Rian Johnson’s ‘Looper:’ The Reviews Are In

Director Rian Johnson’s Looper opens in theaters across the nation today (September 28). If the batch of reviews currently boosting the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score are to be believed, then moviegoers might be in for one of the stronger titles to see the inside of a darkened theater this month. Were I a betting man, I’d say that Looper is a shoe-in to take the top spot at the North American box office.

In his review of Rian Johnson’s Looper, New York Post reviewer Lou Lumenick described the film as a “whip-smart and twisty sci-fi thriller.” He wrote, “An indie-inflected popcorn movie with major brains, brilliant acting and a highly satisfying payoff, “Looper’’ is the first must-see movie of the season.” That’s high praise, indeed.

Veteran film critic Roger Ebert also is a fan of the flick. Looper, he explained, “weaves between past and present in a way that gives Johnson and his actors opportunities to create a surprisingly involving narrative.” Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four.

However, not every review available on Rotten Tomatoes is overwhelmingly positive. The Chicago Reader reviewer Ben Sachs said, “The dystopian setting, in which all U.S. infrastructure has eroded and everyone has a price on his head, makes for some bold cultural commentary, but as usual with Johnson, the engaging ideas feel like affectations rather than products of a fully developed sensibility.” Sachs did have high praise for Jeff Daniels, an actor who he claims steals every scene he’s in.

For those who haven’t been keeping up with writer-director Rian Johnson’s Looper, the film, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, tells the futuristic tale of an assassin who is being hunted by a younger version of himself. As with most time travel movies, it’s probably best not to spend too much time thinking about the specifics.

Rian Johnson’s Looper is currently playing in theaters nationwide.