Looper (2012)

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.

Director:

Rian Johnson

Writer:

Rian Johnson

Stars:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

8 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Joe
Bruce Willis	...	Old Joe
Emily Blunt	...	Sara
Paul Dano	...	Seth
Noah Segan	...	Kid Blue
Piper Perabo	...	Suzie
Jeff Daniels	...	Abe
Pierce Gagnon	...	Cid
Qing Xu	...	Old Joe's Wife (as Summer Qing)
Tracie Thoms	...	Beatrix
Frank Brennan	...	Old Seth
Garret Dillahunt	...	Jesse
Nick Gomez	...	Dale
Marcus Hester	...	Zach
Jon Eyez	...	Gat Man

Storyline

In the year 2044, a man working for a group of killers called "Loopers" (they work for the mob and kill people who are sent blindfolded back in time from the year 2074 by their bosses) recognizes a victim as himself. He hesitates resulting in the escape of his older self.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | future | kansas | year 2044 | year 2074 | 

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Taglines:

Hunted by your future. Haunted by your past.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA China

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Looper: Asesinos del futuro

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$20,801,552 (USA) (28 September 2012)

Gross:

$66,468,315 (USA) (28 December 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Endgame Entertainment, DMG Entertainment, FilmDistrict

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruce Willis fires two modern-looking Personal Defense Weapons in one scene. These are examples of the FN P90, designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. Though somewhat futuristic looking, these weapons would have been virtually antiques by the time of the film's setting, having been first produced in 1990.

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Goofs

When old Joe is leaving the golf-cart in which he blew out the windshield to kill the driver, the windshield is still in one piece, as seen in the reflections.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joe: Time travel has not yet been invented. But thirty years from now, it will have been. It will be instantly outlawed, used only in secret by only the largest criminal organizations. It's nearly impossible to dispose of a body in the future... I'm told. Tagging techniques, whatnot. So when these criminal organizations in the future need someone gone, they use specialized assassins in our present called "Loopers." And so, my employers in the future nab the target, they zap them back to...

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.132 (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Carmelita"
Written and Performed by Warren Zevon
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

High Concept Intrigue

Looper seems like it's inspired by Philip K. Dick's several works. It's a Sci-Fi story that is set in the future with a quite interesting concept. The ads shows this as a typical nonstop action film. Surprisingly, it's much better than anyone would expect. It's actually a mind blowing film that tells an unpredictable story and has a great amount of thrills. The performances are strong and the directing is solid. Unlike most modern Sci-Fi films they depend on the action and the explosions. Looper is all about letting the audience intrigue all the way on the concept.

The important thing you should expect in this film is the brilliance of the concept than the action. Yeah, there's fighting and gunfights but it's mostly about the idea. The film tells it in a stylish and mind boggling way which makes it compelling. The story development is clever. The first half lets the viewers root for the film's world until the plot twists. It's great when a scene suddenly becomes confusing then it all make sense afterwards. Aside of its storytelling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a great job playing the young version of Bruce Willis as he imitates Willis' accent and gruffness. He still plays the role with his own style. Gordon-Levitt is energetic and striking. The rest of the cast are excellent.

The production design is decent. Its futuristic world looks magnificent and their weaponry looks awesome. The camera-work is one of the merits of the film. It makes the action look stylish and brings cool vertigo to the trippy moments. Every shot of the film is impressive. The most interesting one is when Joe was in the fields, you prominently see a cloud trail on the sky remarking the scene. The script is smart enough for explaining its concept and making things gripping.

Looper is one of those films that would stuck in your head in a long time because it's plain brilliant. It's so different to popular modern Sci-Fi films. This film is not an action movie cookie-cutter that leaves the high concept as the background of the film. This film simply narrates, mind-bends, and intrigues which makes it amazingly interesting. The idea is original with some inspiration. Looper has the art, the heart, the tension, and the brains that any science fiction fans would love.