Looper

Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a twenty something young man in Kansas in the year 2044. At this point in time, the concept of “Time Travel” has not been invented. However, it will be in about 30 years. And there are some not so good people who are using it illegally to ensure that there are no loose ends lying around the place. This is when you get introduced to a slightly complex concept called Loopers.

Joe is a Looper. His job is to kill people. People who the not so good guys send back from 2074 to ensure that there is absolutely no trace of them found. Thanks to the not so easy ways to dispose bodies 30 years hence. So Joe positions himself at a pre-defined spot where a human being appears out of nowhere and all he has to do is shoot. Not ask any questions or say anything. Just shoot. Using what is called a blunderbuss – a gun that can shoot only upto 15 yards but is lethal at that distance.

But then, there is a concept of “Closing the Loop”. Since the bad boys don’t like any loose ends, they send you back to be killed by – no points for guessing – yourself. Cool right? Very clinically done. Since you cannot see who you are killing (the victim is masked), you check the body for gold (as against silver which is the normal payment). If it is gold, you have closed the loop and your services are not required any more. If you don’t kill your future self – for some reason if s/he escapes – you have “let your loop loose” and both of you are in big trouble.

Director Rian Johnson (wonder whats with the I instead of the Y in Ryan), makes a barely average effort in this attempt. The movie drags on a bit too much for my comfort. And you are left waiting and wanting for more than what the trailer has shown you. There is nothing new that comes up other than a random sex scene with Emily Blunt which is thrown in as garnish – probably because Johnson realized that there was very little that was exciting about the movie till then.

In a little over an hour and a half, you are put through a heavily made up face of Joseph Gordon-Levitt just to ensure that he looks as close to the contorted expression that we are used to seeing on Bruce Willis’ face – if you know what I mean. With good reason – since Bruce Willis is the 30 year older self of Joe. But it seemed a bit too plastic. There is very little that anyone else has to do or say in the movie that is worth mentioning. So it would suffice to say that Looper was a tad disappointing and really really slow. Nothing you will miss if you watch on DVD or better still, wait for it to air on TV. 5 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3368395801/