Let me give you the scooper about a time travel flick called Looper. In it, Joseph-Gordon Levitt is super, and Bruce Willis also kicks major pooper.
Okay, I’m foregoing the rhyming shtick for the rest of this review. The much-anticipated sci-fi flick Looper lives up to the hype; it’s a film that’s a reflective action movie, a sci-fi noir tale, and just a friggin’ good flick.
There are many great things about Looper, the first of which I’ll mention being the performances. There aren’t words to describe just how well Joseph-Gordon Levitt portrayed a young Bruce Willis. Everything, from his expression to the subtle rasp of his voice, was pitch perfect. And speaking of Mr. McClane, this film is Bruce Willis doing some of his best work, with a nuanced, emotive performance that reminds you how, underneath his charisma and sarcastic sense of humor, the man’s got some serious acting chops.
Co-stars Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt also brought a heavy dose of thespian power, each portraying people who are damaged by the harsh world around them and trying to do what they think is right. Lastly, my hat is off to Pierce Gagnon, the child portraying young Cid. This kid was fan-freaking-tastic. Normally I loathe kids in my action movies but this one was awesome. He was somehow both grown-up and hardened while still retaining a child’s simplicity and innocence, and yes, the little bugger was pretty cute, too.
Action-wise, Looper’s not exactly packing the big guns. There are a few very nicely done sequences, and what action there is is a well-choreographed, gritty affair, opting for practical effects rather than CG to up the realism factor, but I would’ve liked to see more of it.
Overall, Looper’s timey-wimey narrative will tantalize and tease the brain without being too complicated that you can’t keep up. It’s a brilliant, original film, which is something sorely missing from Hollywood these days, and I highly recommend it.
Action Rating: 2 Blunderbusses out of 5.
SPOILERS BELOW!
Best Kill: A fellow from the future has escaped from being executed by his younger, looper self, and is on the run. The baddies get a hold of the younger self and begin cutting into him, tearing him apart surgically, piece by piece, but still keeping him alive. The older self’s fingers, hands, and limbs begin vanishing one by one as he hurries to reach the address that appears carved into his body as scars. Just as he’s not much more than a head and a torso, he makes it, only to find the shining end of a revolver waiting for him.
This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!
