Limitless (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tired of P

  
  Directed by Neil Burger, Relativity Media, 2011. Starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish and Anna Friel. Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Question: If there was a pill that would make you smarter than anyone on the planet, would you take it? I am pretty sure I… More
  Directed by Neil Burger, Relativity Media, 2011. Starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish and Anna Friel. Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Question: If there was a pill that would make you smarter than anyone on the planet, would you take it? I am pretty sure I don't need to hear your response because I know mine and think we might feel the same. My hand is up in the air like Horshack with an absolute, "Ooh, ooh, ooh, YES!" That's what Bradley Cooper's character in Limitless chooses and what an entertaining story it was to watch. Bradley Cooper plays a writer stuck with writer's block and a possible life block. He just can't get motivated, focus or stop wasting time to finish (or even start) his book. Fate steps in to give him that boosts he requires and BAM! Everything that seemed out of reach was suddenly the easiest thing to accomplish. However, when something comes too easily....well, you know the rest. (For some reason Jefferson Airplane's 'White Rabbit' is playing in my head right now.) I will stop there on the details of the story but I will discuss the actors in this tale. Limitless starred Bradley Cooper, of course, and Robert De Niro (the acting god). There were a few others in this movie but those two are the only I'm mentioning right now. Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, who goes from a stagnant position to ramming speed with his intellect when he takes one of those clear pills. He started off playing defeated, lost and widely unattractive very well; however, when he is on the medication he portrays the overly confident, highly (understatement) intelligent, blue-eyed hunk even better. I believe it is very difficult, for an actor, to have to change the personality you are portraying from low to high to low and back again. Bradley Cooper does a fantastic job playing both sides of the coin. Robert De Niro isn't in the movie all that much and I will admit I was a little surprised to discover that. I really thought he was going to be in it more. Nonetheless, whether it is five minutes, twenty-five minutes or longer, is it always a pleasure to watch that man work. When Cooper's character is in the same room as De Niro's character, he is usually on the medication and flaunting his intelligence. However, De Niro's character stands up to the intellect and holds his ground well. And you are pretty certain De Niro's character is not on the same drug. It sort of reminded me of acting....just try out "acting" De Niro. It just can't be done (or can it?). So those scenes were doubly fun to watch. Limitless was a fun tale with a unique twist and a surprise ending. That does not happen often so catch this trifecta of a winner. You won't be disappointed. Limitless My favorite part: If you know what I like - you should know it. My least favorite part: There was one part that I didn't like. Let's just say I felt a little sick to my stomach watching it. Rating: PG-13 Length: 105 minutes Review: 7 out of 10

• Albert K

  
  "Limitless"... the premise has limitless possibilities but takes very uninteresting turns. Little to no character development; when there's a hint of it about to pop up, the movie smothers it with its ridiculous solutions that no longer become about the character but… More
  "Limitless"... the premise has limitless possibilities but takes very uninteresting turns. Little to no character development; when there's a hint of it about to pop up, the movie smothers it with its ridiculous solutions that no longer become about the character but about a substance. The script was lacking. One second, it leaves viewers out in the dark with its "elaborate" dialogue that consists of financial business but the next second, it becomes very elementary and downright cheesy. Bradley Cooper has talent - I'll give him that but the rest of the cast (except for the once again poorly casted, Robert De Niro) was not convincing at all. Hated the beginning, hated the ending, and just when it seems like "Limitless" has hope, it never manages to grow.

• Luke B

  
  Limitless is the kind of film that asks you, what would you do in this far fetched but entertaining situation? Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a struggling writer that has been procrastinating for months. He stumbles across his ex-brother-in-law and is eventually offered a new kind… More
  Limitless is the kind of film that asks you, what would you do in this far fetched but entertaining situation? Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a struggling writer that has been procrastinating for months. He stumbles across his ex-brother-in-law and is eventually offered a new kind of drug. This drug allows you to access every last part of your brain, allowing you to recall things you saw years ago, and just having the drive to succeed. You only have to hear things once for you to remember it. Of course it isn't all fun and games. Morra soon finds he is skipping large parts of his day, with no idea of what happened, and when he tries to lay off the drugs he becomes immensely sick. This is a story about trying to find an easy fix to lifes problems. Morra could easily finish his book if he just encouraged himself to do so. His antics spin wildly out of control, and as others latch on to his secret he becomes wrapped up in a world of money, deception, sex and even murder. Limitless really wants you to think about its premise which it does so effectively. I also enjoyed the fact it didn't try and weigh itself down with scientific "facts". It just gives you the idea and you can except it or not. There did seem to be a push at the end to really make this more action packed than it needed to be, but this is the kind of clever science fiction that I like. Part Twilight Zone, and part real life.

• Dean !

  
  A good film with an interesting if far fetched plot. It has a decent cast and a few good twist and turns. Not as much action as I thought more of a thriller towards the end. However still enjoyable overall.

• familiar s

  
  This real life story of a man who gets hold of a drug that enables one to work to their full potential is watchable enough, but nothing that would make me want it go on limitless. While the director does a fair job with the storytelling, and changing names and maintaining the… More
  This real life story of a man who gets hold of a drug that enables one to work to their full potential is watchable enough, but nothing that would make me want it go on limitless. While the director does a fair job with the storytelling, and changing names and maintaining the anonymity of the characters involved, that's not quite enough to fulfill my doze of entertainment. The director gotta take one pill, I guess.

• Candy R

  
  Great concept for a movie. The premise is we only use 20% of our brain and imagine what we could achieve if we accessed more of our brain power? Eddie is an aspiring writer with writer's block. He bumps into his ex brother-in-law who gives him an untested drug which enables him… More
  Great concept for a movie. The premise is we only use 20% of our brain and imagine what we could achieve if we accessed more of our brain power? Eddie is an aspiring writer with writer's block. He bumps into his ex brother-in-law who gives him an untested drug which enables him to write his book in just four days, learn to play the piano and learn to speak various languages. But there are side effects to the drugs and many people are after him for this new drug.

• Anthony L

  
  I'm not sure Limitless (or should I say Neil Burger) knew exactly what it wanted to be. As an anti drug film it excels, should the deprivation that a drug habit can lead to - that is until the end. It is also an interesting Sci-fi 'What if' scenario, reminiscent of a… More
  I'm not sure Limitless (or should I say Neil Burger) knew exactly what it wanted to be. As an anti drug film it excels, should the deprivation that a drug habit can lead to - that is until the end. It is also an interesting Sci-fi 'What if' scenario, reminiscent of a Philip K. Dick story - the possibilities of which could have been endless. In the end, although it is a good film, it is let down by the complete lack of moral (point) at the end of the film, which doesn't feel like it was the intended conclusion and I suspect there might have been some meddling by producers with cold feet. Maybe we'll never know but I think it could and should have been better - it's all down to the last 15 minutes.

• Lady D

  
  A creative vision of a film exploring the realms of potential of the human body, this film pushes the full capabilities of the brain and the physical form toward into a highly sought after addiction. Very much a 'what if?' type of film, that is both thought provoking and… More
  A creative vision of a film exploring the realms of potential of the human body, this film pushes the full capabilities of the brain and the physical form toward into a highly sought after addiction. Very much a 'what if?' type of film, that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Cooper plays a good role, but De Niro's presence in the film sadly insignificant, taking a backseat place.

• Matthew S

  
  This is an unintelligent vision of a sci-fi writer becoming a drug-addicted genius: It is disappointing in everything it attempts, and it finishes off with a huge cop-out.

• Saskia D

  
  I was looking for an easy action movie and that's what I got. It actually started out ok, but there was a lot more potential. It's almost as if the writers or producers weren't really feeling it anymore in the last 20 minutes and rushed through it. The acting… More
  I was looking for an easy action movie and that's what I got. It actually started out ok, but there was a lot more potential. It's almost as if the writers or producers weren't really feeling it anymore in the last 20 minutes and rushed through it. The acting didn't leave an impression whatsoever. And this Bradley Cooper was voted sexiest man alive? Palease. To quote a fan of Ryan Gosling: "his left arm alone makes him the Sexiest Man Alive." True that!! :p

• James A

  
  The whole story was built around Showing Bradley Cooper in his boxer briefs.

• J P

  
  I thought it was really good. The script didn't seem as awful as people are making it out to be. It wasn't a fantastic script, but it definitely wasn't terrible. It was just an average/nothing special script. I really liked the performance by Bradley Cooper. I… More
  I thought it was really good. The script didn't seem as awful as people are making it out to be. It wasn't a fantastic script, but it definitely wasn't terrible. It was just an average/nothing special script. I really liked the performance by Bradley Cooper. I always thought he was a great actor, but he seemed even better in this movie. The story was original and while some are complaining about the ending, I thought it was a nice way to end the movie. A nice little twist was put in there, and I think Cooper's character deserved it after all the crap he had to go through. The effects in this movie were amazing as well. A gold star to whoever edited this movie. It was a really fun movie to watch.

• Drew S

  
  If you're going to make a movie about immeasurable intelligence, you should probably be sure that your script isn't crushingly stupid first.

• Sam B

  
  Limitless begins with a massive amount of energy and style, not just thanks to the creative visual effects and smart direction, but due to a surprisingly good performance from Cooper (an actor I really didn't like very much based on his comedy work). As it goes on, Limitless… More
  Limitless begins with a massive amount of energy and style, not just thanks to the creative visual effects and smart direction, but due to a surprisingly good performance from Cooper (an actor I really didn't like very much based on his comedy work). As it goes on, Limitless starts to run low on energy and even lower on plausibility. Like Cooper's character off of his meds, the third act really starts to wane and become a blurry mess. Regardless of this fact, the initial boost and likable lead were enough to keep me invested all the way through.

• danny d

  
  its too bad that the pill doesn't heighten ones sense of morality. the film has some interesting direction and a worthy concept, and it was fun to watch, but the script was a bit weak and the construction a bit too neat for such a messy premise. an above average escapist film,… More
  its too bad that the pill doesn't heighten ones sense of morality. the film has some interesting direction and a worthy concept, and it was fun to watch, but the script was a bit weak and the construction a bit too neat for such a messy premise. an above average escapist film, but doesn't do what it could have to ask genuinely interesting philosophical questions about such a plot.

• Lewis C

  
  A drug that unlocks limitless mental potential is a cool idea for a story, so I'm not sure why this didn't grab me more than it did. Limitless didn't have any major flaws I could point to for why I just "kinda liked it", but I still recommend it for nothing… More
  A drug that unlocks limitless mental potential is a cool idea for a story, so I'm not sure why this didn't grab me more than it did. Limitless didn't have any major flaws I could point to for why I just "kinda liked it", but I still recommend it for nothing more than a rental.

• Nate Z

  
  With a dream premise for a pill-popping culture, Limitless is a visually fervent thriller that manages to stay a step ahead of the pack. Bradley Cooper takes a pill and can unlock full potential of his brain, which involves, obviously, scoring big paydays and women. It's a silly… More
  With a dream premise for a pill-popping culture, Limitless is a visually fervent thriller that manages to stay a step ahead of the pack. Bradley Cooper takes a pill and can unlock full potential of his brain, which involves, obviously, scoring big paydays and women. It's a silly fantasy but a universal curiosity of what we could do if given full access to our noodle. Director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) uses every visual trick in the book to represent the new brainpowers, as we watch words, numbers, and memories drift through a colorful explosion of imagery. It's all very pretty to look at. Burger's visual prowess elevates the more pedestrian moments of Limitless, but the film has a way of surprising you. The Mob takes an interest in this wonder pill, operating at a new peak of production. A woman being hunted down takes the magic pill and is able to quickly formulate an escape. So what if the profound existential questions regarding human capacity and possibility are thrown aside, we got some nifty visual flourishes and foot chases here people. The pacing is relentless and the plot manages to find intriguing ways to keep a superbrainiac in danger. Limitless is a perfectly enjoyable movie with enough juice to forgive its lamer moments and contrived ending. Nate's Grade: B

• Sanjay R

  
  Entertaining, but not going to blow you away. This movie could have been polished better and conveniently uses its impossibilities to its advantage. If, however, you take it at face value without dissecting it then it is a decent watch.

• Ken S

  
  Movie gets points for it's balls and it's fun visual flourishes. It's also kind of an endorsement for a properly managed cocaine habit.

• Cynthia S

  
  A very interesting concept sold as scifi, but really ends up being a decent psychological thriller. I found this to be an unique movie, and I thought Bradley Cooper did a stellar job. There are some nice twists, and turns in this film....and the ending was perfect, in my opinion.

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