Limitless: Is a little more limited then expected

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2011)

Review for Limitless Okay this movie can be summed in one major theme: drug addiction! This movie is a film that glorifies drugs and the rewards that they seem to offer. The film starts off with a quick shot of the current predicament our protagonist is in, played by Bradley Cooper. After that we get into a quick introduction into the messed up life of our character which is shot in a grayish and dismal tone. The setting and camera work are appropriate for the introduction, but in a dark theater setting can make you more tired than interested in the movie. However, we are quickly and randomly introduced to his ex-brother in law who quickly gets him hooked on the miracle pill. This introduction is very random and not strong suited, but again it's about being addicted to drugs not how he gets into it. Things pick up from there and the effects of the drug are seen in a quick flash of color and light. A majority of the scenes show him studying his business work or partying with various drunks and clients, which reminds me of an expensive take of Jersey Shore. Eventually Robert De Niro's character comes in and plays the role of the arrogant, harsh, over the top business man who becomes the man focus of Cooper's character. Once we see this guy, things begin to pick up and we start diving into the harsh reality of a drug addict, which is extraordinarily portrayed by the characters in this movie. The movie then becomes a portrayal of fighting the greed and drive for success and the desire for breaking the addiction which can be exciting and boring depending on the scenes. Throughout the movie we also see a random guy who is a combination slasher/stalker throughout the movie, that really isn't explained well in the movie. The first strength of this movie is the makeup and acting that combine to make characters who look and seem to be dependent on drugs. This combination draws you into the story and setting and keeps you interested in the character and helps relate to the struggle. Combine this with the strong musical score and the fantastic camera shots and you have made a fantastic scene that captures the suffering the characters have. Some of the scenes that show the enlightenment of the drug are creative as well, but mainly weird and a little confusing at some points when we see multiple versions of the character on the pill. The suspense of the chase scenes makes the film exciting at some points and the 'action' scene at the end gets your heart racing and your pulse up. There were also some fun one liners that kept the movie fun, and helped relieve the depression that hit at some points in the movie.
The biggest weakness is the glorifying of drugs and that they can be beneficial to your overall success in the world. This motif is not true, at least not on this level, and this approach could make people want to do drugs. Unfortunately many people who see this movie may be easily swayed into taking drugs that promise benefits, which could lead to some problems. Just like Glee makes fun of serious issues, this movie makes fun of drug abuse and seems to reward such careless use of the drugs, which I disagree with. Another thing that was not appealing was some of the camera work used in this movie. Although most of it was good, there were some computer camera effects that could make people dizzy or give headaches if you are affected by this. The zooming in of the various walkways and streets is a creative representation of getting to the destination, but may be more of a motion sickness curse than a blessing. Continuing on, it was surprising to see that De Niro's character had such a minor role in this movie, really being nothing more than a greedy business man in search of power. It's not his best role in my opinion, but he does play is solidly capturing that greedy eye with a strength he had harnessed. Next are some of the cheesy solutions and actions the characters made when on the drug, as it made them seem superhuman. I guess if you had access to a 100% of the brain you would have great processing power, but that doesn't mean they can run faster or punch with super karate moves. That to me was a little cheesy. Another flaw is the grotesque and ridiculous scene near the end of the movie where a big fight breaks out and the character has to drink blood to get his dose of the drug. Some may like this sort of scenario made famous by SAW, but that's not my cup of tea. Some of the characters introduced, such as the stalker, were either pointless or extremely compelling, but the movie did not really tie them to the story very well. Finally the ending is a little bit cheesy and fake, which mocks the tone the movie was setting up and again further glorifies that drug abuse and addiction lead to better outcomes in life. Overall the movie is just fine it is suspenseful and intense at many times, yet really slow and dragged out at other times. Some of the scenes are very graphic and intense; sometimes leading me to believe it should be Rated R not PG-13. Still the acting is superb and most of the camera work brings the movie to life for the most part. Overall I would give this movie a 7 for a solid capture of drug addiction, yet not fulfilling the promise that it made in the trailers at the beginning of the movie.