Rian Johnson’s action/sci-fi/thriller, Looper, is now in theatres
Jasmine Jajwan
Contributor
Looper, the latest time travel action film to come out of Hollywood, makes its mark with its mind-twisting plot line. The futuristic film jumps to the year 2074, a place where time travel is possible, but has been deemed illegal. The plot centers on a mob’s use of time travel to dispose of people by sending them back 30 years, and erasing any trace of their existence.
Set in Kansas 30 years earlier, the story follows a “looper” named Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
Loopers are tasked with killing these men who are sent back, and disposing of their bodies. The central conflict is what happens to these loopers when the mob decides to ‘close the loop,’ and “Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) is the one being sent back in time to be killed.
One of the best sci-fi movies to come out in recent years, Looper brings to the screen a fantastic, mind-bending story with interesting characters played by some of today’s most prominent actors.
Writer and director Rian Johnson’s idea for the sci-fi thriller was inspired by novelist Philip K. Dick about 10 years ago. The excellent storyline, complemented by Johnson’s brilliantly written and directed film, made for an an intelligent, edge-of-your-seat thriller.
It’s also no surprise that Joseph Gordon-Levitt brought a great performance to the table. For the past few years Gordon-Levitt has been in the spotlight, delivering amazing performances, one blockbuster after another.
In addition to all of the facial makeup which had him looking similar to Bruce Willis, Gordon-Levitt played a younger version of Willis to the tee. Serious, stern, smart, and full of energy, Gordon-Levitt slipped into the main character’s role with ease.
Despite Willis playing the same character as Gordon-Levitt, I wouldn’t consider his performance to be as great on the grounds that he’s played this character before. Willis is known for his action-packed movies, such as Die Hard and The Expendables 2, and his character in Looper is basically the same, minus the comedic one-liners he’s well-known for. Willis plays an older version of Joe, who doesn’t seem to act his age when it comes to the action-packed scenes when he’s fighting for his own life.
Known for her more comedic roles, Emily Blunt will definitely surprise audiences when they see just how serious she can be. Blunt gives a great performance as an aggressive mother who doesn’t want anyone getting involved in her or her son’s business, but has to keep up with others when she and her son are thrown into the heart of the story.
Blunt’s intelligent son is played by actor Pierce Gagnon. Gagnon’s performance as a creepy but adorable whiz kid was pleasantly surprising.
Given the uncertainty of what comes next, Looper will keep you at the edge of your seat.
