"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

Sucker Punch (Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens) in Theatres on March 25, 2011

Sucker Punch

Hazel's
Rating: 4/5
Review: Whatever the critics say, I love the movie... the concept, the actors, the scenery... awesome! I heard Babydoll is one of the orphans in Jim Carrey's movie "A Series of Unfortunate Events"... better watch that movie too =)

Audience
Rating: 3.4/5
Like the Movie: 62% (n=34,185)

Critics
Rating: 1.95/5
Like the Movie: 20% (n=108)


Reviews

"A wonderfully wild provocation - an imperfect, overlong, intemperate and utterly absorbing romp through the id that I wouldn't have missed for the world." - Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

"I can't be sure whether it's brilliant or idiotic, although I'm pretty confident it's both, and not always in different places or at different moments." - Andrew O'Hehir, salon.com

"Director Zack Snyder and his production crew clearly had great fun envisioning this swords-and-corsets fantasy. Few others are likely to approach their level of enjoyment." - Mark Jenkins, Washington Post

"It's technically impressive and loaded with eye-catching images, but without characters or a plot to support them, all of Sucker Punch's visual thrills are for naught." - rottentomatoes.com

"Zombie soldiers, dragons, cyborgs, doesn't matter: Snyder is just a big boy with lots of toys. These, unfortunately, include his actresses." - Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

"If the goal was sensory overload and audience stupefaction, he has succeeded indeed. Snyder apparently is offering lobotomies to all. Step right up." - Tom Long, Detroit News

"Sucker Punch reviews itself with its title -- in fact, it does leave the viewer feeling sucker-punched." - Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News


Movie Info

Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Synopsis: "Sucker Punch" is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls - the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) - to band together and try to escape a terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac) and Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino), before the mysterious High Roller (Jon Hamm) comes for Babydoll. Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey - if they succeed - will set them free.. -- (C) Warner Bros

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material involving sexuality, violence and combat sequences, and for language

Running Time: 2 hr.

Distributor: IMAX

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Written By: Zack Snyder

Cast
Emily Browning (Babydoll)
Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea)
Jena Malone (Rocket)
Vanessa Hudgens (Blondie)
Jamie Chung (Amber)
Oscar Isaac (Blue)
Carla Gugino (Madam Gorski)
Scott Glenn (Wise Man)
Jon Hamm (Doctor, High Roller)


Source: rottentomatoes.com