Looper
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 808 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 695 out of 808
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 808
  3. Negative: 57 out of 808

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  1. amboy
    Oct 24, 2012
    0
    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.
  2. GreatMartin
    Sep 28, 2012
    7
    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
  3. SantiagoMAKiiNA
    Oct 7, 2012
    7
    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 v    arious 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
  4. NektarN
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    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
  5. Weis-mueller
    Sep 30, 2012
    7
    It's a mix of "10" scenes and three times as much "6". Worth watching--as is any film that manages to have even a minute of level ten. But, 66 critics saying 8.2? They're bonkers.
  6. certified_hater
    Oct 2, 2012
    8
    If you could go back in time and kill baby Hitler, would you? Like
  7. kane148
    Oct 8, 2012
    7
    This movie has an interesting premise and great actors and acting, which make up for the sometimes-lackluster action sequences. I think that if ones goes into this movie looking for simply an action movie, they will be disappointed. However, if you want something deeper: compelling characters and character development, suspense, moral dilemmas, then you will be satisfied. The film does suffer a bit at a few crucial plot points, where it's not entirely clear what happened. If you leave the theater confused, then look online for an explanation and it should make those little pieces fall into place nicely.… Expand
  8. analogkid280
    Oct 1, 2012
    10
    I loved this movie. It has an original take on a dirty future that does not require old blade runner sets remade. It handles the time travel stuff perfect. Not to mention it has Bruce Willis and a some machine guns, what is not to like.
  9. makister
    Oct 7, 2012
    10
    Best movie I've seen in a long time. Genius plot, awesome actors and great cinematography. Definitely the best movie of the year. I really was excited when I saw the trailer, but I didn' t expect to have been as surpised as I became.
  10. broose
    Sep 28, 2012
    7
    Looper is a movie that has time travel in it, but at its core, it is a character drama, a movie about a crime and redemption.

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

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

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

    Again, there really wasn't any part of the movie that I didn't enjoy, but the first half was incredible while the second half, intended to be the real climax of the film, was just plain good, and that just gives me a feeling that a lot of potential was wasted.    … Expand
  11. Marmalade
    Oct 5, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Looper is a movie that epitomizes how an ending can make or break a story. Looper is the complete and utter opposite of what we saw happen with the Mass Effect franchise. Whereas the ME series was fantastic up until the last 10 minutes of ME3, I found Looper to be "just okay" up until the last 10 minutes - and then it blew my freakin' mind. Without getting "spoily," I will be completely honest - I almost walked out on Looper about 45 minutes in. Why? I have a personal problem with disturbing/graphic violence. I'm very sensitive and have trouble dealing with certain kinds of violence (not so much guns and shooting, but the kind of violence that haunts the imagination). The first 45 minutes or so has a LOT of that. There were parts I couldn't watch, while there were other parts I COULD watch but freaked the hell out of me (hint to people who have seen the movie: Old Seth. I can't get it out of my mind). However, when the movie gets to the point where we're introduced to the young version of the Rainmaker, I decided to stay - and I'm glad I did. Whereas the Mass Effect ending completely ruined the franchise for me, the ending of Looper completely redeemed the convoluted blood bath that went before. My initial thought when the credits rolled: "I hated it - and it blew my freakin' mind." My feelings about the movie as a whole are mixed. I admit my bias against graphic violence plays a huge role in these mixed feelings, so I will put all of that aside and say that the premise is fantastic, the acting is superb (the kid in this movie was outstanding) and DESPITE the violence, the story of this movie is well-written and mind-blowing. It reminded me of the original Terminator movie (one of my favourite movies of all time). I probably won't watch it again because of my sensitivity to violence, but for those of you who can deal with it, it's a story that's both touching and profound will leave your jaw hanging open when the credits roll.… Expand
  12. thebaldavenger
    Oct 5, 2012
    9
    I absolutely loved it. This is a great movie. Performances, direction, script: all are top notch. Not as much action as the trailer makes out but it doesn't matter because it's a proper, intelligent sci-fi movie. Makes a nice change from all the empty spectacle of most blockbuster films these days
  13. YanYan1990
    Oct 7, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers. Rian Johnson's latest sci-fi drama is an absolute joy to watch; not just as a well executed non-linear narrative but also as a deeply resonant love story operating on two separate plains: the past and the future. Juggling this complex series of events and organising them into a story that makes sense - let alone functions at all - is an achievement not to be snarked at. The credit truly has to go to Johnson as both writer and director, as well as sterling performances from both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, supplemented nicely with the work of Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt.

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

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

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

    Now, you will be left with questions. And this is not an intrinsically bad thing - in contrast, I think it opens the world of the movie up even more. I was led to query the nature of the time travel itself; multiple dimensions seeming to be a plausible necessity of the time manipulation process. These questions don't detract from the movie itself, which functions smoothly and focuses simply on the story at hand: This is the world we have been presented with and this is the story being told. All other questions - albeit interesting - are not required factors in enjoying what is an excellent movie.    … Collapse
  14. zergflesh
    Oct 7, 2012
    10
    A wonderful, and heartbreaking, film. Definitely see it! A fascinating contrast between youth and wisdom gained. Superb. Fantastic acting all around.
  15. Pjdblue
    Oct 9, 2012
    9
    I have been waiting to see Looper for a while now & like always when a film is highly rated with many positive reviews your excitment increases day by day. I can safely say it's up there with the best sci-fi / time travelling movies, Terminator/12 Monkeys etc. I loved the story & all the cast are superb, even the little touches like Joseph Gordon-Levitt plastic face.. Cool.
    Everything wor    ked so a must see for all I feel..… Expand
  16. Snowdon-goat
    Oct 11, 2012
    4
    Attempt at cerebral sci-fi let down by endless plot holes and a feather-headed lack of logic... First the good
  17. JonnyRaves
    Nov 4, 2012
    2
    Looper sucked in so many ways that it's actually difficult count them all. Unlike most of the other haters, I would be willing to overlook the ridiculous plot and the inconsistencies (of which there are many), if the movie was generally well executed and entertaining. But it's not. The movie is amateurishly directed, poorly edited, and unevenly paced. 80% of the action scenes lack the slightest amount of tension and fall completely flat. There is not one single well-developed character in the entire film, so there's no reason to care when anything happens to any of them. The script is disjointed and back-fills plot lines to explain things after they happen. The last two-thirds of the movie is very boring, and is chock full of clumsy, melodramatic, and just plain corny dialogue (especially between the Emily Blunt character and her "son"). Some of these dramatic scenes are so long and awkward that when I saw it, people in the theater were actually laughing uncomfortably, unsure of how to react. Then on top of everything else, Looper is a highly derivative mish-mash of other, much better, sci-fi movies, but doesn't even do a competent rip off job (see Inception ripping off the Matrix). Instead, what the viewer gets treated to is a series of dumbed-down scenes and plot points from movies like 12 Monkeys, The Matrix, Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, Strange Days, and a host of others. In the end, Looper is a smelly turd of a Movie. The only possible explanation I can offer as to why people liking this movie is that maybe we've been starved of a truly great sci-fi movie for so long, that almost anything will do at this point. Or maybe people are just idiots. Or both.… Expand
  18. Patrick94
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    All the douches giving this anything below a 7 are a bunch of hipsters that think they're cool for disagreeing with the way time-travel is portrayed in this movie. This movie was AMAZING, not as a sci-fi movie, not as a thriller, but in the way it executed both elements seamlessly and with uniqueness. If you're going to watch this JUST for the sci-fi, then don't bother. This is a great MOVIE, one that will stay in the back of my mind for years to come… Expand
  19. Bo33y
    Dec 22, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The title is a Mars bar and just like junk food this film delivers that useless energy. In its fantasy came a world that could never even be explained, logically or even with any degree of attempt. Maybe in 1930's there is an era of which this film is modeled from definitely in no foreseeable future. This aside the plot is littered with gaping holes. Paradoxes were given as much thought as some illiterate explaining the theory of relativity and resulting in suicide. Quite literally those braincells where already popped from it's crackheads abusive direction. Poor at everything, what SCI-FI I ask, it really didn't even try to be scientific. Bums with guns, and silver equals gold.… Expand
  20. Gridoverflow
    Jan 4, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. You either hate this movie or you are retarded. This movie has made you expect something good but it screwed you. The time traveling makes no sense at all. When in the end the main character shot himself his older version should disappear IMMEDIATELY not thinking and have a bad disappear effect. The fact that the kid was introduced at the beginning of the end and his powers were only introduced at the end with no explanation at all, makes me thing what the hell the writers were thinking. To include time travel in a movie is not new (see back to the future) but at least in that movie they explained how it was "possible" as you should in science-fiction. This movie did NOT! This was just a major disappointment and you will start to hate the kid and at the end he lives.… Expand
  21. Cainess
    Feb 5, 2013
    5
    This could have been so much better, and that's the biggest disappointment. The idea (given we've had the likes of The Terminator series and Minority Report beforehand) is fine, but at no stage do you ever get to the point of CARING about the characters enough to want them not to get killed.... I cannot fathom why so many critics rate this film so highly- it's bubblegum for a new generation, content to suspend any form of reality for a couple of hours and 'veg out'.

    Save wasting your life watching this and rent 'Bourne Legacy' instead- at least you'll see a movie that leaves you feeling happy that you watched it at the end- the same cannot be said of 'Looper'- it left me feeling empty.    … Expand
  22. ryan_radiohead
    Feb 11, 2013
    6
    Vastly overrated. The film never lives up to its first 20 minutes. (which is high in spectacle and hyper stylish direction)
    The deliberately slow burning second half on the other hand, is standard science fiction time travel yarn with a creepy telepathic kid. Watch "Twelve Monkeys" or "Source Code" instead.
  23. jkxtreme
    Feb 18, 2013
    7
    This is slightly unfair, as a film itself I would give it 8 maybe, but I must give it 7 due to the consensus, the consensus is this was an amazing film, it wasn't, it was solid but wasn't awe inspiring, it was also this decades Matrix, and it wasn't, it was nowhere near Matrix, I had to be true to myself, I'd rent it before buying it
    And Emily Blunt fans, She acts well, but she is the mos    t pointless character ever… Expand
  24. smijatov
    Jan 16, 2013
    8
    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
  25. mau1133
    Jan 26, 2013
    7
    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
  26. BKM
    Feb 20, 2013
    3
    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
  27. Gilberto
    Oct 13, 2012
    6
    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
  28. Pier
    Nov 7, 2012
    8
    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?
  29. dijavantewow
    Mar 20, 2013
    8
    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
  30. JUIKER
    Dec 23, 2012
    8
    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.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 44 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    Oct 1, 2012
    90
    For all its mayhem, runs like a mad and slightly sad machine, whirring with hints of folly and regret, and the ending, remarkably, makes elegant sense to a degree that eludes most science fictions. How to describe it, without giving anything away? Scrambled, but rare. [1 Oct. 2012, p.84]
  2. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    Sep 28, 2012
    50
    Looper felt to me like a maddening near-miss: It posits an impossible but fascinating-to-imagine relationship...and then throws away nearly all the dramatic potential that relationship offers. If someone remakes Looper as the movie it could have been in, say, 30 years, will someone from the future please FedEx it back to me?
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  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    Sep 28, 2012
    90
    I'm not ready to proclaim Looper a sci-fi masterpiece just yet; let's let it sit awhile. But it's a lean, mean, smart, violent picture with a bit of Stanley Kubrick edge, fueled by the terrific Gordon-Levitt.
    Read full review
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