"Limitless" (Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro) in Theatres on March 18, 2011

Limitless (2011)

Hazel's
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: When I watched the movie, I was reminded of the time I took the board exams for medical technology... there were people in our review center offering and selling food supplements like Spirulina that could (according to them) improve memory. Of course, I didn't buy (due to my lack of belief of their effectiveness & also fearing the side effects, which the movie also tackled). I like the movie's concept since I also pondered on the thought before... "What could happen if we were able to access and utilize most, if not all, of our brains?" I commend the movie for trying to answer this and exemplified both possible and impossible scenarios, which piqued my interest. By the way, I never recognized Lindy was Sweet Pea of Sucker Punch (which I just watched recently) but if I were taking NZT, I'm sure I would have known it was her hehe =)

Audience
Rating: 3.7/5
Like the Movie: 75% (n=39,925)

Critics
Rating: 3.2/5
Like the Movie: 69% (n=164)


Reviews:

"Limitless hits you like an adrenaline rush that will have you saying, 'I'll have what he's having.'" - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"Limitless may not be as brainy as it would like to think it is, but it's a relatively sharp and surprisingly playful head-trip, a satisfyingly novel twist on mindless entertainment." - Tom Charity, CNN.com

"You could pick the script apart for impossibilities. But why bother? It's much more enjoyable to shut your brain off and have a good time." - Christy Lemire, Associated Press

"Although its script is uneven, Neil Burger directs Limitless with plenty of visual panache, and Bradley Cooper makes for a charismatic star." - rottentomatoes.com

"The filmmakers doesn't sweat the fact that Eddie is a chemically enhanced fraud. What scares them is any possibility of alienating the movie's target audience with a downer ending." - Mark Jenkins, NPR

"'Limitless' only uses 15, maybe 20 percent of its brain. Still, that's more than a lot of movies do." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"For a plot about super-intelligent people, the screenplay is surprisingly dumb." - James Berardinelli, ReelViews

"Limitless should be so much smarter than it is." - Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

"Very limited, actually." - David, Denby, New Yorker


Movie Info

Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Synopsis: Aspiring author Eddie Morra (Cooper) is suffering from chronic writer's block, but his life changes instantly when an old friend introduces him to NZT, a revolutionary new pharmaceutical that allows him to tap his full potential. With every synapse crackling, Eddie can recall everything he has ever read, seen or heard, learn any language in a day, comprehend complex equations and beguile anyone he meets as long as he keeps taking the untested drug. Soon Eddie takes Wall Street by storm, parlaying a small stake into millions. His accomplishments catch the eye of mega-mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro),who invites him to help broker the largest merger in corporate history. But they also bring Eddie to the attention of people willing to do anything to get their hands on his stash of NZT. With his life in jeopardy and the drug's brutal side effects grinding him down, Eddie dodges mysterious stalkers, a vicious gangster and an intense police investigation as he attempts to hang on to his dwindling supply long enough to outwit his enemies. -- (C) Relativity

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language

Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min.

Distributor: Relativity Media

Directed By: Neil Burger

Cast
Bradley Cooper (Eddie Morra)
Robert De Niro (Carl Van Loon)
Abbie Cornish (Lindy)

Source: rottentomatoes.com