Looper - B+

Rated R, 118 minutes

"Looper" is smart, thrilling version of time travel

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The entertaining new science-fiction action film "Looper" gives you an idea of how to make amends with your future self; it's one of the year's most original films and certainly one of the more exciting yet mind-bending sci-fi films to come along in some time. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, it's not perfectly executed but it does utilize both actors very well. In a futuristic gangland in the year 2044, a 25-year-old assassin named Joseph Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) works for a mafia company in Kansas City as a "Looper". Loopers kill and dispose of agents sent by their employers from corporate headquarters in Shanghai from the year 2072. Loopers are foot soldiers, paid on the condition that all targets must never escape. When Simmons recognizes his target as a future version of himself (Willis), his older self escapes after incapacitating him. The failure of his job causes his employers to come after him, forcing him to fight for his life as he hunts his older self. Thrilling, intriguing and more bloody than you might expect, "Looper" is also an intelligent and thought-provoking futuristic science-fiction film. Written and directed by Rian Johnson ("The Brothers Bloom") in only his third film, it's action-packed enough to please thrill-seekers and cerebral enough to draw the comic-con crowd. The special-effects and sets are sublime and the pacing mostly adequate, except for a slower, slightly saggy second act. Most talked about will be Gordon-Levitt and Willis, who make for a believable pairing, thanks to some nice (but really heavy) makeup used to make Gordon-Levitt resemble a younger version of Willis. Though the makeup is obvious, it works to Gordon-Levitt's favor, who without it doesn't look anything like Willis (who has been around long enough that we know what he looked like younger) but "Looper" should still please fans of both JGL and Willis. Also giving memorable turns are Jeff Daniels as one of the bad guys and Emily Blunt in a small but pivotal role. As for "Looper's" complex plot, I won't give it away, though it's one that requires paying close attention to the details. "Looper" is a first-rate, very original and enjoyable science-fiction film. Definitely put this one on your list to see.

Wes's Grade: B+