Looper

Every year has its own though-provoking yet confusing sci-fi movie: In 2010 it was Inception, in 2011 it was Source Code, and now, in 2012, we have Looper. This is without a doubt one of the best movies of the year, but that isn't saying too much. Nearly every other movie this year has been a complete dud, even promising films like The Dictator. Even The Avengers failed to deliver in some respects. And so 2012 has long been due for a saving grace: A movie to define this year.

Looper stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who, by the way, played Arthur in Inception) as a Looper, a hired gun waiting in the past for the mob of the future to send back targets to kill. However, the plot gets a little more interesting when the Loopers start having their future selves sent back for extermination, thereby 'closing the loop'. The movie plays out like The Terminator crossed with Mad Max when Levitt's future self (Bruce Willis) is sent back for termination. When he fails to kill his future self, the chase scenes and plot twists never stop coming as he tries to outrun his fellow Loopers and catch up with his future self before he can alter the course of history.

The movie is, unsurprisingly, well-acted. Not only does it star Bruce Willis in an unusually compassionate tough-guy role, but Levitt is wholly believable in every second of the film. Without giving away too much of the plot, I can say that this is easily the best-acted movie of the year. Although Levitt's abnormally thick eyebrows can be a bit distracting, you will still be riveted.


Looper has been on my sidebar list of Movies to Look Forward to in 2012 for a long time, and it didn't disappoint. It wasn't much what I expected-- I thought it would rely on car chases and shoot-em-ups more than raw emotion-- but I was surprised to find myself watching a frighteningly realistic and hard-hitting sci-fi drama. It is the rarest of all film breeds: Intelligent Trash.

Looper's greatest triumph (aside from a welcome return to form for Bruce Willis) is its plot, a gloriously twisted and mind-wrenching series of great and memorable moments. Willis plans on coming back in time to assassinate the man who decided to start killing off the Loopers in the first place. There's only one problem: The man is, at the time, only ten years old. After narrowing the suspects down to three kids in the city, Willis is forced to hunt down and kill three ten-year-olds. The film's most gut-wrenching scene may be when Willis kills the wrong one and flips out. This kind of depth is rare in sci-fi today. This movie should be treasured.

So, final score for Looper? 8 1/2 out of ten stars. Mark my words, this movie will go down in history with The Terminator, Total Recall (the original), Robocop, and Source Code as one of the most influential and thought-provoking science fiction movies of all time. A must-see.

Bye!