Limitless - Review

I was originally planning to have a review of Fast Five up this weekend, but it looks like it might be a little while before I see that one. So instead, here's a review of another movie I saw recently, Limitless. This one has been in theatres for a while, and I've actually been curious about it. A movie about a pill that makes you super smart definitely has potential. Let's see if Limitless lives up to my average expectations.

Limitless centers around Eddie Morra, an aspiring writer living in New York City. Eddie is facing a number of personal problems. His girlfriend left him, he's broke, and despite having a writing contract with a major publisher, he hasn't written a word on his new book. While walking down the streets of New York, Eddie happens to run into Vernon, the brother of his ex-wife. Vernon offers Eddie an experimental new pill called NZT, a drug that allows humans the ability to access 100% of the brain's power, as opposed to the normal 20%. While skeptical at first, Eddie takes the pill, and discovers it's incredible effects. His mind is clearer, he's more observant, and most importantly, he's substantially smarter. So now, with NZT clearing his mind and giving him limitless potential, Eddie aims for the top, only to find himself in a situation way over his head...

The movie's premise isn't the most intriguing I've ever heard, but it still has lots of interesting potential. A drug that makes you super smart... yeah, there are definite possibilities with that premise. For a while, the movie does a decent job with it too. Eddie's inhibitions practically disappear as his memory is working better, he's solving complex problems, and as his new-found knowledge leads to a number of lucrative possibilities. Now, with a better grasp of math and formula, so he changes careers from writing to the stock market. For the first act, Limitless has a good grasp on it's concept. It set up the story well and kept me interested.

Unfortunately, the second act is where the movie falls apart. It throws in a barrage of below-average supporting characters that have little to no impact on the plot. One is a sleazy businessman named Carl Van Loon played Robert De Niro. While De Niro is great as always, his character's impact on the plot wasn't particularly substantial. Another sub-plot involves a Russian loan shark named Gennady (Andrew Howard). He ends up becoming the primary villain, which is fine, but unfortunately his subplot comes off as undeveloped as full of holes. For instance, Eddie borrows money from him even though he was beginning to make a fortune from the stock market. Also, despite his increased mental ability, Eddie forgets to pay him back. Seriously, none of that adds up!

Finally, you also have a tacked on-subplot about a shady figure after Eddie's supply of NZT. And of course, since this is Hollywood, there is a tacked on love story... no point to that at all. One more thing I must mention: without spoiling anything, the ending of Limitless is awful! They could have gone with a more poignant and impactful ending, but they opted for the conventional and Hollywood route and missed a great opportunity. What a waste!

Even though the story usually doesn't add up, the acting holds it together... almost. Bradley Cooper is a damn fine actor, and he proves that he is capable of holding his own in a leading role. As I mentioned before, there's also Robert De Niro... who is as awesome as he usually is. Andrew Howard does a serviceable job as the brutal Russian loan shark Eddie makes a deal with. There are some other cast members thrown in the mix, but not a whole lot to say. Overall, the acting is quite good and I don't have any real complaints about any of the cast. It almost makes up for the missed opportunities of the script. Just not quite.

The director, Neil Burger, clearly has some skill. As I've already established, the script is full of problems, but Burger's directing prowess comes close to salvaging some of those issues through the good performances and some stylistic visuals. A lot of the cinematography is quite good, the editing is creative, and the production design isn't too shabby either. In a few different scenes, where the effects of NZT are being displayed, the movie uses this interesting cloning-like effect. It's hard to explain, but if you see the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. Not all of the effects are perfect though. Some of the stylistic film making is taken to an extreme, with in-your-face zoom and warping effects that get kind of annoying after a while. Still, for the most part it works.

Limitless is one of those movies that I hate to give a bad review. It means well and it tries hard, but it simply makes too many missteps along the road. About 40% of Limitless is quite good, but the rest is a series of plotholes, unnecessary characters, and uninspired writing. I can't quite say, "don't see it" but I can't recommend it either. Maybe worth a rental down the line, but don't expect much.

My Score: 2 out of 5!