I’m not sure if anyone truly hates time travel stories on their own (well, except maybe the Chinese government), but it can be said that poorly constructed time travel plot get old fast. I can handle a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief (hell, I’m a Doctor Who fan … if I did let some things go, I’d be driven insane), but like poorly written action movies, lazily written time travel can turn you off from the whole genre altogether.  So when I hear about a movie like Looper, I’m immediately skeptical. However, one thing has peeked my interest – Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the lead’s… younger self.

The setup is fun, but Looper will need to be really well paced to handle the actual plot once Willis comes into play. Both actors are really good in action scenes, but while the script will have to be solid either way, what’s really going to make or break this movie is how good Willis and Gordon-Levitt are playing off each other. I’m just hoping we see more of Willis in his 12 Monkeys phase (also time travel, by the way) and less of … well, pretty much most of what he’s done in the last 5 years.

So, the imdb page for the movie says the film is actually set in 2042, which is like a whole lot more than setting it in the present. Another nice touch is the apparently not very futuristic 2042. Since we’re getting very close to 2015 and none of us wear the double ties or self-drying jackets ala Back to the Future 2, choosing to keep the near future fairly similar to our own present will certainly help the movie avoid looking dated. I did see a hover bike in the trailer, though … here’s hoping we actually get those within 30 years.

On Twitter, Gordon-Levitt talked about how he was incredibly excited about this film because the character is so unlike him and so unlike any role he’s ever played before. On top of that, he assured his audience that the trailer doesn’t do the movie justice. I’m still curious to see just how carefully they handle the time travel, but I’m open to seeing it. Also, I noticed in the credits that a Dan Mintz is credited as an executive producer. Are any other Bob’s Burgers‘ fans hoping that this is the same Dan Mintz who lends his voice to Tina?

More than anything, I just want to see time travel written a little more strictly. Here’s hoping Looper’s script is tight.