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

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