Looper

[gorfias]

Looper (2012)

This was the best action/sci-fi movie I've seen since 2010's "Inception". Inception dealt with more unusual concepts than does Looper. Looper, at its core, is another time travel movie. Again.

But you'd be sorely mistaken if you think you know the movie from watching the trailer.


The movie stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as young Joe. Old Joe is Bruce Willis As you see in the trailer, young Joe has an obligation to kill a time traveling and experienced old Joe.

The movie teams Joseph Gordon-Levitt with the terrific writer director or a previous film of his, "Brick." He, Rian Johnson, noted that JGL doesn't look much like Bruce Willis, but, that can be fixed with makeup and prothetics. They look a bit odd, but serve the story. The movie also puts co-star Jeff Daniels together with JGL for about the first time since "The Lookout". Daniels is very game for his part. He is not a monster. He is a working man who must do monsterous things.

I'm avoiding spoilers, but again, watching that trailer, you'd think you know it all. Bruce Willis will come back in time, be the good experienced guy that will teach his younger self wisdom as we get some by the numbers action scenes. You'd be wrong. There are no heroes or monsters here. Just people put in very unusual situations in a fantasy world we can believe created by Rian Johnson.

This is more enjoyable than Inception, though not as original. It flies. There are terrific actions scenes, great dialogues and very few bogs. For us nerds out there, there is plenty of problems with the time line in this film, and over dinner later, you can hash them out. But you'll have so much fun watching the story unfold you likley won't be muttering about them while it plays.

For those that love action/sci-fi, this movie is a must. It is anything but by the numbers. The trailer will fill you in about the basic plot as much as you need to know, but again, do not think, after watching it, you know this movie. To really know it (without spoilers) you have to go see it.

 

[Powereaver]

Im seeing this movie on friday but not being one for a lot of gory stuff.. im hoping its not THAT bad or else ill be like EWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

 

[Andrew Velasco]

There is like no gore. You see some little gore when people are shot but it's not like torture gore. Or cutting gore. Just shooting gore at a distance. And some blood.

In other words, I pass out at disturbing stuff. I didn't feel any bit sick. Have fin1

 

[Samus Aran but a man]

I didn't really understand the film's logic...

Spoiler

Old Joe was created in a parallel universe; the parallel universe in which Young Joe kills another Old Joe immediately, becomes rich, and when the time comes to die, escapes to the past. Since he is from a parallel universe, he is a different person to the main Young Joe, therefore why should Young Joe's inflictions on himself affect Old Joe? And of course, the Grandfather Paradox comes into the play, for Young Joe killing himself means that Old Joe should never have existed in the first place. In fact, him escaping basically erases any chance of his awesome life in China happening.

I don't think it makes sense, but as long as you don't think about it too much and just enjoy the ride, it's one of the coolest sci-fi films of recent years.

 

[gorfias]

There is like no gore. You see some little gore when people are shot but it's not like torture gore. Or cutting gore. Just shooting gore at a distance. And some blood.

In other words, I pass out at disturbing stuff. I didn't feel any bit sick. Have fin1

I was uncomfortable in one scene but it was soooo cool and vital to the story.

Spoiler

when they torture the kid so his adult version is mutilated

I didn't really understand the film's logic...

Spoiler

Old Joe was created in a parallel universe; the parallel universe in which Young Joe kills another Old Joe immediately, becomes rich, and when the time comes to die, escapes to the past. Since he is from a parallel universe, he is a different person to the main Young Joe, therefore why should Young Joe's inflictions on himself affect Old Joe? And of course, the Grandfather Paradox comes into the play, for Young Joe killing himself means that Old Joe should never have existed in the first place. In fact, him escaping basically erases any chance of his awesome life in China happening.

I don't think it makes sense, but as long as you don't think about it too much and just enjoy the ride, it's one of the coolest sci-fi films of recent years.

Yes, just enjoy the ride! Otherwise, you'd go nuts. It's even worse than that.

Spoiler

The "Rainmaker" no longer takes the bad path. Everything responsible for this story is driven by his deciding to close all loops.

And am I getting this wrong?

Spoiler

Some reviewers are writing part of the deal is that ALL loopers are to eventually close the loop. My thought was this sometimes happens and is unfortunate but for some reason necessary, but when the Rainmaker takes over in the future, only THEN does he start closing ALL loops and it is thought he must be stopped.

I don't think this is a Star Trek like quantum mechanic. It is more like there is a single universe in a state of time flux.

Spoiler

what a young looper does effects old looper, even though, in theory, the very presence of the old looper in the young's timeline should have created a parallel universe.

 

[Gigano]

I liked this one quite a bit.

It has dark themes you don't often see explored in action blockbusters, and goes to lengths you don't often see in them either. It was less elaborate than Inception, but still had more to say.

 

[Goofguy]

If I ignore all the time travel fallacies, it's definitely a fun movie. The one thing I don't understand is:

Spoiler: Do not read this if you don't want a critical plot point spoiled

It is understood that in Old Joe's timeline (let's call it TL #1), the little kid grows up (unseen to us) and eventually becomes the Rainmaker who ruins Old Joe's life and compels him to go back in time to stop him. In Young Joe's timeline (TL #2), he kills himself to stop Old Joe and prevent the death of Sara which would have driven the kid to become the Rainmaker.

So ultimately, TL #2 has both Sara and the kid survive with the hope that the latter will never become evil due to the loving care of the former. Except for Old & Young Joe's involvement, how is TL #2 any different from TL #1? In TL #1, Sara and the kid lived at the farm without ever having met either of the Joes. What changed in the circumstances or Sara's parenting that would prevent the kid from becoming the Rainmaker in TL #2?