Review of Limitless (2011) by Fdt44 — 08 Apr 2011

What do you get when you take an original, novel-inspired premise that has "Limitless" potential and injest it with Hollywood flair? A film engaging enough to make you think differently; atleast until you leave the theater.

The popcorn thriller delivers, but not to the level it could have. "Limitless" is a film that falls into the unfortunate trap of overcomplexity. With this entrenching influence, comes gaping flaws.

Before we examine such flaws, let's start with what we see on the surface. We are introduced to a charming, amiable protagonist in Cooper, who the viewer, can easily take an affinity towards. He is the vehicle for the film's effectiveness.

In his role, Cooper is the "face" of the film's every expression, where we see and feel Morra's dissatisfaction with the status quo, and the urgency to make something of ourselves. This connection between character and self will "do" it for some, but that is just the start.

Next is the visuals. Once we are embraced by the presence of NZT-48, the filmmakers' efforts to illustrate the endless capabilities of the drug is impressive to say the least. The world becomes bright, the scenery all makes sense, the sounds more resonant, and life's once grim lenses are now pure as ever.

You throw in a couple notable supporters, (Abbie Cornish and Robert De Niro) and you have yourself a pretty enjoyable trip to the theaters, right? Perhaps, for some. This is my problem with "Limitless.

" Once you make your way past the topical layers of the film, (cast, fast pace, visual effects) which are done tediously, there isn't any substance left, and to fill up time, the filmmakers are forced to add unneeded "fluff" that strays from the effectiveness of the film as in the protagonist's moral and internal struggle to weigh the consequences of power, and a desire to revert to "normal life" and make something of himself naturally.

This is almost entirely neglected after the premise, where Hollywood's true colors are readily shown. Here is where I begin to lose the direction of the film. Cooper's girlfriend has clearly left him in the beginning of the film, but comes back to him on a whim once he has taken the drug.

Now it seems that a drug, said to allow use to use 100 % of your brain has the power to attract and give of pheremones? Interesting, yet silly. What else is ludicrous is the seeminly unlimited supply of the drug.

When Morra's ex-brother-in-law dies he finds one bag of pills, yet it seems another two or three bags are spawned over the course of the film. One of the most moronic of all plot flaws is the unnecessary involvement with the Russian loan-shark.

Now, if you had the brilliance of Morra and had earned large sums of money in the stock market (which seems a bit unrealistically whimsical as well) where is the logical practicality in borrowing $100,000, and even so, when he had come out on top of the investment ($2.

5 million), why would he fail to pay back the amount. The loan-shark's usage of NZT also has little to offer to the film's direction. Recalling instruction on "how" to fight as in the subway, also seems "far-fetched" when taking into account the pill's function: using all one's brain-not muscle memory.

Other instances of absurdity take flight when Morra's girlfriend runs across an ice-rink (in shoes-across ice...) and picks up a child while having the strength and reaction (not traits of the drug) to lift a child up and manuever the blade of a skate flawlessly into the path of an intruder.

The film's last 10-15 minutes is what really drove me over the edge of sanity. Where does drinking one's blood become a key to safety in suspense? Now granted it is unique, the logic seems suspect. Just when you thought "Twilight" Series couldn't be more of a pop-culture hit.

...Aside from the many other plot holes and moral ambiguity, "Limitless" is a fun roller-coaster, thriller of a ride that will make you think......only after the credits have rolled.