If you walk into a theater to see “Looper,” you’ll probably be expecting a unique plot based on time travel in the near future. You’ll expect to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt portray spectacularly his near-perfect imitation of a young Bruce Willis and laugh whenever they’re in the room together. You’ll expect action, gunfights and chase scenes all in a futuristic backdrop of Kansas City.
You get that, but there are still two more acts.
At first the story is straightforward. In 2044, Joe Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) is a looper, part of a crew of assassins for criminals from 2074. Because it’s impossible to dispose of bodies in 2074, mob bosses will send people back to 2044 for loopers to shoot them and dispose of their bodies in an incinerator. But when Simmons’ future self (Willis) is sent back to be killed, Simmons panics and accidentally lets his future self escape.
Then the plot skews in an entirely new direction, and how much you like the change will determine if you like the movie. Fair warning: If you think kids are the “kiss of death” for any dramatic scenes, this movie will really disappoint you in the final act.
The most commendable thing about the film is its casual attitude toward time travel and the future in general. Too often, futuristic stories depict society to have overcome or outgrown trends like eating at a diner or drinking at a nightclub, but “Looper” goes for the interpretation that just because it’s 32 years in the future doesn’t mean everything has changed, and what has changed really isn’t that important.
Make no mistake — “Looper” is a good movie. The interpretation of the future, Gordon-Levitt’s performance, the non-linear narrative and internal conflict of the needs of self versus the needs of others all lead to an emotional and memorable climax. The movie isn’t perfect, but it will leave you thinking long after you’ve left the theater.