In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good…until the day the mob decides to “close the loop,” sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, and also starring Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels.
For thoughts on Looper, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Looper makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a stunning 2160p Dolby Vision transfer newly reviewed and approved by the filmmakers that allows the film to look better than it ever has. When compared to the old Blu-Ray, this disc offers strong improvements in all respects. This new release of the film has a lovely amount of natural film grain that allows this movie to shine and gives a lot of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. For the first time on home entertainment, you can clearly see specific text such as some scribbles on paper that were too unclear to capture before. Environmental elements are also given much more depth which makes for a much richer experience. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you look at the interior of the house near the end and certain articles of clothing.
The UHD disc contains very deep, stable colors throughout which stay more natural to the environment rather than amping up the vividness. The Dolby Vision presentation allows the film to appear more refined than ever. White levels are brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are extremely deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including the cuts and grime from certain altercations. This transfer is a treat for fans of the film. This disc marks another great improvement from the people at Sony.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray utilizes a Dolby Atmos track that gives the film’s nuanced soundscape a real vitality and immersive quality. There is an emphasis on the front channels for a good portion of the sounds, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more robust and all-encompassing. The sounds up above are not constant, but they are present enough to keep the listening experience quite engaging. These channels really come in handy during scenes taking place in the rain or in a raucous club. The score from Nathan Johnson really comes alive here as it washes over you in a really visceral, enveloping way. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer give certain moments that much-needed extra weight such as the impact of certain gunshots. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. The expanded audio track allows the film to feel more powerful and precise than ever.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Rian Johnson and Actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt deliver a pretty fun and insightful commentary track where they discuss various aspects of the film including shooting locations, constructed set, improvised jokes, makeup and digital effects, specific character details and moments enhanced by the performances and more. It is a blast having these three together while hearing what inspired the film and how it all came together.
- Deleted Scenes: Twenty-two scenes totaling 37 minutes of unused material is provided here including extended club and China sequences, extra Kid Blue material, and much more that is offered up with optional audio commentary from Rian Johnson and Actor Noah Segan.
- The Future From The Beginning: An eight-minute featurette which details the origins of the project, the cast and the characters they play, what went into getting Gordon-Levitt to look like a young Bruce Willis and more.
- The Science Of Time Travel: A nearly nine-minute piece in which Brian Clegg, Author of How to Build a Time Machine, delves into the tenets and history of time travel along with the science that is tied to it. Various cast members and creatives also offer insights into the concept of time travel.
- Scoring Looper: A three-part piece totaling 16 minutes in which composer Nathan Johnson takes you through the process of crafting the score for the film.
- Looper Animated Trailer: A really cool minute-and-a-half animated dialogue-free trailer is provided for the film.
- Previews
Final Thoughts
Looper finds director Rian Johnson taking the ever-present concept of time travel and putting his own unique spin on it to make it feel fresh again. The narrative details of the film are very engaging, but it is the minute details he weaves into the plot that gives it a rich identity to stand out in a crowd. The performers he wrangles for this effort are some of the best around, including one of the last great performances from Bruce Willis. In a landscape where original concepts are a dying breed, it is satisfying to look back and see how much fun an original concept can be when given the chance. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and all of the legacy special features of the previous release. If you are a fan of the film, this is worth an upgrade. Recommended
Looper is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
