‘Looper’ takes movie-goers on sci-fi thrill ride

In the year 2044, when the mafia wants someone eliminated, they illegally send their victims 30 years back in time and dispose of them with hired gunmen called Loopers.

This is the premise of Looper, which hit movie theaters last Friday.

In the film, Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a hit man who finds himself a target confronted by his most challenging victim yet: himself, played by Bruce Willis. When the “Rain Maker,” the mob boss in the future, decides to wipe out all of the Loopers, the Old Joe (Willis) goes back in time to try to assassinate the Rain Maker so he could live the happy, peaceful and married life that he had in the future.

The story line contains an excellent balance of action and plot. Director and writer Rian Johnson doesn’t get too carried away with violence and special effects. He instead brings a complex and interesting tale of betrayal, pursuit of happiness and personal sacrifice. Gordon-Levitt does a great job in this film from an action perspective. Don’t be surprised if he continues doing movies of this genre. However, he also is a very convincing character.

Willis is - Willis: the friendly cowboy stereotype that allows nothing to stop him from getting things done.  It’s a case of bad guy versus bad guy. Their strong resemblance is first noticed when they sit across from each other in the restaurant scene when they talk for the first time.

There’s a mild break in the action when Young Joe finds himself in a country home where he meets Sara, played by Emily Blunt. The action picks up with Young Joe finding the young Rain Maker and protecting him from the Old Joe. The film could have been better without the phenomenon of people who have strong telekinetic powers, such as the young Rain Maker who literally shakes things up when he gets upset.

Looper quickly challenges the minds of the present and future happenings of the film. The film goes back and forth and the different interpretations of the future leaves audiences thinking of what the future will behold. What Looper lacks is a supporting cast. Jeff Daniels, who plays a mob boss named Abe, has made better efforts in his acting career. There is no life in his character, who is more dumbfounded than fearful.  Future goon Kid Blue, played by Noah Segan, tries too hard to be a hardcore gangster and is always getting himself into trouble by messing things up when it comes to finding Joe. It’s difficult to tell if Kid Blue is supposed to be serious or funny in the film.

Looper has more ups than downs. It’s a different situation of how far someone would go to save others. Don’t expect to see the same old gun action and heavy computer-generated effects like other modern thrillers. Looper is a great story all its own that gets the senses going and has everything else fall into place.

It’s a dash of Blade Runner and a pinch of Face Off, mixed with a twist of Back to the Future. Less gore and more story make Looper a great treat for fans of action and mystery. 

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