Limitless might not have lived up to its Inception-like hype, but it was still a worthwhile film. That it was only an hour and forty-five minutes long did not hurt, as Limitless’ pace was relentless and engaging.
Bradley Cooper’s versatility is to be commended because there are not too many actors nowadays that can play the psychological thriller and the Hangover.
The plot of Limitless centers on a drug, NZT that allows its users to access their entire brain power. Normally, humans can only use around 20 percent, but with NZT, Eddie Mora (Cooper) is able to overcome his writer’s block and complete his novel in only a matter of days. With his newfound focus and intelligence, Eddie abandons the publishing industry and decides to move on to more fruitful endeavors. He analyzes the stock market, and after turning a couple thousand dollars into a fortune, he is hired by Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), one of the most powerful businessmen in the world.
Of course, with the drugs, come problems. Eddie suffers horrible withdrawals and realizes that he can no longer function with only limited use of his mind. His success does not go unnoticed either. He is hunted by those who want the drug for themselves.
Limitless’ weakness falls in its inability to avoid typical drama genre standards, like Russian gangsters and Wall Street crooks. Instead of creating its own unique place in thriller filmography, Limitless follows the clichéd tropes of Hollywood. While the premise of Limitless, based upon Alan Glynn’s 2001 novel The Dark Fields, was intriguing and in many cases fascinating, the film failed to reach the heights it should have.
Director Neil Burger, whose previous film, The Lucky Ones, was held to moderate acclaim, used several inventive visuals to keep the film fresh. His use of slowing and speeding time to illustrate the effects of NZT was effective, though sometimes overused. There were several scenes that might cause motion sickness to viewers with weak stomachs.
Cooper’s impressive performance, his first since The Hangover, makes Limitless worth seeing, but if you are going in to it with the impression that it will be similar to Inception in either quality or entertainment, you are going to end up disappointed. Cooper’s impressive breakout over the past couple of years gives him a shot to join the Matt Damons and Mark Wahlbergs of the industry.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of Robert De Niro, whose acting chops seem to have dwindled over the past decade. His transition from star to supporting actor has not gone quite as planned. Other than his performance as Jack in Meet the Parents, he has underwhelmed.
Overall, Limitless grades as a B-, just another science fiction thriller that failed to reach its potential.
Cory Emerson can be reached at cory.emerson@spartans.ut.edu.