3. Its Performances
Across the board, Looper succeeded with its casting choices. Which is quite a bold statement considering very few people would immediately believe Joseph Gordon Levitt could pull off Bruce Willis, and that's without the makeup. The principal duo did exquisitely to balance the characters similarities with their differences, JGL the young, empty and broken soul looking for a purpose greater than his current one and Bruce Willis, the withered old timer driven by a desire to save the only person that made him feel good...it's all pretty heavy stuff handled with aplomb by its leads. Further than that, Emily Blunt is excellent as a mother willing to die for her child and through her backstory and journey on screen you invest in her as much as you do the central male characters; the supporting cast is exceptional with a special mention to Jeff Daniels who pulls off all of his scenes brilliantly. It also pulled off the rare trick of having a child actor in it who didn't annoy the tits off of you.
Where Other 2012 Films Failed:The Avengers: If you can find more than one facial expression from Chris Evans, you're lying to yourself, because there isn't one.
The Dark Knight Rises: Marion Cotillard's last scene...Ouch.
Ghost Rider: It has Nicholas Cage in it...