Predrag Michael Crichton's 1981 medical mystery thriller is a slick, sexy look into what has become reality in today's world of Medical technology. "Looker" is a blend of Plastic Surgery and Computer Technology that gives birth to the "perfect body".Great directing by Chrichton and good acting by Albert Finney. I especially liked how Finney's character tried to act intelligent and rational in every tense situation he got into, unlike a lot of heroes in modern films. I also really liked the concept of the weapon that they used which caused people to blank out without knowing it! Some really cool scenes using that, plus, an very entertaining (and slightly humorous) ending sequence! Lots of great looking women certainly don't hurt the film move along either and the looker device itself is an interesting concept when it's put to use in a couple of showdown scenes. Also the hauntingly 80's techno soundtrack compliments this story and all in all we have another Michael Crichton masterpiece! The film is an often-overlooked gem I would strongly recommend to anyone in the mood for a slick, sci-fi thriller.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

JoeB131 Obviously forgotten today, and maybe that's a problem.Michael Crichton dealt in practical Science Fiction. How a potential technology could really cause problems in the here and now. This movie hit on a few of them, some of which HAVE come to pass.His premise is that computers could be used to simulate characters (already has happened) and that they could be used to influence us by using algorithms to calculate our optimum responses. (Again, probably happening now, even if we don't know about it.) The plot is that a plastic surgeon is asked to alter four women into perfect specimens, but three of them are killed after wards (they never really explain why.) In trying to protect the last, whom he develops a personal bond with, he uncovers a plot to use computer generated images (wow, and now they are real!) to manipulate our responses.A note on nudity. We have Susan Dey of Partridge family fame going topless in a couple of scenes. We'd NEVER see that now. If we are lucky, we might see a name actress have her head CGI'd (ironic) onto a body double. But usually, the MPAA would go completely nuts and give the film an R or NC-17 rating.Some things are dated, such as tape-reading computers and big hair on the women- SO 1980's. But the film's concepts hold up pretty well.

HabaneroBuck Those of us who grew up on HBO programming in the early 1980's will easily remember the "light gun" from Looker, as the film was one of the most played flicks in HBO's catalogue. The movie was suspenseful, entertainingly acted, and possessed some cheap effects that were, nevertheless, fun to behold. The PG-rating for films with adult characters has really disappeared in the era of making money off of PG-13 films, and that's led to a reduction in films of this character."Looker" is not without weaknesses such as lapses in logic, but it possesses the traits of a typical Michael Crichton story that make for a thoughtful excursion into another person's world. Albert Finney was memorable for his confused and determined (if strikingly unathletic) doctor trying to unravel the mystery before him. Time shift scenes and the score make for positives, as well.

moonspinner55 A plastic surgeon in Los Angeles investigates after some of his most beautiful clients--all fashion models--turn up dead. '80's thriller looks dated now, however it has a terrific set-up and proves to be absorbing and exciting for about a third of its length, later resorting to assembly-line theatrics. Michael Crichton, who wrote and directed, certainly isn't enigmatic (he's a filmmaker who always cuts right to the chase), yet in hindsight his script makes very little sense. The cast is good, particularly Susan Dey as Albert Finney's sassy sidekick, but the characters themselves are awfully one-dimensional. Strictly as a time-filler, not bad. **1/2 from ****