Looper

Rian Johnson finally resurfaces with Looper, his first film in three years and only his third film since his cracking debut Brick back in 2005. In terms of quality this can’t match Brick, but it is an improvement on 2009’s The Brothers Bloom. Towards the latter half of the 21st Century disposal of bodies without detection has become impossible, so the mob send their targets back 30 years via a time machine where hired guns await to blow them away and dispose of the body. However, when one of these “loopers” proves to be a loose end, his future self (Bruce Willis) is sent back to be put down by his modern incarnation (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). On the surface this looks like it could be a killer but, as entertaining as this is, it still misses out on being a classic. The good stuff first. Willis and Gordon-Levitt are both solid (if not spectacular), the special effects are great (especially in a scene where one protagonists literally falls apart as he tries to escape his fate) and despite the problems with the script (more on that in a sec) it does keep you guessing as to what’s going to happen right up until the last scene. Despite its promotion as an intelligent thinking person’s film, this is actually more suited to a no-brainer approach and in retrospect it’s best not to scrutinise the script too closely as the time travel aspect (as with most films that utilise it) means there’s plot holes galore, which is probably why Johnson doesn’t over explain what’s happening on screen. Though I would like to hear his reasoning behind the casting of Jeff Daniels as one of the least convincing mafia bosses of all time. In addition, despite the smart moments in the script, the pace of the film is too relaxed throughout and slows down to a crawl in a navel gazing middle section where Gordon-Levitt holes up on a farm. It’s also here that the films main twist is completely fumbled by Johnson as his over eager direction and ominous score when two of the protagonists meet spoil what’s to come later. Overall, this is one of those films that despite appearing original is actually just an amalgamation of many other previous productions. I’ll leave it up to you to make your own list on seeing this, but that isn’t to say this doesn’t still work. I can’t go without mentioning Gordon-Levitt’s odd physical appearance in this. In order to looks like a young Willis, he has had some prosthetics attached to his face. There’s a bit of a problem here though for anyone born prior to 1980, I’d say. If you recall how Willis looked in Blind Date or Moonlighting, that’s when he was the same age (give or take a year) that Gordon-Levitt is now. They don’t look a bloody thing like each other, with or without a dodgy fake nose. In fact, the alterations make Gordon-Levitt bare a bit of a resemblance to sometime England wicket keeper Craig Kieswetter. Bet that name wasn’t mentioned once at the studio when the first rushes were seen.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Entertaining enough, but not the be all and end all it’s been made out to be. Rating: 7/10.