is easily one of the best films of 2012 so far.… Expand

When I saw the trailer for this film, I was interested in the concept, but I initially thought that it would probably simply be a cool scifi action film and tried not to let myself get too excited. After seeing a lot of positive reviews, I was hopeful that this was going to be a great film, but upon seeing the film all of my expectations and hopes for it were exceeded.

The film throws out so many ideas and concepts for the first 3/4 of the film that I wasn't sure if everything would be resolved by the end, but amazingly, through exceptional directing, every loose end was tied up by the end of the film.

This was a rollercoaster that ebbed and flowed from amazing action sequences to thought provoking scenes, and is one of those rare films that I feel like I could watch over and over again.… Expand

In short, this is not a bad film it is just not a very good one. The first twenty minutes of the film had me completely engorged by it's style, understated tone and intriguing if not completely original plot line. By it's second act, however, it begins to run out of steam. It becomes distracted by sub plots that are never realized and characters that lose their initial promise of depth. By the end of the film I felt like I was deprived of the breath of fresh air it could have been had it managed to focus more on its core characters, central story lines and themes. Instead it asks the audience for the all to generous courtesy of ignoring its plot holes, shallow characters and abrupt and underwhelming ending. Given the critics and audience response especially, I was mostly unimpressed. Save it for a rainy day when your Netflix queue feels stale.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is one trippy movie..I like movies like this with cool inventions.Except for a few scenes,it is definitely not predictable.
I think they left room for a Looper 2 in the future.… Expand

Among the best films of 2012, Looper is ultra-violent, ultra-stylish and ultra-cool. It's bold, brave, smarter that even itself thinks, and most of all, extremely enjoyable. I wanted to see it again straight away.

I have three words. SAVE YOUR MONEY! I am a big Bruce Willis fan and if that is why you are going to see this it is a big let down, 10 min was probably all he was in the movie. This movie was so slow it was hard not to fall asleep. My husband did 3 times, I kept waiting for the good stuff to start. Then I realized the good parts were all shown in the trailers. We were very disappointed to say the least. I would not even call this a good renter. We even checked the reviews and both views said go. Now I wonder if they wandered into the wrong theater. Bruce. You are a much better actor. How about a sequel to Reds?… Expand

This movie could have been so much more, but unfortunately shot itself in the foot around the time after the farm house was first seen. Around 30 - 40 minutes of nothingness... but relationship building and character development.. this is not what I want to see in a Sci-Fi Thriller/ Action movie... Having said that, along with a few other irritating nuances.. I must say, stunning visuals, great acting, wonderful script.. it's a shame they let the structure go so horribly wrong.… Expand

The movie was ok. The only problem i had is Bruce is left handed and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is right handed. Did anyone else notice that. If i had to grade the movie i would give it a C plus

This was a fantastic movie and I would say is a genuinely new idea to hit theaters. Without spoiling anything all I can say is that it goes beyond the average "time-travel loop" plot and every time it seems like it's going to follow a clichà (C) it veers off in a different direction. The only things I can see that people might not like are that it is much more of a psychological thriller than an action film, which the trailers make it out to be, and that there are several threads left untied at the end of the movie; while some might find these unexplained parts of the story annoying, I liked them and the fact that the movie left the viewer with some questions gave me a lot to think about after the credits. Its a hard movie to describe without spoiling, but the best way I can put it is Terminator meets Memento, with a little Donnie Darko thrown in. This is an instant classic in the science fiction genre and I absolutely recommend it.… Expand

It's definitely not a bad movie. I see what they tried to do with all time stuff and for casual consumer it may be a lot to comprehend and it will take time to think this movie through. The thing is I watch Doctor Who a lot and I got used to all the time travel stuff and in Doctor Who this things a lot deeper and confusing. Can't rate performance of Levitt or Willis because i saw this movie in translation. As i said it's not a bad movie. In fact it may be very good but my familiarity with Doctor Who kinda ruins movie for me. It gets 6 out of 10. If it wasn't for Doctor Who this movie would probably got 8 or 9 out of 10… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mildly entertaining premise that wasn't executed well. The movie's ending was terrible.

The main character just happens to end up on the very farm as the kid he is looking for after running from the diner? He didn't even know what that information on the note was until the farm owner explained it to him.

The story seemed to grow more and more inconsistent after the farm culminating with this hardened killer sacrificing himself for some kid he barely knew.… Expand

I dont like this movie. its too much like bladerunner and is not original at all. It was the biggest waste of 9 dollars and two hours of my life. No one should see this movie.

It's very interesting thriller. Everything is perfect. It's "hard" movie and age rating is right. The story is very interesting and it's difficult to keep track of the story cunningly. I think it's one of the best movies of 2012.

An endlessly creative mind-blowing film that captures everything right about the movie going experience. Johnson conjures up the most imaginative action/science fiction film since 'Inception.'

To even begin watching Looper one has to discount the glaring plot hole which should make the film redundant. Then once you have gotten over this, you must suspend your disbelief once again and just accept the ride (less a rollercoaster, more a long boring motorway in a spluttering old volkswagen golf) without questioning further the plot as the director has quite cleverly written the film in such a way that any bizarrities that might pop up throughout can be never fully explained; only through vague guesses can one try to make sense of whats happening. The film itself is paced so unevenly that it made me uncomfortable, sometimes moving so fast as it aims to confuse, at other times crawling at a pace that makes snails look like time travellers. The world that is created is as one-dimensional as the characters. The director has a chance to delve deeper into the decaying society of the future, yet we know practically nothing; all we are given is about 30 seconds worth of lazy city shots and some extreme poverty, which is enough to get one interested but is inexplicably never expanded on. JGL is the stereotypical young reckless man, Bruce the stereotypical older and wiser man. What we are to learn from this is unclear and is about as deep as the main characters get (except at the end when for some reason one character has a change of personality over the space of a day or so). Blunt and JGL are not terrible actors in any way shape or form, and neither is Bruce Willis for that matter, however the direction results in some fairly hammy and uncomfortable acting and some scenes are plain unwatchable without seeing them in a humorous light.

All in all, this is a sci-fi film without a coherent sci-fi plot, a drama without character development, a thriller without the thrills and suspense and an action film without much action (apart from one scene which, again needs suspending disbelief to watch, where Bruce seems to think he is Die Hard, or even more likely the Expendables.)… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nel 2044 i ricchi sono ricchi e i poveri si arrangiano servendoli. I primi vivono nei grattacieli di una città che ricorda vagamente ‘Blade runner’ (ma senza le pubblicità), i secondi abitano in caseggiati popolari davanti ai quali parcheggiano le loro macchine rappezzate. Il risultato una società violenta e infiltrata dalla malavita: in più, rispetto ai giorni nostri, ci sono i loopers, assassini prezzolati che uccidono le vittime della mafia che vengono loro spedite da trent’anni nel futuro. Un lavoro pulito, pagato con i lingotti recapitati sulla schiena del malcapitato, che però può incepparsi quando a tornare il te stesso invecchiato. Dopo tanti altri, capita anche a Joe (per la seconda volta in pochi mesi ecco un killer di nome Joe): il problema che il passare degli anni lo ha fatto diventare Bruce Willis che, in cerca di vendetta, non ha nessuna voglia di farsi ammazzare. A partire da questo momento, ‘Looper’ si trasforma da buon thriller fantascientifico con qualche eccesso di violenza e manierismo ad opera di valore assoluto grazie a una seconda ora che, giocando tra i contrastanti sentimenti umani e i paradossi del viaggio nel tempo, affascina senza possibilità di scampo fino all’efficacissimo finale. E’ vero che, forse, sarebbe stato di ancor maggior effetto ribaltare la conclusione, ma questo un film, non un romanzo di Dick e allo spettatore fa piacere alleggerire un po’ l’animo dopo tanta cupezza e tensione: il giovane Joe decide di spezzare il cerchio (il loop che sarebbe stato meglio tradurre con circolo o anello) ed un bel cambiamento da parte di un tossico capace di sacrificare il suo miglior amico chi non elimina il proprio loop non ha scampo per salvare i lingotti accuratamente risparmiati sognando una fuga in Francia. Alla trasformazione, contribuisce non poco vedere come diventato il vecchio Joe: Willis interpreta senza battere ciglio, ormai se lo può permettere, un assassino di bambini incluso quello di una sua vecchia fiamma guidato solo dall’amore perduto e da un odio che lo illude di poter cambiare il futuro in cui il misterioso Sciamano (in originale Rainmaker, da cui gli svariati riferimenti a nuvole e pioggia) sta cercando di eliminare tutti i looper. Al confronto dell’attempato leone, al quale l’esperienza ha insegnato a dare qualche sfumatura alla granitica presenza, Gordon-Levitt dimostra di dover ancora percorrere parecchia strada, malgrado l’assidua presenza sugli schermi negli ultimi tempi: la sua interpretazione cresce però con il passare dei minuti, forse perché non ha proprio la faccia da killer e funziona meglio quando, in fuga, abbandona la città per rifugiarsi nella fattoria presidiata, il caso di dirlo, da una combattiva Emily Blunt. Proprio tra campi di frumento e strade sterrate si arriva alla conclusione, dopo che Willis ha fatto fuori un numero imprecisato, ma certamente alto, di mafiosi (compreso il plenipotenziario venuto dal futuro ben interpretato da Jeff Daniels) armato di due mitragliette, una per mano uniche armi non vintage, essendo le altre intonate ai gusti ‘passatisti’ del giovane Joe. E’ il culmine di sessanta minuti di grande cinema, capace di far pensare ed emozionare allo stesso tempo grazie a una qualità che, se la prima parte fosse allo stesso livello, porterebbe il film dallo status di ottima pellicola con un futuro di culto a quello di molto vicino al capolavoro, seppur di genere.… Expand

I absolutely loved it. This is a great movie. Performances, direction, script: all are top notch. Not as much action as the trailer makes out but it doesn't matter because it's a proper, intelligent sci-fi movie. Makes a nice change from all the empty spectacle of most blockbuster films these days

I liked this movie way better back when it was called the Terminator. Seriously? A movie about a time traveler coming back in time to assassinate a child who will change the future? Gee whiz, where have I heard that before. And then a movie where the protagonist goes back in time to watch himself get killed? Does that sound familiar? It should because Bruce Willis already did that one in Twelve Monkeys too. Bruce Willis blatantly tells the audience "Hey, don't think to hard on this time travel stuff or your head will explode." What he really means is "The writers of this movie are too lazy to worry about filling in all the plot holes, so just accept it and we can move on." The action scenes seem to be added in to distract you from the terrible acting and boring dialog that drags on for the second hour of the movie. Bruce Willis' character seems to only exist for comedic effect.
Skip this one, go rent Terminator and Twelve Monkeys and watch the movies this one tries so hard to be.… Collapse

This movie is very hard to score out of 10, as the first half was as brilliant as the second half was disappointing, so I've opted for a 5.

In my opinion, it would have been far more satisfying without the inclusion of the "Rainmaker" subplot, which bogged it down and stretched the limits of credibility to breaking point.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Rian Johnson's latest sci-fi drama is an absolute joy to watch; not just as a well executed non-linear narrative but also as a deeply resonant love story operating on two separate plains: the past and the future. Juggling this complex series of events and organising them into a story that makes sense - let alone functions at all - is an achievement not to be snarked at. The credit truly has to go to Johnson as both writer and director, as well as sterling performances from both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, supplemented nicely with the work of Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt.

Joseph ''Joe'' Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) is a Looper: an assassin in the year 2044 whose job it is to eliminate targets sent back from the future, where high-tech tagging has eliminated the possibility of effective body-disposal. The target is sent back, Joe takes him down, and then collects: it's as simple as that. The currency sent back from this dystopian future comes in the way of silver, which is no surprise given the current scarcity of rare-earth metals which shows no sign of abating in the far-future. But time travel itself is a well kept secret and, with the knowledge held by the Looper's, they are a risk to the fortunes of the mob; thirty years after they kill their last target, they are sent back themselves as the next target: thus the term ''Looper'' is born.

But what happens when the target is yourself? Joe is faced with this exact problem, as an older version of himself (Willis) kneels at his mercy. Young Joe's hesitation causes the target to escape. Now we watch as two opposing forces begin their own personal vendetta: Old Joe searches for a merciless villain from the future named ''The Rain-maker'', who in this year would be only a small child; leaving Young Joe no option but to stop his older doppelganger and his sadistic quest for revenge. The beautiful thing about all of this is that we are watching the same person with different life experiences motivating them. Where do we lay our allegiance? We learn that Older Joe has got sufficient reason to want this future kingpin dead, but at the cost of murdering a child? in the meantime we come to understand that Younger Joe may be the key to all of it.

A word on the supporting cast: Sara (Emily Blunt) - is the sole proprietor of a small farm. She lives alone, apart from her five year old son who possesses telekinetic abilities (TK as it is called in the film; an ability inherent in around 10% of the population). Abe (Jeff Daniels) is sent back to manage the Loopers and offers a more traditional antagonist for this picture, although part of the charm is that the dynamics of good and bad aren't particularly consistent.

Now, you will be left with questions. And this is not an intrinsically bad thing - in contrast, I think it opens the world of the movie up even more. I was led to query the nature of the time travel itself; multiple dimensions seeming to be a plausible necessity of the time manipulation process. These questions don't detract from the movie itself, which functions smoothly and focuses simply on the story at hand: This is the world we have been presented with and this is the story being told. All other questions - albeit interesting - are not required factors in enjoying what is an excellent movie.… Expand

A wonderful, and heartbreaking, film. Definitely see it! A fascinating contrast between youth and wisdom gained. Superb. Fantastic acting all around.

A vicious and often bleak thriller involving time travel and telekinesis. To those who haven't seen the movie, it DOES sound like an awful concept. However, both Justin Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis deliver with solid acting, a script that has believable (and fun) twists and turns, interesting moral dilemas, and amazing special affects. The only bad aspect of this movie i can think of as of this writing is if you put wayyy too much thought into the time travel mechanics. So just sit back and enjoy the violence and cacophony that is Looper.… Expand

I have been waiting to see Looper for a while now & like always when a film is highly rated with many positive reviews your excitment increases day by day. I can safely say it's up there with the best sci-fi / time travelling movies, Terminator/12 Monkeys etc. I loved the story & all the cast are superb, even the little touches like Joseph Gordon-Levitt plastic face.. Cool.
Everything worked so a must see for all I feel..… Expand

Not the New Star Wars or Matrix. More the New Logans Run. Very good smart sci-fi, it did get perilously close to being slow towards the end but saved itself. Also for a sci-fi timetravel film the narrative held together quite nicely without masses of plot holes.

Seeing the trailer I thought:
- great idea
- great actors
- must see
After seeing the movie:
- a great idea is not enough without a proper storyline
- great actors with poor story and dialogue, poor direction and poor make-up (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are worth nothing
- why on Earth did I fell for the trailer????

Attempt at cerebral sci-fi let down by endless plot holes and a feather-headed lack of logic... First the good

In the running for the best movie of the year, Looper definitely does not disappoint what the cast builds the hype up to be. Bruce Willis a kid killer and JGL looking more bad-ass than ever, Rian Johnson uses the actors to their fullest potential. Brilliant take on the near future down to every subtle nuance such as the solar power rigged cars and futuristic eye drop drugs. the Idea of the film was amazing, I may of been expecting a little more out of it although i was looking for it to be one of the best movies ever when I saw the previews.. The ending threw me off but did make me think which is all you can ask for in a movie.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The trailer for Looper had my attention, but the film did not. The first act of the film starts out very promising...set in 2030something a dark future underworld of crime where Loopers are paid to "assassinate" dudes sent back from 30 years into the future where time travel exists. Blah blah. I'm not going to spend ages writing this, because this film already owes me 2 hours of my life back. I wish everyone would stop raving on about JGL's prosthetics that are supposed to make him look more like Bruce Willis. They don't. The action is contrived, unsuspenseful, stupid and scarce. The 2nd act is boring...I could give to craps about anything that happened to any of these characters but Im forced to listen to the rubbish dialogue while this film tries to figure out what it wants to be and never does. Unimaginatively filmed, annoying subplots, too many boring characters, a child actor who is annoying and far from menacing (like he is meant to be), plot devices that are poorly used...themes that are not sufficiently explored because they are in the wrong genre of film to allow time for this to happen and actions without consequences. My biggest annoyance was how he betrayed his "best" friend in the first act and gets all sad and then this is never mentioned again. Don't waste your time on this mess of a film.… Expand

It doesn't meet my expectations. But, nonetheless, Looper is a smart, unique, and well written film that ranks high above other movies in the same genre.

I found it to be an overall good movie, best of its genre i have seen in a long time. It developed the story very well and increased its intensity as it went. 9/10-9.5/10 is exactly what it deserves.

Best movies I've seen in this year is Looper and batman the dark knight rises ,my all time favorite movie's are The Godfather (1972) .Taxi Driver (1976). Carrie (1976). Scarface (1983). GoodFellas (1990) . Raging Bull (1980) .Casino (1995) there masterpiece movies, what i don't like are the silly remakes why a new carrie movie ? this is the 4th movie carrie the made it's just stupid ,Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie are absolutely perfect ,they both got Oscar nominations out of it, for God sake!… Expand

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis are gripping in the movie Looper.

The worst movie i saw this year by a long margin, not only its full of the usual nonsense about time traveling but also the whole story is a mess. I watched the movie accepting its own schizophrenic paradigms but even doing so all the remaining plot doesn't make sense, the main character is just a lunatic cliche that doesn't even know himself and act randomly without any logic, all the events, i repeat, even accepting the time traveling part that is very inconsistent on its own, are scattered without any logic leading to an end where he does the dumbest choice of the whole movie, really only for 10 years old kids or something, avoid it.… Expand

Looper takes an tremendously silly concept and tries to ask some big questions with it, which unfortunately does not work at all. However, it manages to set up a compelling conflict that avoids standard "good guy, bad guy" fare for something much more complex, resulting in a very good thriller where you can easily forget about all the philosophy and just watch the players make their moves. It provided me with the rare experience of watching a Hollywood film and truly wondering what's going to happen next, because there wasn't any obvious happy end in sight. Add some great acting (with the exception of Bruce Willis, who, as always, plays Bruce Willis and matches Kristen Steward in his range of facial expressions), and the fact that it doesn't rely on CGI and explosions to keep you excited, and you end up with a surprisingly solid experience.… Expand

Good point but have neglected entertainment.
The two actors do not look like each other.
Should have included some persecution for some more excitement to the movie.

Well... What to say... I think they really tried to make an intelligent movie but they kind of fail. That's too bad because the idea wasn't bad but too many things are out of place. The actors, they're not bad but not really good either, none of them is really engaging.
I'd say go see this movie if you don't think too much and you are a bit bored because still the action scenes are not that bad.

Looper sucked in so many ways that it's actually difficult count them all. Unlike most of the other haters, I would be willing to overlook the ridiculous plot and the inconsistencies (of which there are many), if the movie was generally well executed and entertaining. But it's not. The movie is amateurishly directed, poorly edited, and unevenly paced. 80% of the action scenes lack the slightest amount of tension and fall completely flat. There is not one single well-developed character in the entire film, so there's no reason to care when anything happens to any of them. The script is disjointed and back-fills plot lines to explain things after they happen. The last two-thirds of the movie is very boring, and is chock full of clumsy, melodramatic, and just plain corny dialogue (especially between the Emily Blunt character and her "son"). Some of these dramatic scenes are so long and awkward that when I saw it, people in the theater were actually laughing uncomfortably, unsure of how to react. Then on top of everything else, Looper is a highly derivative mish-mash of other, much better, sci-fi movies, but doesn't even do a competent rip off job (see Inception ripping off the Matrix). Instead, what the viewer gets treated to is a series of dumbed-down scenes and plot points from movies like 12 Monkeys, The Matrix, Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, Strange Days, and a host of others. In the end, Looper is a smelly turd of a Movie. The only possible explanation I can offer as to why people liking this movie is that maybe we've been starved of a truly great sci-fi movie for so long, that almost anything will do at this point. Or maybe people are just idiots. Or both.… Expand

Rian Johnson takes you from this world and pulls into the world of Looper. Johnson's films are unlike those of other filmmakers, because they are so surreal.

Okay, to be honest, "Looper" has earned the medal for the great plot and innovative ideas. The only thing that was not right was the action and bad guys' motivations. I see that the movie has its meaning, and it is really good, very interesting to see; however, the action was not quite as I was hoping it to be. Moreover, if the bad old dude that trained Joe got killed pretty easy... But still, there's a reason for that and I understand: the movie just simply circles around Joseph and Willis and the boy (the "Rain Maker"). In short, the movie is a lil' bit overrated when talking about the action aspect, but it deserves a 5-star rating over the meaning. Good movie.… Expand

This is one of the best movies this year along with a few others. It is very dark and evil especially all the children, the rainmaker and Bruce Willis character killing the children. I enjoyed the movie but some people might find it confusing, if you get most confusing movie then you will get this but if you don`t you won`t. Its a great movie and i would recommend it to anyone.

Pretty cool little movie. Most importantly it doesn't try to be anything its not. Its not really philosophical, its not not even overloaded on special effects. Its a story, a real good story with decent acting. In the end it was entertaining, which is exactly why I go to movies. One note, this movie gets extra points because it has Jeff Daniels as a bad guy...very cool.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A daft script that just isn't interesting. Worst treatment of time travel paradoxes: change a man in the present and that same man from the future changes to his own surprise. Seriously, the Futurama episode where Fry is his own grandfather is practically PKD compared to this tripe. Telekinesis mentioned in the first five minutes, to be used as a Deus Ex Machina in the ending, all in between is filled with awkwardly paced boring filler. The ending feels like bland proselytizing. Incredibly disappointing.… Expand

This is a thrill ride and a joy to watch up to the end. It keeps you glued to your chair the whole time until the plot unfolds and a shocking end reveals itself!!!!

Pretty good, but not as good as I thought. I thought this was going to be some futuristic science fiction movie, but it barely classifies as this. The acting and characters are good, my main issue though is the plot. I was expecting a bind boggling journey into 2 futures, instead half the movie just takes place on a farm. There is less to do with science/future here, and more to do with magic. Yes, magic....and this is where the movie falls flat. There is this child called the rainmaker who has a telekenetic ability to manipulate gravity or something....essentially he can kill people with his thoughts. Its not so much I have an issue with that the story focuses too heavily on this kids magic abilities rather than the science/future/time travel aspect...the problem lies with that the movie doesnt bother to explain how or why this magic is possible. It also shows a brief portion in the future, where it appears that this future child rainmaker is killing a bunch of people and destroying a city...I wanted so bad to see that and have it be part of the movie! So half of the movie's cool futurustic, post depression society, and time traveling complexes ideas are stolen by this little boy and his magic abilities. Nothing is done to explain why this kid has magic abilities, and right when you think that this focus is going to pay off(by showing the kid in the future, destroying a city and killing millions of people), it doesnt....it just shows someone reading a number(boys birthdate) to Bruce Willis for no reason before he dies....Well it just happens bruce willis goes back in time so he can kill this boy, but the reader of the number didnt know that....and this is where this movie suffers in scenes like this....it fails to explain or identify reasons, which is usually fine, but in this movie YOU really want to know the reasons. Overall You are left dissapointed and wanting more from only certain segments of the movie. It sucks you in by building suspense to show something spectacular are cool, but it only follows through half the time. It is a good movie, it is just that if certain ideas or scenes were extended or elaborated upon this would have been a perfect movie.

Pros = Kinda futuristic, good acting, memorable characters, cool locations
Cons = Plot holes, failure to explain/elaborate upon ideas, focus on magic instead of science, Boring futuristic art direction.… Expand

I like the idea of time traveling, and this movie had it`s own unique style, but I can`t say I enjoyed it as much as I was hoping to. I`t was really hard to care for any of the characters. I`t didn`t matter who died, and would care less if those that lived died. The ending did get really interesting, I won`t say why but the movie goes up a notch, and almost makes it worth staying until the end.

All the douches giving this anything below a 7 are a bunch of hipsters that think they're cool for disagreeing with the way time-travel is portrayed in this movie. This movie was AMAZING, not as a sci-fi movie, not as a thriller, but in the way it executed both elements seamlessly and with uniqueness. If you're going to watch this JUST for the sci-fi, then don't bother. This is a great MOVIE, one that will stay in the back of my mind for years to come… Expand

The pace during the first hour was relentless. But then it varied so much I looked at the timer several times. Nonetheless, it was great if not awesome. Rainmaker is just a boogeyman. I was disappointed that they didn't show what he had done or was capable of, and I wouldn't have minded if they had added ten, fifteen minutes to shed light on his character. Gordon-Levitt earned some respect from me for his performance. Somehow I also enjoyed watching Willis. Blunt was surprisingly good too. All in all, this is one of the best sci-fi flicks I've ever seen.… Expand

It's not every day you see a irresistible trailer and it surpasses your lofty expectations. A highly ambitious undertaking by director Rian Johnson who masterfully executes and delivers on all fronts. In the year 2044, the US economy collapses giving way to widespread organized crime. In 2074, time travel is invented but immediately prohibited. Because of advanced tracking systems in place, disposing of murder victims isn't possible, which in turn creates a "new" market and profession. Hence "Looper." Tilted camera angles, upside-down shots, super slow-motion; Johnson toys with experimental cinematography with formidable results. A fantastic time travel sci-fi thriller that is firmly character based, and not just solely relying on special effects or time travel. Rian's directing art house style is evident but it's also blended with some mainstream elements not seen much in previous films such as "'Brick". What flaws this film may possess can be easily absolved because the overall experience is extraordinary.… Expand

Looper is a really good sci-fi/action thriller. Although the second half of the film tapers off towards the end, the film is held together by a solid concept, great direction, and good performances, even if some things are left unanswered.

Amazing movie!!!!!!!! Nice story and good actors

I know I'm in the minority here, but I HATE this movie! After watching it I was actually angry. I felt like the writers and the director had just smacked me. This movie really did show ALLOT of promise as it built itself up rather nicely, establishing a "kind-of" realistic near future. But then they introduce the whole time travel element. At first it was a creative new use for it. But the longer they developed it, the more it the logic surrounding it fell apart. Basically they have created a form of time travel that completely ignores its own rules to the point that you would have to be a a half brained idiot to not see it. Basically the movie is saying: Shut up, stop thinking and enjoy the movie. Overall: This had the chance to be a really good movie, but any ingenuity was raped out of it by lazy writers and a director with no direction.… Expand

My favourite film of the year although not for everyone. The best way I can describe it is like a mash-up of Twelve Monkeys, Terminator & Drive. It's basic yet very graceful. JGL pus in a great performance & the story is really good but this is definitely a marmite film.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The title is a Mars bar and just like junk food this film delivers that useless energy. In its fantasy came a world that could never even be explained, logically or even with any degree of attempt. Maybe in 1930's there is an era of which this film is modeled from definitely in no foreseeable future. This aside the plot is littered with gaping holes. Paradoxes were given as much thought as some illiterate explaining the theory of relativity and resulting in suicide. Quite literally those braincells where already popped from it's crackheads abusive direction. Poor at everything, what SCI-FI I ask, it really didn't even try to be scientific. Bums with guns, and silver equals gold.… Expand

Just like Terminator mixed with some Die Hard. It is a really good movie. A must watch for people who like action and TriStar movies should defenetly watch this!

In 2 words, this film is so-so. It wants to be a Hi Res concetpt sci-fi film, but the plot doesn't hold out for that, and the splatter violence and appalling and unnecessary language give away the fact that there isn't enough in the story or the characters to keep it going. If you've paid oyur money and bought your popcorn, it will tick over, but you'll forget it within minutes if you have any semblance of intelligence. And if you have any sensitbility, you will actively WANT to forget it. It's just poor and nasty, at its heart.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You either hate this movie or you are retarded. This movie has made you expect something good but it screwed you. The time traveling makes no sense at all. When in the end the main character shot himself his older version should disappear IMMEDIATELY not thinking and have a bad disappear effect. The fact that the kid was introduced at the beginning of the end and his powers were only introduced at the end with no explanation at all, makes me thing what the hell the writers were thinking. To include time travel in a movie is not new (see back to the future) but at least in that movie they explained how it was "possible" as you should in science-fiction. This movie did NOT! This was just a major disappointment and you will start to hate the kid and at the end he lives.… Expand

I joined Metacritic, as a public service, to review this movie and hopefully prevent someone else like me, who generally relies on the consensus of professional critics, from making the mistake of watching this tripe. THIS IS NOT A GOOD FILM, IN THE LEAST. Compounding the film's incoherent, inconsistent treatment of time travel -- the writer explicitly telegraphs, during one of the scenes, that the viewer need not attempt to make any sense of it -- are myriad additional (glaring) plot holes and unanswered questions. The "development" (such as it is) of JGL's "character" (such as it is) is utterly, maddeningly unbelievable. (The only way even to begin to make sense of him is as a walking mommy complex.) The penultimate action sequence is simultaneously so out-of-place and fantastic that it beggars contemplation, much less belief. And those are just the movie's three most fundamental defects; there are many, many more. It seems to me that the writer, when developing the screenplay, first conceived of the "clever" ending (which is actually clever only insofar as one is profoundly stoned) and then sloppily constructed a storyline to get there. I am honestly *befuddled* by the strong critical reception of this movie, *befuddled*. See also the reviews by Oxcart, JonnyRaves, mess888, and (especially) SebDangerfield. Do not waste your time or money on this one.… Expand

This movie has everything you would want in a time travel film, action drama and well TIME TRAVEL. Now i wouldnt say its the best film of 2012 or it sould win best picture but it is a great film and maybe sould be nominated for original screenplay. From the begining to end it is a rollercoaster that has countless loops. It keeps the audiences attention and never lets go. Now for the action, it is great, just enough to hold the audience over. During the movie you will be thinking alot about the time travel in this movie and it can be a little bit confusing but think about it its just a movie about time travel thats all it is too it. Overall this is one of the best timetravel action films i have seen also my top 5 films of 2012. 9/10… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Life seems to have a clear beginning and end, but I don't see why almost every movieplot needs to follow the same format. Not saying that all movieplots litteraly begin with the birth of a character and end with their death, but instead I'm suggesting they begin with the so-called "Hollywood Beginning" and end with its short-bus brother the "Hollywood Ending." I define the "Hollywood Beginning" as any plot that force feeds milk down our throats until we understand what's going on, while its counterpart the "Hollywood Ending" ensure's us that the plot is over and not continuing on secretly after you leave the theater. What I like about Looper is the beginning. Without any leadup, it drops you into the middle of the main characters somewhat unique situation (Just watch the trailer and you'll find out what that is). A dangerous move for most far-fetched plots, but Looper is paced well and acted clear enough so the we naturally get on board with what's going on and even start to feel for the main character and the people around him. Brilliant. What I don't like about Looper is the latter half and the god awful ending. It takes everything that was semi-unique and compelling about the first 30 minutes and tosses it out the window with a lit molotov **** in its mouth. The only shred that remained was a "It's me against a brigade of unfair big cocks" plot, or in other words, the "Minority Report" plot.. So, to the same effect of sticking your mom in the ring to fight Mike Tyson, we have to watch our main character put up with his future brainless, professional death machine self, who wields uzzies like he's on the set of the next Die Hard installment. The beginning of the movie was so good because the daily life of a looper sounds so enticing, of course you'd inevitably have to think about the possibitly of killing your future self. A movie based around this idea alone is doomed to follow a path that leads to a big pile or already been used toilet paper. But a movie based around the life of one looper who has to deal with drug addiction, daily executions and the disposal of such victimes, coping with co-workers who shot their future self, or even didn't shoot their future self, is already enough character-plot crap to jam into a 2-hour flick.… Expand

Movie requires a small amount of suspension of disbelief; negative reviewers got hung up here. Director did a fantastic job hinting just enough to understand everything going on, along with creating characters the audience is interested in. Highly entertaining, best movie I've seen in a long time.

There are some plot holes and some times you just have yourself scratching you're head because it's not exactly clear how the time travelling works. But everything else of the movie is good and very enjoyable

surprising and unusual, a new way to enjoy the futuristic genre, besides another unforgettable performance of young Levitt and the good creativity of Rian Johnson

Overall, awesome movie. This is some of the best acting by Joseph Gordon-Levitt I have ever seen. It has one of the best plots. This film is not what you would expect. This has become my second favorite time travel film of all time, next to Back to the Future Part II

Starts out great. The opening felt similar to how I saw Blade Runner but somewhere in the middle it drags and what happens doesn't really matter until the revelation. I respect Rian Johnson for pulling off a great atmosphere but I just thought there were a lot of room for improvement in terms of pacing. Overall it is a good movie that shows a lot of potential for discussions. Maybe I just wanted to see more sci-fi.… Expand

This could have been so much better, and that's the biggest disappointment. The idea (given we've had the likes of The Terminator series and Minority Report beforehand) is fine, but at no stage do you ever get to the point of CARING about the characters enough to want them not to get killed.... I cannot fathom why so many critics rate this film so highly- it's bubblegum for a new generation, content to suspend any form of reality for a couple of hours and 'veg out'.

Save wasting your life watching this and rent 'Bourne Legacy' instead- at least you'll see a movie that leaves you feeling happy that you watched it at the end- the same cannot be said of 'Looper'- it left me feeling empty.… Expand