Entertaining popcorn fodder.

Rating: 6/10 (29 March 2011)

Unfortunately, Limitless is largely just another run of the mill action-thriller. Although fortunately, and ironically, it knows its limits and does reasonably well inside of those confines. He may not stray too far from convention, however Burger adds enough of his own flair behind the camera – most notably the impressive "speedy tunnel vision" that shows how Eddie perceives the world whilst drugged up – to keep the energy pumping and give his fourth feature film a spark that smooths out a portion of the hiccups within the screenplay, of which there are a plethora.
Adapted from Alan Glynn's novel "The Dark Fields" (cheekily used as the title of the book Eddie writes within the movie), veteran scribe Leslie Dixon can't find an even-handed tone and as a result the final act struggles to strike a chord. It's hard to understand what Dixon had intended for the audience to feel at the completion of her amorphous story; the climax is a bizarre non-event that leaves no real resolution. She should be praised for her well-rounded protagonist, though the supporting characters are underwritten with Cornish's girlfriend nondescript at best (makes me wonder what the Aussie actress saw in the role) and De Niro's business tycoon a mere cardboard cut out.
I'm not surprised that Bradley Cooper has finally appeared in a bona fide leading role. After decent supporting turns in Yes Man and He's Just Not That Into You he graduated to co-lead star in The Hangover and The A-Team, both of which were highly entertaining and garnered Cooper plenty of attention, and now he's having a stab at A-list glory. If his work in Limitless is a forecast of things to come then the man who started his career on 'Sex and the City' should be around for a while yet, as he effortlessly fills the boots of man who is both an everyday bloke and anything but. He oozes a natural charisma that makes him instantly likable and balances the humour and seriousness deftly.
Cooper's appeal and Burger's directorial flourishes keep things afloat and grant Limitless a life as entertaining popcorn fodder.
3 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Average, 3 - Good, 4 - Great, 5 - Brilliant)