Thank god that the National Board of Review seems to have common sense still with giving "Looper" the Best Original Screenplay award. This film is AMAZING. It is a "Inception 2.0" of sorts, but even more action-packed. Is that the possible downfall of it in the awards circuit? Maybe. I'll admit, I've been rather limited in my 2012 film watching (so far), but this has been my second favourite film of the year (right after "Argo"). The screenplay, as noted, is extremely well done with an intelligent idea and exceedingly good dialogue. Bruce Willis is great in action films, and he does the same here. Ms Blunt is a great actress and she keeps her head high with this performance. The best, however, is the work of the makeup department and Mr Gordon-Levitt. Wow. That was a great and totally out-of-character performance for his usual self. Finally, I can see him as a serious actor. So, what more does one need than a great screenplay and great cast? Technical aspects? Those are covered too. It's just a good film. No. It's a great film. There is no way about it. One of the best of the year.… Expand

i enjoyed it, enternaning and bruce is a little diferent in this one, well there are some crazy effects and even my girlfriend likeed it. i find myself at a loss of words so that means i cant remember too much about it

Kudos to Rian Johnson for a creative and tricky screenplay, but the problem with Looper is that's all there is to the movie. The pacing is agonizingly slow, the performances are uninspired and there is little for viewers to grasp onto in order to connect with the film. There are lots of ideas but nothing to really think about. Perhaps a different director would have yielded more satisfying results.… Expand

Looper was interesting, but not for so long. The concept of time traveling and the Loopers killing waste from the future seemed incredibly intriguing. But the problem is that the movie shifts from those ideals into a more standard type of movie. So the first half is fast paced and explains the concept in majestic ways, but then the second half deviates and almost completely forgets it. Its still an entertaining movie thanks to some very good acting and great direction, but the shifts in genre from action to slow drama kills what it could have been. It had the potential to be the next Inception, but the thing is that Inception never abandoned its unique concept the way Looper does. Looper feels like it lacks identity, but at the same time given what it does right, it also feels intriguing when compared to most of the movies that come everyday. Its a recommendable movie, but also disappointing nonetheless.… Expand

A refreshing approach to the overly tired action genre. The film achieved many things right, but what really shines is by far the script. When is Looper 2 coming out?

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not quite the movie the previews make it out to be, but it's still quite good. It's an interesting take on time travel, but that's not even the important part of the movie. This child that has such powerful abilities, that he brings the world terror in the future is in the grasp of the protagonist, but decides that instead of continuing to try and change that future (which in itself only perpetuates it), he decides to end his own life. One of the better sci-fi movies in a while.… Expand

I think this is on par with Source Code and Moon (and maybe even Twelve Monkeys) as story-driven scifi that could probably bear several watchings over the years. It's a fine addition to the canon of fine scifi movies.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is one of the best action movies I've ever had the pleasure of viewing. The whole time travel thing was well thought out, as was the plot. The acting was superb; the kid was really good. The ending was so intense, that I actually had tears in my eyes. Cannot wait to see this again.… Expand

Ok, let me preface this by saying that I dislike most movies. I find that the majority of movies released these days are full of plot holes, are poorly written, have no character development, and contain mediocre to bad acting. You get the gist - i think most movies suck....but Looper is simply spectacular. It is probably the best movie I have seen in 10 years - great concept with spectacular writing and execution. It has everything - drama, some humor, great character development (which makes you actually care what happens), great action, suspense, cool effects. I really can't find anything wrong with this movie, and I'm very picky when it comes to movies. Someone else compared Looper to Terminator with the style of Inception, and that is pretty accurate. A lot of the basic concepts are taken from Terminator (time travel, etc.), but it's definitely it's own movie. This will go down as one of the best movies of this decade, and it's sure to be considered a Sci-Fi classic among the best of all time (Alien, Terminator, The Matrix, etc).… Expand

No one was looking forward to this movie more than me. I love science fiction, Bruce Willis and especially time travel. So let me get to the nitty gritty. There is no time travel to see nor any glimpse of futuristic life. So get that out of the way immediately. Secondly, the writing for this script is as lame as anything you will ever see. The plot hole is so obvious that you could drive a Mack truck thru it. This is blood and gore shoot em movie in which you feel nothing for any character. Th ending is predicatble. Just awful.… Expand

Good movie, horrible unnecessary ending so many other possibilities that should have been explored. This movie has it's own time travel rules. I really don't know what else to say.

This movie is a masterpiece of sci-fi cinema. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis were the perfect choice of actors for the right movie. Looper is a unique and fresh film in a period of bland $200 million films.

P.S. The movie should be seen twice in order to understand what's going on, or realise that the film gets better the more you see it.

Despite some poorly placed - or perhaps poorly delivered - swearing, some sloppy continuity errors and an annoyingly needless sex scene, Looper really was enjoyable. It did really well to keep me heavily interested in, and knowledgeable about, a storyline that could have easily gone over my head.

This was not a very good movie. I've already wasted too much of my time on it, so I won't write a lengthy review, but suffice it to say that SebDangerfield hit it on the head, it's a movie without an identity. Alternating between genre's and pace at the same time is a very BAD idea, it's one thing to intermix a thriller with a drama, but not if one scene of fast paced (and confusing) action is followed by several scenes of boring dialogue that do not satisfactorily explain many questions raised by the 'action,' or adequately explore the world around them. This could have been an interesting 'Blade Runner' style Sci-Fi Drama, however it fails in that regard, and as a Bruce Willis Action movie. First movie I've seen at or above 75 on Metacritic (user since 2006, this is being charitable, I probably could have gone with a 70 or even 65) that I've thoroughly disliked, I tried to convince myself after the film that it wasn't that bad, but that is a lie. Wasted talent, incredibly overrated.… Expand

Wow! An original idea comes out of Hollywood! Even though It bogged down a bit through the middle and took a weird left turn with the whole telekinesis plot line I confess I really enjoyed it. Of course its not possible to make a believable time travel movie so I suppose I shouldn't be offended by the endless paradoxes. My hat is off to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the prosthetics folks on this one. I was totally sold that the kid from 3rd rock was the guy from blind date. Ripe with sequel potential.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. GREAT MOVIE, loved it superb acting and awesome story the only reason i give it a nine is the fact that it really doesnt make sense. it started off really solid but then went down hill when they implemented the multiple universe thing. so one scenario when bruce willis gets killed and one where he doesnt. this means that there are two versions of the same person. meaning that killing or maiming an alternate version of yourself would have no effect on you. so when levitt kills himself it should have not done anything to bruce willis because hes from a different time line. this is a result of the version of bruce willis who gets away when he goes back in time is tied to a different levitt. essentially bruce willis invaded a different universe. almost a polar opposite version of reality. which means he should have no coorelation to levitt. even though they are the same person they're from two different time lines so they should not tie into one another. the same goes for the guy who got dismembered he was from a different time line so he should not of started losing limbs when his younger self got cut up. think of it as two sides of a coin. BUT...i love it when a movie really makes me think and come up with this kind of conclusion. havent had this much fun with a movie since inception.… Expand

"Looper is a completely original one of a kind sci-fi film that is thoroughly crowd pleasing including some outstanding performances from the two main leads. Looper is a film that only comes along so often that makes you think and actually use your mind." B+

Possibly the kick ass film of the year! A good story with steady-state suspense and pounding action, a great cast with marvelous acting and a bravado director delivering a film of immaculate style and elegance.

The first half was much better than the second half. Once Willis arrives and we got to the farmhouse, I knew how the movie was going to end. The first part about the concept of looters was intriguing but could have used a little more "Blade Runner" styling. The second half degenerated into the Terminator again and was quite predictable. The film should have been focused on the unseen future instead of dragging back into the present. Daniels' character could have been expanded as well. A seven is the most I can rate this one.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The movie gets a 4 effort but that's about it. My main problem with movies like this, is time travel is in all respects impossible. The mind boggling physics of it make it such a sticky subject that only really good movies who attempt it, seldom get it right. Most only on the grounds that the movie is making fun of time travel, Back to the Future comes to mind. The only serious movie that comes to mind that tackles it well, is 12 Monkeys. In that movie the "circle of events" are left to unfold like an infinite loop, old bruce willis is unable to stop the spread of plague, while young bruce willis watches unaware; ad infinitum. But in this movie the plot hole keeps me from really caring about the movie at all, according to the films logic. Here is my best shot at explaining it. In the future, 2074 time travel is created. Also in the future everyone is "tagged" so it's impossible to hide a body that has been murdered. So in order for criminals to hide bodies they seize control of time travel. They do this in order to send people 30 years, to be murdered. Even though " Old Joe's" (Bruce Willis) wife is killed in the future. I wonder what they will do with that body? Now, the thugs who murder these people who are sent back are called loopers (Jason GL), they wait in designated locations to kill those wanted by the "evil higher ups" and dispose of the bodies. That is until they themselves are to be terminated. The loopers are given a bunch of gold and this lets them know they just killed there future self and that is their last kill. The problem arises in the fact that knowing this would inevitably change the future. Knowing that in thirty years you will be taken away to be sent back to the future to be killed by yourself would make any self surviving human prepare for the day when they are to be taken or get out the looper business altogether. The central theme of this movie is that there is mysterious rainmaker who is terminating all the loopers in the future. This person ends up being a kid that old joe tries to kill in order to save himself. But the rainmakers reason for terminating all loopers is because his mother/guardian is killed by old joe. This cannot happened is young joe either kills old joe or kills himself. The logic goes that if young joe kills himself, old joe disappears giving no motivation for the rainmaker to become the rainmaker. Which ends the movie from the beginning. Where the logic breakdowns is that if young joe kills himself, their is no old joe to run amok. Therefore old joe is killed in the beginning alternate scene that explains how old joe, gets old and runs amok's already seen himself get killed. He never has a chance to run amok because in this time line he killed himself. Basically the movie makers wanted to make a circle, square. By giving the movie a happy ending it ruins logic the world is based around. Thus don't waste your time trying to watch this movie, it will make you try to understand time travel, which for me has been a waste of time. Points for every-other aspect of the movie.… Expand

This is possibly best movie I've seen this year. It's the first film this year i've eagerly anticipated that lived up to and exceeded every expectation I had. Johnson has assembled a crack cast and written a brilliant yarn. This movie is fun to get lost in. I found myself hoping that it wouldn't end. Go see Lopper now!

This is one of those scifi flix with a cool concept that falls flat in execution. Joseph Gordon-Levitt kills people who are sent back from the future to be executed. Complication arise when his older self (played by Bruce Willis) is sent back to be offed. This takes place in one of those futuristic worlds where much is rundown and little is neat and modern. It starts off well with some solid action and interesting dialogue, but bog down to a standstill with too much talk and not enough action. There are a few worthwhile moments, but the best performance goes to the kid.… Expand

I went, I saw, I was entertained. I didn't go in overthinking every little thing, with some ridiculous notion that I was going to see a time travel movie and there would be no plot holes. No time travel movie has ever done that right. I didn't go in expecting non-stop action for two hours, either. I felt it spent just enough time on everything - action, story and characters. I still liked TDKR better, but this was an excellent movie.… Collapse

What did I like about Looper? Well, the better question is, what didn't I like? Legitimately, I sat up all night pondering this question and can honestly say I couldn't come up with anything. It has they style of Drive, the sci fi level of detail of Children of Men, the ingenuity of ,well, I can't think of a good comparison (:P), and a razor sharp script to boot (filled with deliciously dark humor). It is an extremely dynamic movie, and can be appreciated on so many levels from action fans, to sci fi fans, to movie buffs, its all there. While it may not be packed to the gills with symbolism like Prometheus, it doesn't need to be and completely avoids that movie's pretentiousness for it. In Prometheus, some of the scenes are so stagy that it practically screams at the viewer "THIS SCENE HAS MEANING", whereas in Looper, you could miss the symbolism entirely simply because of the distracting level of quality found in the rest of the film. Looper is a film that respects the viewers intelligence, exemplified in the scenes where it denies the viewer an explanation of its time travel mechanic, because rather than telling you, Looper shows you. Take Prometheus' exploration of man's origin, which is alluded to from its title, vs. Looper's challenging of the notion that maturity comes with age, while the messages are fundamentally different, Looper has courage to be subtle and explain its message through the character's actions alone (seriously, the whole future Joe vs. past Joe is a really smart way of representing self conflict). I can totally understand why some people didn't like this movie, but that same reason is why I absolutely loved it. It constantly toys with your expectations. The movie actively anticipates your attempts to figure out the resulting changes to the timeline and narrative, but each time playfully veers in a different direction. As for the people that talk about it how it is just a rip off of Blade Runner universe, what these people fail to realize is that every sci fi builds on other sci fi, so even Blade Runner's overcrowded dystopia cribbed from something else at some point. The worst part about this though is the fact that they criticize Looper for taking the good bits of Blade Runner and other sci fi, (SINCE WHEN IS TAKING THE GOOD ELEMENTS OF ANOTHER MOVIE A BAD THING!) but completely fail to see what it adds to the formula to create something all its own. From the technologies, to the fashion, to the TK(telekinesis), it all works to create its own rich dystopian society driven by superficial gimmicks. This influences the way people act and even the idea of closing a loop, which is impractical and unnecessary, but also highly dramatic and believable in this context of this world. Everything works to create a fantastically well realized universe that rivals the depth found in Children of Men. The only thing I would say to be wary of, is if you don't have a stomach for cruelty because Looper has a good deal of the stuff. However, don't let that turn you away because every aspect of the movie serves to aid the narrative, including the cruelty. So please don't listen to the nit pickers on this one, if you are looking for a great movie regardless of genre check out looper. Instant classic.… Expand

I love Sci Fi, and like all the actors in this film, so I was looking forward to seeing it. It was a mixed bag for me. The film kept me interested, but turned out to be more about the telekinetic kid than anything else. The child, played by Pierce Gagnon, is one of the best child performances I've ever seen in a film. He is absolutely mesmerizing. Unfortunately, the film ended up feeling more like a "demon seed" scary film rather than an intriguing Sci Fi film. I did not care for the whole telekinesis angle which seemed tacked on, and there is a sex scene in the film which was ridiculous and unnecessary. There was also inconsistencies which made no sense. The younger looper always shot and killed the future loopers the instance they appeared, and for some unexplained reason when the older version of himself appeared he hesitated before shooting. There was also some very slow moments throughout the film. Not a bad film, but it won't be a Blu Ray purchase.… Expand

Looper is the most overrated film I've seen since Inception. (I thought Nolan's Batman trilogy and Memento were great, by the way). Not much happens in Looper, and what does follows from the stupid premise (never explained) that bodies produced by hit-style executions in a future 30 years hence cannot be buried "then." Under the circumstances, the ruthlessness, persistence and sheer number of bad guys seems unnecessary and poorly motivated. As for the action, it's is just a lot of gratuitous shoot-and-miss, chase 'em-around-some-more, try to shoot-'em-again emptiness. The fact that Looper has been rated so highly by both critics and audiences suggests that, in the era of the suburban multiplex, viewers who honed their critical faculties in the 50s and 60s have been leached from the vetting process. I'm no snob and like "good junk," but Looper is just bad junk.… Expand

What an original and masterful sci fi film, the kind We've been waiting for for ages, maybe since Twelve Monkeys. Great to see Willis on form here and nailing the action genre again. From the second you start watching it you're thinking 'timeless classic.' Stick this one in the sci fi cannon without a doubt, open the gates and real her in. Prometheus is nothing compared to this. Brilliantly woven plot, great pacing, always exciting. Might be a while before we get another treat like this… Expand

If this was an original concept, it would be a 10. But it's a mash-up of multiple ideas (The Witness, Akira, and others come to mind), so we have to take a little off for orginality. With that being said, it is executed nearly perfectly.

This movie is an example of a bathos at it's very best. It showed promise, but it just ended up being another predictable, action-blockbuster cash cow. There's nothing impressive about this movie; it's just disappointingly average. I'd put it on the same level as Total Recall, honestly. The whole "TK" concept seemed so clumsy and ill-suited and the writing was just lousier and lousier as the movie progressed.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Basically unwatchable. I really do not understand why Joseph Gordon-Levitt is being heralded as the new Hollywood superstar. There is absolutely nothing that makes you want to see him, in any role. He is short, ugly, has absolutely no charisma, and is as boring as hell. Well, hell is probably a lot more interesting. Bruce Willis at least attempts to spice this movie up, but even he cannot do it. When trained killers miss him time and again, at point blank range, the entire premise becomes nothing but utterly ridiculous.… Expand

I'm confused and a little shocked at the reviews. I heard a rave review on NPR and so my husband and I went to see it. We both found it boring and a mix of too many not very interesting things. It never really made up it's mind what it wanted to be. I should have watched the trailer first. My advice would be to skip it. Emily Blunt and the kid were the only redeemable features for us.

Don't waste a minute of your time or a nickel of your money on this silly lightweight schoolboy shoot 'em up. I cannot imagine how low the bar must be for reviewers who manage to find some kind of 'artistic value' in this train wreck of a poorly plotted movie. The worst thing about this truly terrible film may be that it takes itself so seriously...not one light moment, not one original scene, not one fresh line of dialog. BEWARE!!!… Expand

Looper is a great sci-fi thriller with an intense and intriguing story. It has good characters and visuals while using time travel in interesting ways. The third act has a shift in pace and story. In my opinion it felt a little disjointed and less interesting compared to the first two-thirds of the film. Never-the-less, it is a great experience.

Seen Looper tonight. Does it live up to the hype? Not really, but I don't think that is the movies fault. The trailer makes you think its an action flick but its not. Its a concentrate and work out the plot and time travel paradoxes flick, however in my book thats a good thing! I didn't get the Joseph Gordon-Levitt make up as I don't think it made him look like Bruce Willis but watch out for one of the best child acting performances in recent memory. Even though I seen the main "twist" coming a mile off I still really liked the film. Like Inception I'm sure multiple viewings will make it even better. This is a real thinking mans Sci-Fi movie.… Expand

I had great expectations for this film, not least because it showcases Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is rapidly becoming a hallmark for quality (

Johnson deals with the subtext with no one bothers to... Looper is so original and unique, albeit not so in delivery, it is the best sci-fi yarn in years.

Disappointing. Great opening, great ending... yet half way through it turns into a boring talk festival for 50 minutes until the action starts up again. I feel sorry for the actors because the action stalls and you stop seeing the characters on the screen but actors reciting their lines. I couldn't figure out why so many film critics love this movie unless the script idea reminds them of what they would have written in school. It is a great idea but the execution seems like something out of a studio committee. The cinematography and editing is straight out of the 80s. I can not recommend it even though the trailer is fanstatic.… Expand

Time travel is confusing. Once you think you may have a grasp on it and have ironed out the 'what-ifs', a new paradox will pop up and collapse your argument which was a house of cards anyways. There are too many holes, and especially plot holes, when you try to rationally reason through what it means to travel through time and change the past. Once time travel is invented, hasn't it always been invented then? If you go back in time and change something, will you just disappear because your specific future no longer exists?

Looper sidesteps this whole enigma by having old Joe (Bruce Willis) tell his younger self that there is no use trying to figure it all out; it will just confuse you. This one statement immediately smooths out the conversation he is having with young Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the audience's mental gymnastics, and while still leaving them right there in front of you, chooses to ignore the Grand Canyon sized plot holes. If you spend enough time with a pen and a sheet of paper, you will most likely identify a dozen or so glaring issues with jumping back through time, but where is the fun in that? With Looper, it is enough to recognize you have a creative story to watch and gifted actors to watch carry it out.

The year is 2044, not so far in the future to imagine teleportation and interstellar flight, but far enough to dream up new technology, weapons, and illicit drugs. 2044 is quite similar to today's reality, but its every day norms and today's extreme edges magnified by 1000. There are hover motorcycles, currency is literally based on gold and silver, and the drug all the kids are using is administered through eyedrops and appears to have the effects as cocaine. There is also some glaring income inequality, you either have money or you do not; there is no middle class. The city landscape shows thousands of people living on the sidewalks and sometimes in the middle of the street. If someone steals from you, it looks like you are allowed to pull out your personal shotgun and teach them a severe lesson. Young Joe is a looper. At a specific time and always in the same place, the edge of a corn field, a hooded person will appear out of nowhere and all Joe has to do is immediately pull the trigger on his weapon and get rid of the body. These unfortunate souls are being sent back through time from 30 years in the future where time travel is illegal; therefore, it has morphed into a black market time travel system run by the mob. Young Joe is paid handsomely to do these simple tasks and spends the rest of his day and most of the night going to a club to drink, dance, take drugs, and spend time with Suzie (Piper Perabo), his favorite lady of the evening. There are rules to follow though. Since the system is run by the mob, breaking the rules is frowned upon. I will not go into the rules because young Joe does a good job explaining to you what they are. In his film noir, gravelly voice, which is trying to match a young Bruce Willis in style, Joe opens the movie and brings you up to speed on what has been happening with the time travel business and his specific spot on the food chain. He has looper friends with Seth (Paul Dano) as his closest one and he gets called in to see the boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels), from time to time. Other than that, young Joe is really running his own loop with his day job and his nightly activities.

Old Joe effectively ends that routine as soon as he pops into the corn field out of thin air. One would think that young Joe would have some questions or would want to cut his older self some slack, but no such luck. Young Joe enjoys his current situation and is in no frame of mind to have it messed with, even if it is a version of him doing the interrupting. Old Joe is on a quest to change the past and does not seem too pleased to run into his former self either. These two are the same man, but they certainly are different people. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is really the leading man here because Willis is in more of a supporting role and has noticeably less screen time; however, Bruce still gets top billing on the poster and in the credits. I wonder if that chafes Gordon-Levitt? Both Gordon-Levitt and Willis are very good here. On one hand, they are playing the same person and must try and match each other's facial ticks and mannerisms, but on the other hand, Gordon-Levitt is playing a kid against Willis's older and yes, wiser, character. Another supporting character is Sara (Emily Blunt) but I leave it to you to discover her role. Sara is saddled with most of the slower scenes in the middle which drag on a bit, but it's good to take a break from Joe, both young and old, after awhile. Looper was written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) who should be commended for sitting down and puzzling through what must have been a very arduous screenplay.… Expand

Tried to read some negative reviews, and is it a joke? "This movie is bad, because this scene is bad, plot is bad, acting is poor, actors are awful... blah-blah-blah". Are you all 15-years old? The only thing I didn't like, is that plot is a bit dense for 2 hours, looks like writer had too many things to discuss and had to make it short..

Excellent Film! What a breath of fresh air to see a film that is highly original, exciting, touching, funny and ... did I say ORIGINAL! ( people may say it is derivative - but that is the case for every story ever told, except for the first which was long before any of us were around) I say Great Script!! If you like Science Fiction (don't expect alien landscapes, outer space etc) and don't mind seeing violence in films then my suggestion is - Go See It - and before you do learn as little about the storyline as possible. If your favorite films are romantic comedies, realistic dramas or Adam Sandler films this will probably not be your cup of tea - but otherwise you will be entertained.… Expand

Rian Johnson wrote delicious script for this movie. It's inventive, original, and unpredictable (but with plenty of foreshadowing to properly prepare the audience). When you consider just how many movies recently are sequels and remakes, and the few that aren't are adapted from popular books, its surprising that hollywood managed to produce a movie this interesting. I don't give a 10/10 to anything, but there literally was not one thing I hated about this movie. Some "comic book guy" ("worst movie evar") types are unable to accept some of the fictional elements in the story, but that's their loss. I would dare any of them to write a script 10% as good as Johnson's.… Expand

Looper was quite an enjoyable movie. The story seemed pretty original, though a little slow in the middle. I thought the performances of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt were excellent and whoever did the make up on Joseph's face did a great job making him look quite close to a younger Bruce Willis. I think Looper was a very good blend of a mob story and sci-fi all rolled up into a nice cozy burrito. P.S. If you want a future car just attach some solar panels and wires to the outside of your car and you will be driving a car from 2044.… Expand

Best sci-fi I've seen since maybe Inception, although I wouldn't call Inception a strictly sci-fi film. As far as time travel movies go, which there really aren't very many of, let alone good ones, this is the best I've seen in years. As with any movie based on time-travel, you have to accept a few rules presented by the specific movie or you WILL make the film fall apart. Thankfully this film only has one major rule, and it's easy to accept and let go of your reality. It's hard to talk about the story without giving anything away but you will be very entertained. There is not a dull moment in the film's entirety and there are twists and turns throughout. The acting is fantastic (JGL is only getting better and better, and Bruce Willis is captivating as usual), the cinematography is engaging...this is a very well made and meticulously thought-out film. Definitely worth a visit to the cinema to see it on the big screen, and if not, absolutely worth a rental or even a place on your shelf in your collection.… Expand

Nice thing about this movie is that its original and overall good.I felt the movie showcased or built up certain characters that became pointless or underwhelming. lack of time travel technology and the way they cover up the fact made me feel as if they couldn't think of anything. Pacing was to slow at times, even for when they were building good parts, everything else was good for the most part.

If you are a fan of high bodycount, ultra violent action movies and hopelessly dystopian visions of the future, and you don't care about silly little things like theme, or even a coherent message that teaches us something, ANYTHING about the human condition, look away. Stop reading right now. I warned you. Don't you dare thumb me down. This review is for people like me, people who like a little bit of hope and optimism in their movies, and are tired of cold blooded killers and ruthless criminals ("with a heart!", I can hear them saying) occupying the lead spots in supposedly intelligent, critically acclaimed (a term I have learned to take with a hefty grain of salt) movies. So, what makes this movie so bad? First of all, it doesn't have an original bone in its emaciated, cliche ridden body. If you've seen Blade Runner, or Twelve Monkeys, or even the awful remake of the awful adaption of the awful comic strip 2000 A.D., or hell, basically any movie made in the last seventy five years, you've seen Looper. People will think it's original because it's based around a mildly inventive, highly questionable gimmick- time traveling hitmen assassinating themselves- but in reality, it's blatantly, shamelessly derivative. There's even a scene where Jeff Daniel's character (Tom? Joe? Bill? Jesus? I can't even remember the guy's name) points out the movie's own fatal flaw, in which he chides JGL's drab, uninspired Hollywood wardrobe. Masterful bit of foreshadowing right there. Or perhaps a subtle jab at itself? Either way, I should have left the theater right then and there. Let's start a checklist. Why? It's fun and I'm lazy: Bleak vision of the future? Check. Exorbitantly powerful criminal empire? Check. Widespread poverty? Check. Totally ineffective/powerless government/police force? Check. Unbelievable, scientifically implausible technological advancements? Check. Low I.Q. henchmen with terrible aim, wielding nonsensical weapons (the ridiculous long barreled revolvers reminded me of the joke pistol the Joker uses in Tim Burton's "Batman"). Check. Drug addicted, shamelessly materialistic, callously indifferent populace? Check, check, and check. Beautiful, gentle Asian prostitute who saves the older Joe from a life of crime? Check. Faceless villain? Check. Complete lack of any likeable characters? Check. Convenient, contrived ending? Check. Sound familiar? Alright, enough checks. I'm tired, and all of this is skirting the real issue. "Looper" is the kind of garbage I'd expect out of a film school amateur, a kid who has yet to learn the single most important thing about storytelling: soul. As in, this movie has none. "Looper" left a bad taste in my mouth, and if you're anything like me, you'll be just as disgusted. Avoid at all costs.… Expand

I've pondered over this film for a few days and i still have yet to come up with a legitemate flaw. This was a great film. From the acting by the new superstar Gordon-Levitt, to the engaging and genius story, to the beautiful cgi. I just had 2 minor flaws. It got a little bit boring a few times throughout the film but it was recovered quickly each time and it seemed a bit overly long but when you think about it there really wasn't a scene you could take out so i'll give Looper a 9.5/10. This is definitely the biggest surprise of 2012 for me, i didn't expect much from this film. I just expected another dumb time-travel involved film, but this one actually had an amazing plot that was near perfectly executed.… Expand

Looper is an exciting and intriguing science fiction film; even if some of it's shots are cliche and there may be a few plot holes. It is a film that had me from it's opening shots and pulled me through different tones and pacing but I say this in a good way. The first act set up the themes, world and complexeties of the story even if it's not directly related to the rest. It is not a film that solely relies on it's concept; above all Looper is about characters and the moral decisions they have to make.… Expand

The story in Looper revolves around a gangster that takes out marked men for a criminal organisation. The twist is that the criminals are 30 years into the future where they apparently aren't allowed to kill people so they send the people that are to be slain back into the past. The movie breaks the no-killing-in-the-future-rule several times and the viewer is left wondering, like in so many other instances, why the heck the writers overlooked yet another hole in the plot that is so glaringly obvious that it'll sit on your mind for the entire duration of the movie. The most explanation that you get is that you shouldn't try to understand any of it, making it nothing more than an action movie full of convenient Deus Ex machina and not the brilliant science fiction the plebs and so called "critics' are trying to make you believe it is. Bruce Willis fans (Old Joe) will be disappointed by his lacklustre performance, possibly because of a script he couldn't really work with. That and they cast him as a child-killer which I felt was slightly revolting. A completely miscast Garret Dillahunt (Jesse) enters and quickly departs the movie in a most unbecoming way for an actor who is capable of much more. The sets are anachronistic and the vision the set makers had for a 2040's and 2070's America is completely unbelievable and an insult to any seasoned sci-fi viewer. Single-action revolvers, REALLY? Yor: The Hunter from the Future had more believable set props than that. Despite the movie's many incosistencies, plot-holes and cinematized gangster-style executions that are played at a rapid pace at the beginning of the movie this movie is watchable by anyone looking for a cheesy Hollywood sci-fi flick. Just don't go in thinking this is some kind of pièce de résistance of sci-fi viewing; you'll be sorely disappointed if you do.… Expand

Brilliant, unique and disturbing, with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Looper is far from your typical generic time travel movie and is one of those rare science fiction futuristic movies that will tug on your emotions. Emily Blunt and Joseph Gordon Levitt deliver brilliant performances and the child actor who plays Blunt's son is a scene stealer. Easily the best movie I've watched this year.… Expand

I thought this was a pretty bad movie overall. Everything is derivative of stuff you've seen before, and even if this is deliberate, the riffing on familiar themes and plot points isn't clever enough to hold your interest.

And the overall concept sounds cool initially, but makes no sense. If they wanted to make no sense, the whole movie shouldn't have taken itself so seriously and been more cartoonish. As it is, there's really no reason to have the loopers in the first place--why didn't the bad guys of the future just send their victims into some volcano of the past?… Expand

There are two aspects of Looper that cause it to be stifling: It tries too hard to be stylish and too hard to be deep. The production values are there, with the actors well cast - though, when it comes down to it Bruce Willis is cast as a character that is essentially himself in every single Die Hard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is cast as (and takes on the attempts at acting like) a younger Bruce Willis.

Here is where an interesting facet comes into play: The most basic -simplified, if you will- premise is that one person meets themselves in the future. With the help of some keen makeup and prosthetic, Gordon-Levitt was able to be given the jaw, cheekbones, and forehead of Bruce Willis. In addition, speaking in a raspy and sort of brooding tone, the film is able to pull off a decent narration.

However, it just tries too hard to be "cool"; too hard to be "noir."

The director, Rian Johnson, attempts to be the next Christopher Nolan by mimicking the deep provocations of Inception but fails due to the fact that the presentation is terrible. One moment he throws a concept at the audience and before one can really figure out any profundities or even specific relations to a plot, the scene following is an elementary action scene or something that is easy to conceive, partially due to similarities with action films hitherto.

Perhaps with another viewing, aside from gawking at visuals, the viewer would be able to construe of something that is probably not there and, the undeniably corny plot "twists" thrown in make this film more than just a waste of money but also a waste of time. Inception was deep with the only real downside being that of the latter portion of it being drawn out - Looper tries with all of its might to be Inception, but can evaluated from its ending which is, in the larger scope of cinema, a cop out.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good, definitely not this years Matrix, but enjoyable. TK bits seem added on to get an explanation that isn't very satisfactory. Remember there are two ways to close your loop!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I enjoyed this film, to an extent. It's very clever, and it's refreshing to watch a film that doesn't treat its audience like idiots that need everything explained to them. The premise is interesting and the 3 lead characters give strong performances, particularly Emily Blunt.

However I found the film difficult to warm to, and was disappointed by the end. For me there are too many plot-points that weren't really believable. I found that idea of only using time travel to send people back in time to bump them off a bit stupid. Why not just kill people in the future? The rainmaker kid came across of being quite evil in nature, but if he's wiping out future crime lords doesn't that make him a good guy? Would Bruce Willis really shoot children? The choice of odd weapons used by everyone in the film (blunderbusses and pistols) was never explained, and the bad guys were all out of a video game (all wearing black trenchcoats). I was surprised that there weren't more memorable moments or set-pieces. Overall a clever film but not one I'd plan to watch again anytime soon.… Expand

I went to go see this movie on a whim. I'm not generally a fan of time-travel. However, Looper does incredibly well to keep the time-travel gimmick, while also being a generally good film. It keeps a steady, and never disappointing, pace throughout the film. It doesn't try too hard to explain the science behind the time travel or in what way it works. It just flat out shows you what happens. Which is better than being given five minutes of screen-time for some poorly articulated explanation for the mechanism of time-travel.

The film has a great feel to it. A dystopian future hasn't looked this good since Children of Men and Blade Runner- and I don't think one will for a while. The layout of the film is brilliant too, with the Life in a Day scene being one of the most powerful scenes (for me at least) this year in movies. The film does share some inconsistencies in the storyline, but it's never significant enough to draw it down.

The actors performances are brilliant as always. Bruce Willis portrays Old Joe incredibly well, you can get that sense of turmoil that he's going through. Pushed to the edge, if you will. You empathise at parts, but at the same time, you know he has lost it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's portrayal of Young Joe is also great. Especially given the prosthetics and make-up he had to wear during his entire performance.

Anyway, to sum it up, it's an absolutely brilliant science fiction film. It blends great themes, science fiction elements and action into an enjoyable movie. Certainly recommended to anyone and everyone.… Expand

Looper mixes mind-bending time-travel craziness, bloody action, some great hilarity and very nicely-done drama, all delivered in an astonishingly creative and original way.
Extremely well-written, shot, acted and, clearly, directed. I knew it was good -- it turned out to be good raised to the 1000, meaning insanely good. A whole new level of fantastic. I'm never using the word "amazing" for non-truly amazing things (those that don't match Looper's level of amazing) ever again.… Expand

I went to see this strictly based on the critic reviews. I am basically all done with reading any sort of critic reviews. The same people who invest in the movie production are the same people who own the media outlets that write the reviews. This movie sucks. I wouldn't recommend this movie if it was free on the Lifetime movie network. Hollywood is a joke, American film is a joke. Absolutely pathetic.… Expand

Slightly Interesting story - a bit confused at times mixing too much diverse sci-fi into the same story. Good acting and direction. HORRIBLE violence -- its way to excessive and gory at times and un-necessarily so. It makes Tarentino look like a sissy. And that's not easy to do, neither is it a good thing to achieve.

The trailer for this movie gives the wrong impression. Yes there's plenty of action and violence blended in with Sci-fi elements, but it's more than that. This is a thought-provoking, original piece of work. Sure there are some influences, the biggest one seems to be Terminator, but this is as close to original as you can get in this day in age. I would like to also put out that, as I said there's plenty of action, but the movie at some points slows down. These scenes are just characters talking but they were never boring to me, but they might be to you. Half of the movie takes place on a farm but, like I said I was never bored. I have nothing bad to say about this movie. The plot and story are rich and thought-provoking. For example: If you could go back in time to kill baby Hitler would you? The screenplay is extremely well done and thought out. Sure there are some minor flaws within the time travel aspect(I can list a few but that could potentially spoil things) but that's the case with every movie about time travel. Johnson does a terrific job at plugging in most of these holes and this is probably the best and well thought out movie about time travel. Now if time travel did exist would it be something like this? Probably not but Johnson does such a good job at explaining everything that he makes us believe it, and he never breaks his own rules. You have to really pay attention to everything or else you might miss something and get lost, sort of like Inception. This is nothing like Inception by the way so those who are comparing this movie to that one are wrong. The acting in this more is terrific, but I'm sure none of these performances will get recognition from the academy which is a dam shame. Over the past couple of years Joseph Gordon-Levitt has slowly become one of the best actors working today. His performance is amazing, his impression of Bruce Willis is spot on from his facial expressions to the way he speaks he nailed it, and even though his face is covered in prosthetics he is still able to convey emotion and act. Bruce Willis is back between Expendable Two, Moonrise Kingdom and now Looper. I hope he picks these kinds of movies in the near future. He doesn't just kick was in this movie but he also proves that he's got the chops. One scene in particular, he is crying because of the terrible thing he did and even though I hated what he did I couldn't help but feel sorry for him during that scene. You'll know when you see it. Emily Blunt is great as well, I'm surprised not that many people actually mentioned her, without her the movie wouldn't have been the same. The kid is also great, he certainly has potential. He provided some humorous scenes that the film needed. The guy who plays the main person in charge of the Looper did a great job too. There really is no hero, everyone is the antihero which was a nice change as you don't often see that in movies and just adds to the freshness. The romance between Blunt and Levitt was nice, they both displayed a nice degree of chemistry. I really liked them as a couple even though they're both terrible people(I'd mention a few other things but I don't want to ruin anything). The ending to this film is brilliant, it has a lot of deep meaning behind it even though I'm sure people hated it. There's a reason why the director did this and if only people would look at the meaning behind it. This is as perfect of a movie about time travel as you're going to get. I loved everything about it. Sure you can pick away at some of the flaws within the time travel but what's the point? Every movie about time travel has some flaws within time travel. The strong script, outstanding performances, fleshed out characters, and the rich/original plot make this the best one. Johnson did a brilliant job at closing as many of the flaws as he could. This is one of the best films of the year, it's thought-provoking and original. This movie is still on my mind and though this won't alter my life in any way, I'm glad I got to see it.… Expand

The problem with this movie is, that it tries to be taken as a serious piece of work. But fails, becasue of the many loop holes in the plot. On the positve side, the cast did a great job. But that wasnt enough, to save this movie.

Top of the line popcorn entertainment. Acting is good, plot holds a few surprises and most importantly the pace of the movie keeps you from looking at errors in the plotline due to the element of timetravel.

I believe this is one of the top ten best movies of the first three years of this decade. It's very rare that a movie can be this enjoyable and exciting, have this much of an emotional impact, make a thought provoking statement, be an intelligent story throughout, and even make the viewer reflect on themselves, and question their own character. This movie does all of those things. Just about any criteria that can go into a great movie is very strong with this one. It was a very well thought out story, but it's orchestrated in the script very competently, so that every moment is able to have its full impact. From the very beginning of the movie, you're already questioning things about yourself, and that's only mild compared to the self evaluation you'll be doing towards the middle of the movie, and at the end. If you want a movie that is going to knock you out emotionally, and leave you in chills at the end, this will do it. At the same time, if you just want to be entertained, this will do the job too. This is the rare kind of movie that can be satisfying to watch no matter what mood you're in. There are times when I feel like watching a thought provoking movie, or one with a clever story, or an emotional movie, or just one that's going to entertain me. This would be a good choice for all of those moods. There are a couple of plot holes, but they are mild, and easily forgivable, when the script overall is this brilliant. The choices made by the director are also very clever, and elevate the script even further. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt all give strong performances, and add depth to their characters, and dimensions to the story overall. I'm not even worried about raising people's expectations too high. I heard great things about this movie before I saw it, and I expected it to be in contention for my favorite movie of the year, yet it still exceeded my expectations, and blew me away.… Expand

Looper was good. It wasn't great, but it was good. It was really heading in the right direction except that inconsistencies with how "future" works was silly. Some of the characters are pretty annoying, too. You aren't ever actually sure what characters you are supposed to "like" and "dislike". That can be good sometimes, but by how the characters were developed and built, it fails. The movie had good ideas and concepts, it just wasn't pieced together that well. It's a pretty good movie if you only look on the 'outside'. If you want it to be logical and well done science fiction, then perhaps this isn't the greatest of movies. What separates a movie like this from Moon is that it Moon is perfectly structured and has very little to nitpick at. I suggest seeing it, but don't have super high expectations. It is only a B or C level sci-fi movie. But there are boobs… Expand

I base great films on whether I am still thinking about them the next day. I was still thinking about Looper the next day. While I may watch something like "The Avengers" over and over again to go to sleep to and enjoy on a semi-regular basis, Looper is perhaps the best film so far this year (but far less re watchable as background noise while you are cooking dinner). Superb acting, casting, and overall directing.… Expand

This science-fiction action film is a surprising emotional blend of kick-ass fights and firearm killing and disturbing dystopian themes. It evokes powerful feelings of empathy and fear which is not really seen in similar genres and left me shaken as I left the screen. This made me realise

Wow! The most original movie I've seen since Inception. Very intelligently written! This movie is the complete opposite of most movies that come out today, which aim to please the easily entertained. You'll definitely be thinking about this movie for awhile after you see it. It's an instant classic sci-fi film, which I'll have to add to my collection for sure when it comes out on video.

Well first off Joseph Gordon-Levitt, does not look like Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I know, shocking.
The story is great and original, the special effects are pretty neat as well.
The first half hour really pulls you in and then it slows down, oh but not for too long.
This film has it all, time travel, blunderbuss's, hover bikes, gold and hobo's.
It definitely isn't what you expect it to be and thats for the better.
This is one of the best films of the year and is a must see for action and Sci-fi fans.… Expand

I hate to say it, but a lot of people just didn't get Looper. Honestly, the way it was marketed made is seem like a generic action thriller, something akin to In Time. I was astonished that the main conflict to the movie was never featured in any of the previews making it a pleasant surprise. The first thing to understand is there will never be a perfect time travel movie because there is always the idea of the paradox. With that aside I found Looper to be well grounded in its logic and a thrill to watch. People complain about over wrought violence, but this movie is about the mafia so it is par for the course in any overly violent/sexual nature. It pushes the age old tradition of the dangers of crime, and the violence it can bring. Most of all it pushes the idea that we can be a totally different person in 30 years time, with different motivations and understanding. Looper is just as brilliant as Rian Johnson's other films (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), and is surprising from start to finish.… Expand

An intelligent action film is always welcomed, and this is no exception. Rian Johnson's 3rd film, this finally shows Johnson taking some creative ideas and grand detail and puts it altogether. As a result, it's his most complete film, though it's not without its plot holes. But you're going to get that when tackling time-traveling. Don't think too much about it and enjoy the ride.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What a film. I did not expect this to be as good as it was. This is not a film for lovers of light-hearted films: it is a very dark one-of-a-kind experience. The problem is that I'm writing this review quite a long time after having seen the film; so I apologize for anything that I put wrong or not quite right. This is not a film about time travel as such; as time travel has been invented in the future, and it is used to send criminals back in time to be exterminated, when upon yourself arrives to be exterminated, you must do so, or you will suffer the consequences (as someone did in a very gruesome way during the opening of the movie). That is the premise of the plot in its simplest form. When (I forget the main character's name, sorry) arrives to be killed by himself, all hell breaks loose. The complicated (yet simple) storyline is handled masterfully, not leading to any confusing moments during the whole run-time of the picture. The acting is also ace, Bruce Willis providing everything you'd want from him in role such as this, and Joseph Gordon Levitt being the perfect anti-hero. The camerawork is mind-boggingly fantastic, although perhaps a tad hard to watch at times. This is a dark, unnerving sci-fi film that provides a very smart, witty and surprise of a gem that I don't think anyone was expecting. Not for kids, Looper wins the award of the most surprising film of the year (in a great way). 92/100.… Expand

The overall movie is fantastic, excellent acting, special effects, and story all-around. The dissappointing ending was the only drawback, which made me subtract from the score.

Looper is a really great film for several reasons. Bruce Willis is back on form in one of the best science fiction films of all time. It's as mind-blowing as The Matrix and Inception, with all the action and tension of a blockbuster hit. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fantastic as Young Joe with some of the most realistic visual make-up I have ever seen. One very memorable scene involves torture in the strangest way possible, without spoiling it, it's definitely one of the most chilling scenes in cinema history. Overall, definitely worth checking out for SciFi Bruce Willis fans… Expand

Pretty good Sci-Fi time travel flick in the vein of 'Twelve Monkeys', starring Bruce Willis. Joseph Gordon Levitt is great here as usual, but I found the film a bit over-rated. If you've seen a lot of these time travel stuffs, you know where it's heading, and the whole film is practically a set up for the ending.

Rarely you would find a science fiction movie these days not relying on CGI and action to draw audiences, this movie does not require both, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis pack a great performance, best science fiction movie I have watched in recent times.

Looper is one of those films that desperately wants to be taken seriously. It tries to capture audience interest and respect in several ways -- action, inter-character and character development, even the cerebral "nature of cause and effect" conundrum. Unfortunately, it screws everything up and makes a royal mess. Its characters are, by and large, shallow to the point of one-dimensionality, generally merely character stereotypes rather than even photocopied archetypes. The primary anti-hero protagonist/antagonist (yep, it's that convoluted) probably undergoes the most development, but that's due in part to the fact that he's being played by two separate actors. By and large, the performances are wooden and unconvincing, the writing stilted to the point of being hack dialogue, and the plot so full of holes that trying to sort it all out would take much more time than this film is worth. (Consider this a note to all would-be time travel story writers: whether you decide on a deterministic or non-deterministic model of causality doesn't matter as long as you are consistent. Looper? Total flop on that.) Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a reasonably good job with what the script gives him (which isn't much), and Emily Blunt turns in a rather good performance, in part because she's the only believable character in the whole mangled mess. To be totally and brutally honest, if billing on this movie were by quality of performance, Blunt should be going first; hers is the best portrayal in the film. By the same logic, Bruce Willis' unconvincing, flat, and downright uninterested performance should earn him a credit just below the lighting intern. Frankly, Willis phoned in this performance; even with the pathetic writing, he could have done much better. Jeff Daniels turns in a decent portrayal of a boss from the future sent back to run herd on the miscreants that populate the turkey of a plot. Scriptwriting was horrendous, particularly in the area of plot. The entire film was over-the-top violence and brutality. Really, with the aforementioned exceptions to the generally poor performances, the only other people in this production that deserve a true pat on the back are those responsible for generating the setting and scenery. They, at least, did a fine job in creating a dystopian, energy-starved, socially collapsed world in which to set this train wreck of a film. (It's an unfortunate thing when the setting is outshining most of the cast in quality of performance.) Given the blasting I've given this film, it's easy to wonder why I'm giving it a 2 instead of a 0. Three reasons: Gordon-Levitt, Blunt, and the scene setting crew. Everything else? Junk. Had I known now what I was getting into, I would not have gone to the theater for this. I would've waited until it hit cable...and then watched something else.… Expand

You might just take Looper at first glance as what it says in all the marketing and synopsis material, with time travel now being possible, large crime syndicates send their targets back in time to be executed by Loopers, hired guns who can dispose of the bodies a lot easier than they can in the future.
But what is shown in the film is so much more than that, and it plays out into a brilliant, yet not perfect, sci-fi thriller.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, one of these Loopers, and when he isn't being hired to kill someone from the future, he is stashing away the silver bricks, his payment, and only cashes in a few, and by night he parties and takes drugs, until his next assassination. Gordon-Levitt has had prosthetics and make-up applied to his face to look like a younger version of, well, himself, but actually Bruce Willis, who plays the future Joe, sent back in time to be killed, and of course when this goes wrong, the simple rule has been disobeyed, never let your loop get away.
But in the bigger picture, Old Joe is back to try and prevent a tragic event in his own life, and he can only do so in Young Joe's time, and that lies within a small boy, Cid, played by Pierce Gagnon, and this kid truly puts in a wonderful performance, he is perhaps the best thing about this film and his acting and manner is fantastic, and of course a plot twist just adds to the heightened drama.
The whole cast, including Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels, are on fine form, a Looper truly does portray a different sort of dystopian future that we are used to seeing in cinema these days. But while the film is smart and clever in its original idea, this perhaps could be its biggest downfall. The amount of plot holes after watching it second time are just too big to ignore or not give notice to, they don't exactly ruin what is a entertaining film, but on occasion it just seems all for nothing when you realise what other way it could have went. With such a complex idea, there was always going to be a slip up along the way for writer/director Rain Johnson.
Aside from this, there are enough twists and turns to keep you entertained for two hours, and Gordon-Levitts similarities to Bruce Willis including his gruff, soft-spoken voice are mind-boggling.
An excellent, albeit flawed thriller, which offers realism, while also poking fun the odd time on what other films try so hard to be serious about, definitely see Looper.… Expand

Such a surprising cinematic experience. I was apprehensive before watching because most movies dealing with time travel completely butcher it and make the movie seem more silly than anything. Thankfully, Looper did a very good job with it. They didn't try to explain anything about the science of it, which I was fine with, but I felt that they nailed the concept. Joseph Gordon-Levitt did an amazing job, not only acting but as portraying a young Bruce Willis. Obviously the make-up department deserves credit for the look but JGL mastered all of the mannerisms and the style of talking. Very impressive performance on his behalf. And I love Emily Blunt so her being in the film is a nice bonus, plus it's nice to see her take on a slightly different role from her typical typecast. The only negative in the film, in my opinion, was the telekinesis element. I thought it was a really silly aspect of the film and didn't need to be in there at all. The Rainmaker, could've easily been portrayed to be a genius child, not a borderline superhuman. That's really the only part of the film that was mediocre. Looper is definitely a movie that I think most people would enjoy. Some will probably find it challenging to follow but those that follow it well will surely consider it entertaining.… Expand

Good movie and easily one of the best of the year, Looper does a good job of avoiding some of the usual trappings that time-travel movies fall into nowadays. I love the idea that is glosses over most of the explanation of why time travel works in this movie and just focuses on the story between Levitt and Willis, even if they aren't on screen together for the vast majority of the movie. I love how this movie takes a played out concept and puts a nice, original spin on it for the audience. I can see why this movie might turn off some people with a few things here and there, but I personally loved this movie. The only problem I have is that I didn't get to see it soon enough.… Expand

You can never go wrong in choosing a movie that stars Bruce Willis or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but when they come together, that's when the magic really happens! Looper is the brainchild of Rian Johnson, who likes to bring us unusual stories, that mainly star JGL, however Looper is much easier to follow than most of Johnson's other films. While I'm not his biggest fan, his attention to detail has always really stood out to me and is perhaps never more evident than in Looper. Johnson actually used make-up and special effects to make JGL resemble a young Bruce Willis, which I found to be ingenious. Not to be overlooked is of course how clever a story Looper is, as it blends together time travel and the mafia. In the future, time travel has been invented, but like every other good thing, it is illegal. The mafia controls time travel and uses it as a weapon to commit murder. In this future world, it is impossible to dispose of a body, so the mafia sends their targets back in time where they are met an executed by a hired gun, known as a looper. The performances are of course top notch, Willis, the action star of a generation, only gets better with age, and JGL is the simply put the hardest working, most under appreciated actor in all of Hollywood. To be completely honest, this intriguing, action-packed, thriller was not as good as I expected it to be, and I really didn't care for the way in ended. That being said, it is still a great film that is definitely worth your while.… Expand

Looper -- well scripted. It has a very logical and believable sci-fi. My only problem is that Joseph Levitt-Gordon and Bruce Willis are just not from the same mold. Poor casting there.

Good movie, coherent, plot-twisting, and with well written characters. This said, I thought there would be more science fiction and a little more broader view. It made me think of "12 Monkeys", which had the same scale: one city, max. 10 depicted characters, and surprising ending. To sum up, very engaging, despite the flaws.

Good idea, lousy execution. Needed a couple of more rewrites. If you think you're getting an exciting action movie, you're not. A depressing bloody film. Why is it that Hollywood always has the future depicted as dirty, depressing and crime-ridden? The interesting concept makes it a fair DVD rental. Save the big movie theatre bucks for something else.

Rian Johnson

This story was written by someone who does not comprehend even the basics of time travel problems and paradoxes. It is a mystery why this chaos received so high grades. The plot in short: mafia from the future sends their assassination targets into the present to be disposed of; in the present there are killers, so called loopers (organized by a sadist from the future) who await their targets and kill them. Before or later, the looper receives a mission to kill his future self. Some of them fail to do so. And then the chase begins. First of all, the premise is pretty stupid, to use such advanced technology for such mundane goal. In the movie they have explained, that in the future it is impossible to get rid of someone without being tracked. It is, as it seems, far easier to build a time machine then to avoid tracking technology from a collapsed society. Then we have a pretty horrifying (and illogical) scene of punishment for a failed looper. His present self is mutilated and his future self loses his limbs one by one. This is wrong, all his wounds have been inflicted in the past so they would appear all at once in the future. And it is unresolved if his present self has been killed or will they keep him alive for the next few decades without his limbs, until he is sent into the present. Then we have our „hero", Joe who escapes his captors in the future, escapes his present looper-self and begins his search for a mysterious future mafia boss, the elusive „Rainmaker", who in the future has killed his wife. Then begins a „Terminator-rip-off". Terminator-Joe from the future does not have exact information about Rainmaker, only his date of birth and he manages to narrow his search to only three kids he will have to kill. He eliminates two targets and of course, his past self protects the real Rainmaker, the fact that it HAS TO BE KNOWN to his future self even before his trip to the past, because it is past, no matter when the audience has find out this. Then the Terminator-Joe eliminates his entire (ex-)gang and there is a showdown between him, his present-self and the Rainmaker-Kid. The situation is resolved when the present Joe kills himself and the Terminator-Joe disappears. Which would set in motion time traveling paradox: Terminator Joe does not exist so he cant be sent into the past and all his actions would be reversed. But no, all his actions in the movie remain. The Rainmaker-kid survives and he will grow up not to be mafia boss but exemplary member of future society. The end. Oh, and this Rainmaker-kid has a Carrie-like telekinetic abilities, which has nothing to do with a plot and is complete superficial. As for the pacing of the movie, it is horrible. We begin with a bang (literary), then a movie comes to a halt and we have an hour or so pure boredom (or character „development"). Then we have a final shoot out. All in all a very bad experience, caused by a fanboy-hype. If you want to see Bruce Willis travel through time, watch „12 Monkeys", a far superior movie in every sense.… Expand

Intelligent. Entertaining. Unique. Violent. Emotional. Disturbing. Sentimental. I loved it. I hope it gets a nomination from the academy.

I have to agree that

Decent enough story but this still doesn't make time travel believable, not sure that can ever be done the plausibility of it, that is. But I'm pretty sure people just appearing and disappearing isn't how it'll look. Same kind of thing with telekinesis, let alone being exhibited by a 10 yo kid. The quality of this movie is like a very good steak served with ketchup as sauce.

A time Travel Movie that is fresh and finely acted without getting overly complicated. Levitt and Willis do great work here as well does the rest of the cast. I just wish more movies likes this would get made.

I dont usually say this but WHY are you reading this? Go out and watch this NOW. Brilliant acting, a brilliant plot where everything clicks and excellent sequences - Looper is my favourite film of the year alongside Dark Knight Rises. And it beats the hell out of The Avengers. There are minor loopholes if you think hard enough but overall, its as enjoyable as Inception and definitely, a well-rounded film on an intriguing premise. A movie with the brains and passion that you will definitely enjoy. If you love Inception, you'll love this film. It makes you think and gives you a satisfying conclusion.… Expand

Looper is a movie that has an interesting story to some degree but from the mindless action scenes to the and incoherent editing, Looper fails miserably like Bruce Willis's acting.

Writer/director Rian Johnson has hit the big time with Looper, a really polished and original clever sci-fi thriller that succeeds by focusing more on its characters and slick action than tying the narrative in loops to explain the intricacies of time travel. In fact the film makes it clear that the time travel discussion is off the table, Willis makes this point abundantly clear to his younger self when the pair discuss their past/future in another great American diner scene. It simply isn't allowed to distract from the film. The action is stylish and the film carries a genuine sense of almost low budget indie cool throughout. Armed with his awesome blunderbuss, Gordon-Levitt copes with playing a lead action man well and is ably supported by Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. Blunt, in particular, gives a strong performance as a single mother resolutely protecting her son.

I have seen some comments to the contrary, but I found the film's ending to be excellent and thought provoking.… Expand

Best movie I've seen in a long time; definitely the best this year. Absolutely superb. The intellect of Inception with underpinnings of The Terminator. Plot, story, action, acting, pacing... everything fit perfectly. It has a certain intellect to it that you simply do not see in many movies nowadays. It also is a new story and is not some rehashed superhero flick or modern remake of an older film. My only issue is that I would have liked a little more info about the "rainmaker" in the future. Otherwise I loved it. Very highly recommend; I don't give out many 10s.… Expand

Excellent movie. The cast is fantastic, Joseph Gordon-Levitt especially and the story is a real mind twister. I liked how the future is shown almost similar to the present with only details showing us that not everything is the same. However it takes some time to tie all threads into one, but once you get the point than the story fully mesmerizes you. I was also surprised with the force little Pierce Gagnon played his very demanding part.
Finally, this movie should not be watched if you are not fully concentrated on it, as the details can slip quite easily.
Highly recommendable.… Expand

Apparently the method of time travel movies is to show the same scene over and over again to see if the outcome can be changed. The effect is numbing. J. Gordon Leavitt is talented, but he is gotten up to look like Keanu Reeves and acts accordingly. Bruce Willis has only his smirk left. I lasted a bit less than an hour.

How would you like to sit in a diner having steak and scrambled eggs with a version of yourself, but 30 years older, who also orders steak and scrambled eggs? How would you like to be Bruce Willis surrounded by 20 men with guns and you kill them all but can

The verdict is out. It appears if you are a troubled male enduring a violent life style, a woman from your past, or future, is likely responsible. If you want proof, look no further than this film. All major characters are deeply affected by females. Whether it's a mother, a wife, or a hooker, they all determine the destiny of the world.
I won't give it away, but do pay attention to the various female driven pointers, from small to large. It's all there. Ladies are the oil that runs the machinery of the world.
This was no doubt an entertaining film. The story kept me interested. Particularly because the promotional trailers did something abnormal by today's standards: they didn't give away the whole thing. I didn't expect it to follow the path that it does. Two thumbs up right there.
It's worth mention what a fastantic job they did making Joseph Gordon-Levitt look like a younger version of Bruce Willis. Frightening.
The one bit that often gets to me when it comes to science fiction is how you can smell the compromisse in the futuristic look. Specially when it comes to technology. Our future selves are geniuses in one aspect, like, say, time travel, but when it comes to other details of the world, like architecture or simple street signs, we dumbed down... And of course, the story does take place in the "past" version of this future. Can you hear a studio guy say: 'we gotta shoot this thing cheaper!'... Well, you can't have it All. So it does feel a bit more like an HBO production than big theatre fare, but I still had a fantastic time. Enjoy.… Expand

Definitely one of the best movies of 2012, and most likely the best science-fiction movie of this year. With movies such as The Dark Knight Rises and The Hunger Games, Looper still manages to shine and delivering one of the best movie experiences of the year. A must see, surprisingly good. 9/10

If you're looking for something thrilling yet thought provoking, go no further, Looper has arrived. Rian Johnson's Looper is a bold, wholly original genre film that delves into the fabric of time travel like you hardly get see these days. The high concept story line of a man's future-self on the loose after failing to 'get rid of him' is only the tip of the iceberg. Whats left is a dizzying tale of crime, time alteration and most interestingly, parenthood, that twists and turns the audience like an intelligent thriller should. The deceptive direction may not satisfy all, but it kept the intrigue on high.The principal cast was very good, and it's also good to see Bruce Willis on form this year. Filmed with much style and edited with clockwork precision; I highly recommend this to movie-goers.… Expand

Action thrillers generally require the willing suspension of disbelief. You have to *want* to believe that it is possible to shoot people while running, survive explosions "just outside the fireball", jump through windows with barely a scratch, etc. These are established patterns of the genre, and we, as an audience, have come to accept them (even though none of these are very likely). The point I am trying to make is that when you go to an action movie, you are willing to overlook a bunch of glaringly impossible stuff, and will be actively trying to accept the plot "as-is" without looking too close. this is why it is to jarring when a movie is so full of internal inconsistencies and the sheer number plot holes make the script look like swiss cheese. These people are professionals, and they can apparently turn any weird idea into a marketable film, which makes me question even more why they had to go with this B-plot that made the otherwise seamless visuals simply not entertain anymore. I'm not even going into the onedimensional characters that can be completely described in one short sentence each. This is an action flic after all, we have come to accept that. Haven't we?… Expand