Looper (2012)

Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt

Overall Rating: 95.7

Going in to "Looper", I had read enough reviews that had called it the greatest time-travel movie ever made.  When I left the theater, I had agreed.  By the time I re-watched the blu-ray, I realized it wasn't just one of my favorite time-travel movies, but one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time.  Rian Johnson creates not just a smart look at a future world, but an incredibly entertaining film to accompany it. 

The movie takes place in 2044, where a group of hitmen called "loopers" are hired by gangsters 30 years in the future to assassinate targets sent back in time. When the gangsters are ready to move on, they send the hitmen (now 30 years older) back in time to be killed by their younger selves, thus "closing the loop".  When Joe (Gordon-Levitt) fails to kill his older self (Willis), Joe is forced to run from his modern day syndicate, while trying to stop his older self from altering the upcoming future.

What makes Looper stand out is the way that Johnson thinks out every move that each character makes.  What younger Joe does has a direct impact on his future self, despite the fact that older Joe has already led his own life.  This constant struggle of understanding that each of Gordon-Levitt's and Willis' characters have different lives and intentions, despite being the same person force the audience to almost take sides, when there's really only one side to take.

Many people will comment about the prosthetics used to transform Gordon Levitt physically into a younger looking Willis, but to me the mannerisms Gordon-Levitt used to "act" like Willis is what made me believe they were playing the same person at different ages.  The sly smirks, the short-breathed chuckles, even the walk all scream "Bruce Willis".

Visually, Johnson's futuristic Kansas landscape is beautiful.  There's enough "futuristic" nuances to make you believe it's a realistic 2044, but it's still Kansas.  There's still cornfields, farmhouses, and pickup trucks.  The sound effects also scream off the screen.  Whether the blast of the blunderbuss (the weapon of choice of the loopers) or the hustle and bustle of the futuristic city, Looper's sound design is superb.

Being a truly original movie is enough to stand out in today's film world, but Looper isn't just an original movie.  It's an intelligent, beautifully crafted, fun-filled ride.  One that will make you think, but also entertain you from start to finish.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 9
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman

Overall Rating: 99.8

Pulp Fiction is the ultimate noir film, despite it being made in 1994.  What Tarantino has done with "Pulp Fiction" is create a world in which a series of character's lives are intertwined over a few days in Southern California.  Each individual tale in itself is a satisfying story, but the moment everything comes together, you get a greater sense of the vision of Tarantino.

With a barrage of acting powerhouses, each play their roles to perfection.  There's a reason many have considered "Pulp" to be the greatest screenplay in the past 50 years (myself included), simply because Tarantino's sharp wit is at it's absolute best.  Every line spoken is full of substance.

In addition to the amazing writing, Tarantino also cements himself as one of the premiere soundtrack creators.  With his first installment, "Reservoir Dogs", Tarantino showed off the use of classic rock tracks to enhance the mood.  With "Pulp", he went with some soul ("Son of a Preacher Man"), blues ("You Never Can Tell"), R&B ("Let's Stay Together"), and the iconic use of "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon" to create one of the most diverse, yet amazing soundtracks of any movie ever.

With the interweaving stories, Pulp remains a movie you can turn on at any point even 20 years later and enjoy for 10 minutes or 2 hours.  A timeless classic.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 10
Dialogue: 10
Acting: 9
Direction: 10
Audio/Visual: 10