Looper - Movie Review (Spoiler-Free)

Looper (2012) – Movie Review

In Rian Johnson’s Looper, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hitman hired by the mob to dispose of targets sent back from thirty years in the future. Joe is well paid and lives a good life until the mob decide to close his loop by sending back his future self, Old Joe (Bruce Willis), for him to assassinate like any other target.

There are plenty of reasons to love Looper. A major one being that this is a completely original concept by Rian Johnson. It’s a totally unique story that takes place in an imagined world brought to life to create one of the best movies of the year. Think about it – what will be your favourite movie this year? The Dark Knight Rises? The Avengers? The Amazing Spider-Man? The Hobbit? Skyfall? All of which are sequels or adaptations. Great movies, yes – but not original. That is why Looper is a breath of fresh air.

In the filmmaking of Looper is where Rian Johnson’s ingenuity really shines. Every shot in Looper is of interest – I never wanted to look away from the screen. The world Johnson creates is very grounded but still one you’ll want to lose yourself in. By the time the credits roll; no doubt your dream job will a Looper.

Johnson tells his story in a way that explains everything within the opening 20 minutes. In that time, the world is understood, the characters are realised and their jobs are very clearly explained. Just make sure you listen up during JGL’s narration, which settles any questions you might have had about Loopers and what it means to “close your loop”.

I was very surprised by Looper in terms of story. I thought I knew what this movie was about but it took a different turn to what I expected. Not that I didn’t enjoy what I saw, I just pictured something different. I certainly expected to see a lot more of JGL and Bruce Willis, who only had a couple of scenes together. Although one of the highlights of the movie was the 20 minute short story that showed Joe’s transformation into his older self, which was helped a lot by some great make-up.

Although it lacks some interesting characters and can be underwhelming in some moments – Looper makes up for this with some magnificent visuals and very simply an incredible and original concept brought to life perfectly. The idea of time-travel in Looper is flawed, and many problems could be found with it if you thought about it for long enough, but it tries hard enough for you to accept it for what it is. After all, a flawless time travel movie is yet to be made, and whether it does or doesn’t make sense usually depends on the viewer.

But during the climax of Looper was when I truly decided that this was an incredible piece of cinema. As the movie reached its end, I began to fear that the movie’s climax would be underwhelming. However, in an instant, the giant puzzle that is Looper finally begins to piece together, and reaches it’s truly shocking conclusion that left me gaping as the credits rolled.

Overall, Looper is without a doubt one of the greatest sci-fi movies of late and of all time in my opinion. No one lets down in terms of performances and Rain Johnson delivers with some incredible shots of an incredible world. Although some elements are overlooked and there are definite flaws in the movie, Looper is worth everyone’s attention even if just for being something completely different and original.

Close Your Loop.

- George