'Looper' teaser answers some questions, leaves more

Posted Friday, April 13, 2012 at 2:16 PM Central
Last updated Monday, April 16, 2012 at 9:16 AM Central

by John Couture

If you recall my little piece from late last year where I highlighted the one movie from each month to see in theaters, then this story will come as no surprise. If you don't remember, go back and read it or let me just explain it to you.

Looper is a film that I have been waiting on for a long time. It's been in development for almost half a decade and it's finally starting to see the light of day. It's a bit of a mind-bender, but what else do you expect from writer/director Rian Johnson?

I made the comparison to Source Code back in December and now that I've seen the trailer, I stick by my comment. This film features the always spectacular Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a character from our future who kills people for money that the mob sends back in time from his future future.

Let me guess, I've lost you. Don't worry, the trailer below does a pretty good job of setting up the weighty material.

What you need to know is that the mostly mercurial Bruce Willis is playing an older version of JGL's character who is sent back in time to be killed by JGL. Bruce naturally escapes and the game is afoot.

There's so many questions that it's refreshing to see that some of them are answered in this little teaser trailer. How do the killers in the past get paid? Simple, they strap gold on the back of their intended victims before beaming them back to the past.

Of course, the teaser also posits as many questions as it answers, which is a great indication at how amazing this film will be. What I was most curious to see in this teaser is the style and look of the two futures.

I was impressed with the subtle touches and the stripped down beauty of it all. It's easy to set the future in a futuristic metropolis (think Total Recall trailer), but the reality is that in 30 or even 60 years, things will remain mostly the same. There will still be vast tracks of undeveloped land or land used for farming.

I think the muted color palette was another bold choice. It reaffirms the gritty aspects of the film and helps to set up the idea that while JGL's time is set in our future, it is really the past according to the film.

Yep, I think I've lost you again. Well, sit back and enjoy the teaser trailer. Looper is set to hit theaters on September 28.