Severance Payback
Looper
Review by Ross Anthony

In a nutshell, Looper attempts to blend Inception and Matrix. And while the leads are strong (though, I've seen Willis perform better), the production doesn't quite rise to the caliber of those references. Maybe it's the obviously movie-made versions of our modern cars, or the small one-dimensional cityscape, but the film just feels a little rickety and small. Rickety aside, the filmmakers may have been going for that cramped claustrophobic feeling for the city in order to contrast it with the wide open and free air of the rural farm setting -- which they achieve winningly. Perhaps it's no surprise that it's here on the fertile farm soil that the film's blossoms break through its violent surface.

Any film hinging on time-travel will necessarily try to hide the inevitable implausibilities. But to its credit, Looper eventually begins to engage enough that viewers will surrender to the film's logic.

While quite violent in cramped spaces for long periods of time, the film searches for more redeeming elements in its bigger-sky second half. I wouldn't call it a film with a good heart, but it eventually comes to a conclusion that's both quite interesting and somewhat humanistic.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --


  • Looper. Copyright © 2012.
  • Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo. Directed and Directed by Rian Johnson at Sony.

Grade..........................B (2/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Monday, 01-Oct-2012 13:26:19 PDT