‘Looper’ film captivates audiences, entertains

Messing with the fabric of time can pose unforeseen repercussions, but it can also make for a fantastic and thrilling science fiction action film.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, “Looper” is a gripping tale that involves the idea that the cynical nature of violent consequences creates a cycle, a loop, of more violence.

In 2074, time travel is discovered and is immediately outlawed. Yet, the biggest crime syndicates in the country still find a way to break that law.

Tracking technology becomes so advanced in the late 21st century that it is nearly impossible to dispose of bodies. The only way to resolve this problem is to make it seem like the dead person never really existed at all. The majority of the film is set in a futuristic United States that has been overtaken by a devastating economic downturn in 2044, 30 years in the past.

Because some people are desperate, the future mob has hired assassins called “loopers” to take care of their targets from their time. After completing their contracts, the loopers get a huge payoff and live for 30 years before being sent to the past to be killed by their younger selves. This practice is called “closing the loop.”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s notably handsome and boyish face is altered with prosthetics to make him look like a future version of himself, played by Bruce Willis.

Pertinent to the storyline and relationship with Old Joe (Willis), Gordon-Levitt transforms into the character, looking like a young and peculiar Willis — which many people who have seen Gordon-Levitt’s movies will find surprising. He also does an excellent job giving his all to the role.

Released in theaters on Sept. 28, this movie definitely keeps audience members’ attention drawn to the screen throughout, evoking many emotions while entertaining viewers.

In one scene, for example, Old Joe explains to Joe about time travel inside a diner just outside of town. The conversation makes the tangibility of traveling through time actually sound like it could be possible in the far future.

This eventually leads to the discussion about what happened to him, and how he returned to meet his past self. In those five minutes of dialogue and flashbacks, he grows fascinated with the idea of traveling through space and time.

While it is interesting to watch and enjoy, there are a lot of holes in the plot of “Looper” that leave some questions unanswered.