Limitless

If you've ever found yourself staring into nothingness, wondering why you couldn't muster even a hair of energy to get up and do something, then you're going to find this movie highly satisfying. Limitless takes you on a ride... and that's not an exaggeration. The computer graphics create a glimpse into what it would actually feel like to be a "super-you." The writers also did a great job of creating a character that from the start... pretty much charms your pants off. Bradley Cooper actually surprised me. I never thought he was a bad actor, but he was able to honestly portray a guy that had absolutely nothing going for him and became a "somebody." The movie graphics, plot, and main actors (well, DeNiro, Cooper, and Johnny Whitworth) were all intriguing. It's not just a movie about what crazy things some drug can make you do... it creates a discussion within each of us, "What if you could unlock all the potential of YOUR mind, who would you be?" Now the downsides... some of the supporting actors were very weak. Also, there were some scenarios that went off the deep end but actually had the audience laughing hysterically so it wasn't exactly a bad thing. If you thought you'd get a deep or scientific explanation for the drug... don't hold your breath. Thankfully the plot was engaging enough that you didn't really care. The movie had some interesting ideas but some that I especially loved were the ones about identity, and about taking something to make yourself better and whether that meant you were actually you or an altered you. Does it matter even? One last thing I gotta say though, the one guy, Johnny Whitworth, did a really great job. I hope he gets some major roles in the future because I think he's very talented.

I'd definitely recommend watching this movie. If only just for the ridiculous scene with the skates. Hilarious.

A pill can make you smart is indeed an interesting concept but what is more interesting is the directing. It's not an ordinary thriller movie. The director gave a lot of style in this movie to make it more exciting. It definitely works and the movie is limitlessly entertaining. There are some plot holes that the filmmakers doesn't intend to fix it but still it's worth watching.

The movie is of course about an intellectual pill. It's intriguing to know what's the side effects of it. Well, it's quite fun to know what's going to happened to the protagonist but the movie's smartness isn't very limitless. There are massive plot holes in here. There are also some confusion in this.

If there is something limitless in here then it's the entertainment quality. Neil Burger gave a lot of style and ridiculousness in this film. The editing was quite fast and fun. The zooming in through places is amazing. The soundtrack and the music score does perfectly fit in every scene. The performances were good. Bradley Cooper is an entertaining actor but he had some weaknesses in serious scenes like crying or being scared. Robert De Niro only shows up in times but you know him, he is just being himself and there is nothing wrong with that.

Overall the movie is ridiculously fun. The movie is no cliché, it's all unique by so many reasons including the trippy, vertigo, and zooming in style. It's intriguing, it's fast, and it's smart at times. "Limitless" is another movie that has merits that ignore the flaws. It's just a non-stop entertaining solid flick.

Limitless is based by a book of the same name and any problems I have with the film are due to the translation of book to film. Primarily, it's clear that the book is written in the first person as their is an ongoing narration throughout the film of the main character commenting on events and giving exposition - which does the job in telling the story effectively, combined with the visuals (which are amazing), it does become irritating and at times unnecessary.

My main problem with the film, however, is directly linked to why I liked it so much. Due to being based on a long book that would take hours and hours of reading, the story gets condensed and sped up, so plot points fly by one after the other and no time is wasted on anything useless which keeps it fast paced and engaging. However, this also means that problems and events that should have had more time get roughly 10 minutes to begin and conclude, downplaying their significance somewhat. Problems that seem dire get dealt with very quickly, seemingly with no side effects. The plot also lacks an overriding goal - a destination, it seems as if Eddie (Bradley Cooper) just takes things as they come rather than have an overall game plan, and it leaves you a bit dissatisfied in places as it feels it lacks direction, where in the book it would be more spread out and natural. OK, bad's out the way - now the good! The film is very well written; the script is very tight and has clearly been cut down for efficiency yet still natural and the acting is brilliant also. All characters are very convincing and Bradley Cooper's intelligent Eddie is so entertaining, convincing and endearing that you eventually love the character and rejoice every time he has to explain anything to the normal humans.

Some of the action scenes are a bit naff, but otherwise very well done, but besides Bradley Cooper's performance, I'd say the main prize goes to the director - Neil Burger. My hat goes off to him for his visual imagination - his transitions between different locations are the best I've ever seen in a film and it really encapsulates Eddie's disorientation when he blacks out on and off. The effects used to illustrate the effects of the drug are also brilliant; sometimes you forget the voice over and just get lost in the special effects - such as the one in the trailer when the letters fall from the ceiling. The only thing I would complain about is the fact that he often uses extreme close ups excessively and it gets a bit distracting, but nothing compared to how compelling this film was. It was clever, but not genius, it was thrilling, but not mind blowing - it was just a lot of fun. Definitely worth seeing if you're an aspiring director or just a person with eyes in their face.

This movie doesn't exactly go deep with either the moral or thematic implications of super intelligence. Nor are the characters particularly well developed. But I was engaged from beginning to end with this taut and, best of all, original thriller. I've never seen anything quite like it. It proceeds in a generally credible and suspenseful way from its premise--a pill that allows you to use all of your brain.Of course, the notion that we're only using a small fraction of our brains is untrue, but I liked how the film uses this urban fib as a springboard for its engaging story.

There are one or two moments that strain credulity, (I'm thinking, particularly, of the one-eyed thug who can't seem to hit the broad side of a barn with his gun) but I think every good story has a few of those.

The camera tricks and visual effects used to externalize what's going on in the main character's head are also a lot of fun. Good performances by all the actors.

If you yearn for science fiction movies and thrillers that you can actually believe from moment to moment and haven't seen 10 times before, then I'd recommend this one.

I feel it needs to be said that this is a superhero movie. We've had a myriad of superhero movies in recent years, but only a handful (e.g. the first Iron Man) were films where it seemed to me cast and crew were not fast asleep but actually cared about what they were doing. This is definitely an example of that rare breed. It is one of those movies where you spend the entire length of the film NOT noticing that it is a superhero movie, and quite possibly this will not dawn on you even on the ride home, because the subject matter is handled seriously: the characters are 3d life-like people; the plot has life-like complexity; there is ambiguity and room for interpretation. Somebody cared. I had my doubts, going in, whether Bradley Cooper can pull this one off. He sure can. Other actors are also at the top of their game. (I don't feel I need to pick out De Niro in particular, here.)

So, the good: Original, creative writing. Original, creative, beautiful cinematography. Original, creative direction. Interesting throughout. Believable, except when it isn't trying to be. Good pacing. Well acted.

The bad: Some scenes stretch credulity. Most by just a little. The fore-last scene is over the top. I loved it. (My wife said: "They're trying to pull a Tarrantino. Right?" and they were.) I can't blame anyone who says this scene ruined the movie for him. It isn't believable. It isn't consistent with the rest. But it's definitely where the roller-coaster that is this movie is at its most extreme. By contrast, the last scene left me with a feeling of something missed. It's like the script saves the best for the sequel.

So, unfortunately, this movie doesn't have an ending that makes you forgive it for everything else. Quite on the contrary. It just happens to be so good that I was willing to forgive it its bad ending.