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Looper

  • 20122012
  • RR
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
567K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
780
135
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Bruce Willis, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt in Looper (2012)
In 2072, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits.
Play trailer2:03
11 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Drama
  • Sci-Fi

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sen... Read allIn 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.

IMDb RATING
7.4/10
567K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
780
135
  • Director
    • Rian Johnson
  • Writer
    • Rian Johnson
  • Stars
    • Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Bruce Willis
    • Emily Blunt
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rian Johnson
  • Writer
    • Rian Johnson
  • Stars
    • Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Bruce Willis
    • Emily Blunt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 841User reviews
    • 615Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 18 wins & 47 nominations

    Videos11

    U.K. Trailer
    Trailer 2:03
    U.K. Trailer
    No. 2
    Trailer 2:33
    No. 2
    International Version
    Trailer 2:01
    International Version
    No. 1
    Trailer 1:46
    No. 1
    Looper
    Trailer 2:02
    Looper
    Rian Johnson: Crafting the Perfect Plot Twist
    Clip 5:32
    Rian Johnson: Crafting the Perfect Plot Twist
    A Guide to the Films of Rian Johnson
    Clip 1:39
    A Guide to the Films of Rian Johnson
    Vignette #3
    Featurette 1:08
    Vignette #3
    Vignette #2
    Featurette 0:44
    Vignette #2
    Vignette #1
    Featurette 0:51
    Vignette #1
    Looper
    Interview 1:00
    Looper

    Photos195

    Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (2012)
    Rian Johnson in Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kazu Hiro in Looper (2012)
    Paul Dano, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Rian Johnson in Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (2012)
    Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tracie Thoms in Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (2012)
    Bruce Willis in Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Noah Segan in Looper (2012)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper (2012)
    Bruce Willis and Qing Xu in Looper (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Joeas Joe
    Bruce Willis
    Bruce Willis
    • Old Joeas Old Joe
    Emily Blunt
    Emily Blunt
    • Saraas Sara
    Paul Dano
    Paul Dano
    • Sethas Seth
    Noah Segan
    Noah Segan
    • Kid Blueas Kid Blue
    Piper Perabo
    Piper Perabo
    • Suzieas Suzie
    Jeff Daniels
    Jeff Daniels
    • Abeas Abe
    Pierce Gagnon
    Pierce Gagnon
    • Cidas Cid
    Qing Xu
    Qing Xu
    • Old Joe's Wifeas Old Joe's Wife
    • (as Summer Qing)
    Tracie Thoms
    Tracie Thoms
    • Beatrixas Beatrix
    Frank Brennan
    Frank Brennan
    • Old Sethas Old Seth
    Garret Dillahunt
    Garret Dillahunt
    • Jesseas Jesse
    Nick Gomez
    Nick Gomez
    • Daleas Dale
    Marcus Hester
    Marcus Hester
    • Zachas Zach
    Jon Eyez
    • Gat Manas Gat Man
    Kevin Stillwell
    Kevin Stillwell
    • Gat Manas Gat Man
    Thirl Haston
    • Gat Manas Gat Man
    James Landry Hébert
    James Landry Hébert
    • Looperas Looper
    • (as James Hebert)
    • Director
      • Rian Johnson
    • Writer
      • Rian Johnson
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Joe is classified as a "looper", a job in which his employers use time travel to send men from the future to be killed into the past, where Joe can properly dispose of their bodies. However, to tie up loose ends and erase the evidence of his ever being a looper, Joe knows that one day his future self will be sent back for him to kill. When this day comes, Joe's future self is prepared and escapes, and the two men struggle separately in the past trying to evade capture and attempting to fulfill their own personal agendas. —Ellen
    • time travel
    • future
    • time loop
    • shanghai
    • cityscape
    • 257 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Hunted by your future. Haunted by your past.
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Drama
      • Sci-Fi
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falling off the fire escape was filmed on the actor's 30th birthday. Gordon-Levitt was left hanging on the stunt wires while the crew sang "Happy Birthday" and wheeled out a birthday cake.
    • Goofs
      Joe is right-handed, whereas Old Joe is left-handed. Not only that, all of Old Joe's mannerisms - the smirk to one side, the head tilt, and so on - are mirrored.
    • Quotes

      Joe: Then I saw it. I saw a mom who would die for her son. A man who would kill for his wife. A boy, angry and alone. Laid out in front of him, the bad path. I saw it. And the path was a circle. Round and round. So I changed it.

    • Alternate versions
      The version shown on FX in the US features replacement footage for Piper Perabo's nude dialogue scene featuring her in lingerie; according to Rian Johnson on Twitter, it's also a different performance altogether.
    • Connections
      Featured in Projector: Looper (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Fear Makes a Man Do Funny Things
      Written and Performed by The Mashnotes

      Courtesy of Glimmerfed Records

    User reviews841

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Intelligent Science Fiction Thriller
    Looper is a film that goes to extraordinary lengths to leave every base covered in its quest to avoid plot holes and inconsistencies and in my mind it deals with the problems associated with time travel very well. One thing I liked is that the older Joe is aware of everything the younger Joe is about to do which gives him an edge if they were to do battle. I also liked that the older Joe in true Bruce Willis style bypasses the whole idea of trying to work out how and why what is happening is happening by saying he can't be bothered to work it all out. As well as the older Joe having the advantage of memory over the younger Joe, the younger Joe in turn has his own advantages which become apparent. There were several times when I thought I'd worked out what was going to happen or what a particular character's arc was going to be but the film cleverly manipulates its audience, leading them down alleyways only to jump out at them from behind and spin them around. There is a nice early twist which gave me a smile and plenty more to keep you guessing right the way to the end. In the end it turns out that time travel plays second fiddle to another phenomenon which I was pleased by as there was no mention of this in the trailer which I've been trying to avoid for several weeks. The plot is multifaceted with each character having their own reasons for being where they are, when they are and doing what they are doing. It is a dense plot which explores several different ideas and concepts both personal and scientific.

    As well as confidently dealing with a complex script which would have been very easy to either make too complicated or too full of holes, Writer/Director Rian Johnson (Brick) also creates a very believable future and fills it with people and events which feel plausible. Cities have continued to expand upwards and outwards but they themselves are filled with tent cities in which a large vagrant class live. Life is cheap and hard in this world in which the have's and have not's are much more separated than today. There is enough in the film to make to world feel as though it is our near future and the technology on display feels as though it is a few logical steps along the road. I especially liked the ingenious solution to running cars after the inevitable the oil crisis and there's also a great line about China in there which had a lot of people laughing.

    The writing and direction are superb but another strength are the acting performances. Joseph Gordon-Levitt wears heavy makeup and prosthetics to make him look more like Bruce Willis and although this is occasionally a little distracting, it looks unnervingly good at times, especially closer up which is odd. The effect is actually better in close up than when JG-L is in the middle distance. Underneath the prosthetics though Gordon-Levitt delivers a fine performance, adopting a few of Willis' telltale mannerisms and affectations but avoiding pure mimicry. He appears confident and at ease in the dense lead role, carrying off a mixture of hard edged killer and caring young man while switching from one to the other with ease. Bruce Willis equally is very good but we have seen this kind of performance from him many times before. Nevertheless he is on good form here. The chemistry between the two leads was great and really helped with the believability of them being one person. Emily Blunt was another actor who performed very well and in a departure from her more familiar roles. She adopts a convincing American accent, drops a few F-Bombs and looks comfortable holding a gun. She brings to the fore the feminine caring side when it matters though. Probably the standout actor though despite the three A Listers is Pierce Gagnon, a very young child actor who is incredible in a pivotal role. He and Gordon-Levitt have some funny and tense scenes together which work very well.

    Overall there was little I didn't like about Looper and it has gone straight into my Top 10 films of the year so far as well as being probably my favourite Sci-Fi since 2009's Moon. It treats its audience with respect and isn't afraid to keep you them of the loop for a while as it teases them with false and sometimes seemingly false information. It is well designed and acted and features a wonderfully multifaceted and intelligent story which rewards patience and concentration with a fantastic ending.

    www.attheback.blogspot.com
    helpful•365
    263
    • tgooderson
    • Sep 24, 2012

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    [object Object]
    Photos

    FAQ6

    • What's "Looper" about?
    • Why didn't they just timetravel people into space if they wanted to kill them cleanly? Why did they need Loopers at all?
    • What is the first song as Joe drives to meet Seth?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 28, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Asesino del Futuro
    • Filming locations
      • Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA
    • Production companies
      • TriStar Pictures
      • FilmDistrict
      • Endgame Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $66,486,205
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $20,801,552
      • Sep 30, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $176,506,819
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby Atmos
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
      • SDDS
      • Datasat
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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