The Looper reviews are in, and it’s great news for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and director Rian Johnson. The futuristic action thriller is set in a world where time travel is invented, though illegal and only available through the black market. OK, so before you start making Inception comparisons… read on.

Gordon-Levitt – now considered one of Hollywood’s leading men – plays a hired gun who ‘takes care’ of men that the mob send back 30 years-old in time. His character is more than happy making quick-cash, until the mob decide to “close the loop” and send his future-self (played by Willis) back for assassination. Frankly, it’s a hugely intriguing concept and even the harshest critics were blown away by the movie. Roger Ebert said Looper “weaves between past and present in a way that gives Johnson and his actors opportunities to create a surprisingly involving narrative,” while Tom Huddleston of Time Out magazine said, “This is a hugely satisfying, enjoyable and thought-provoking piece of work.”

‘Looper’ currently holds a 94% approval rating on review-aggregating site Rotten Tomatoes (with 97% audience approval). That’s 10% more than Oscar-tipped ‘The Master’ and 7% more than ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Whether its percentage score will decrease as more opinions flood in remains to be seen, though one thing’s for sure: Looper could be the surprise hit of 2012.