421th Review: Competent but wastes a brilliant idea

Rating: 5/10 (24 May 2011)

Limitless is one heck of a great idea for a movie: a pill that instantly makes you super-smart - and the film is, as others here note, fast, fun, and all-in-all not bad per se.
My objection may seem irrelevant to the finished film but why take such a brilliant idea and reduce it to a) a thriller and b) a movie where the hero does nothing except satisfy his own selfish ends.
Seriously this film lacks all sense of moral vision, really given super-intelligence would you not see some of the bigger problems and how to cure them would you really just go give me money, lots and lots and lots of money....
All in all, an OK thriller, but given the elegance and brilliance of the concept a lightweight effort indeed...