Plot
A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.
Release Year: 2011
Rating: 7.3/10 (117,734 voted)
Critic's Score: 59/100
Director:
Neil Burger
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish
Storyline An action-thriller about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100 percent of his mind. As one man evolves into the perfect version of himself, forces more corrupt than he can imagine mark him for assassination. Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions. But brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent...
Writers: Leslie Dixon, Alan Glynn
Cast: Bradley Cooper
-
Eddie Morra
Robert De Niro
-
Carl Van Loon
Abbie Cornish
-
Lindy
Andrew Howard
-
Gennady
Anna Friel
-
Melissa
Johnny Whitworth
-
Vernon
Tomas Arana
-
Man in Tan Coat
Robert John Burke
-
Pierce
Darren Goldstein
-
Kevin Doyle
Ned Eisenberg
-
Morris Brandt
T.V. Carpio
-
Valerie
Richard Bekins
-
Hank Atwood
Patricia Kalember
-
Mrs. Atwood
Cindy Katz
-
Marla Sutton
Brian Anthony Wilson
-
Detective
(as Brian A. Wilson)
Taglines:
What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?
Filming Locations: Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Box Office Details
Budget: $27,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $18,907,302
(USA)
(20 March 2011)
(2756 Screens)
Gross: $79,249,455
(USA)
(7 July 2011)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Morra, Bradley Cooper's character's last name, is the imperative of "to die" in Portuguese, which means the name of the character is something like "Edward Dies" or "Edward Die!".
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Eddie jumps off the cliff into the ocean it is the middle of the day but when he returns to the surface of the water the sun is setting.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Eddie Morra:
Obviously I miscalculated a few things.
Man:
[banging door]
Eddie! I know you're in there. Eddie Morra:
Why is it that the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams, the knife appears at your back? Well, I'll tell you one thing... I will never let them touch me.
User Review
Great Concept with Sloppy Execution & a Contrived Ending
Rating: 7/10
The concept of Limitless is fantastic - what would happen if you could
take a pill (NZT) that would allow you to use 100% of your brain
(instead of the standard 20%) and function on a level higher than you
have ever functioned before? The possibilities for such a movie idea
are well, limitless - pun intended - but unfortunately, despite some
great acting, especially by Bradley Cooper, who plays Eddie Morra - the
lead whose life the movie follows throughout it's duration, the film
just could not overcome some major plot holes, sloppy writing and
nonsensical moments.
LOTS OF SPOILERS...
Many times throughout the film, the script uses PLOT driven storyline
instead of CHARACTER driven storyline in order to go from Point A to
Point B which the script called for & in the process, didn't make much
sense given who the characters were in the picture. Some examples:
1) The movie needed for Eddie to find the NZT stash & money in his
Brother in Law's apartment, steal it, get away with it and then take
the pill, feel the effects, and use the money to regain his life.
Problem? It's absolutely ridiculous to imply that the cops wouldn't
have searched him or at the very least patted him down after calling in
a murder & going down to the station for questioning. Of course, the
huge wad of cash/pills he shoved down the back of his pants would have
been found had they searched him so it didn't happen. It's illogical
and absolutely ridiculous that he would be able to steal what he did
from the apartment, an apartment that he locked himself in when the
police initially arrived - and have no issues.
2) The movie needed for the Russian thug to come after Eddie in order
to find the NZT, take it and then make trouble for him the entire
movie. Problem? It's not believable that super smart Eddie wouldn't
remember to pay back the 100k that he borrowed especially when the
money was constantly on his mind and he had just made 2 million off of
what he borrowed. This is clear cut plot driven over character driven
storyline because it's ridiculous for Eddie, the character, to not
remember such a basic task, especially when there was direct danger to
his life if he forgot.
3) The movie needed for Atwood's lawyer to steal Eddie's stash of pills
causing Eddie to spiral out. Problem? Isn't it far fetched to imply
that Atwood's henchman killed the woman in the hotel to frame her
murder on Eddie at the oft chance that Eddie would retain the same
lawyer that worked for Atwood just so he could get close to him to
steal his pills for Atwood to save Atwood's life? Huh? How did the
henchman/lawyer even know that the pills would be on Eddie to take?
They never used to be - the custom suit w/ hidden pocket was something
new. He certainly didn't carry them on him back when the woman was
initially killed. This whole setup was contrived and made no sense and
was based on a lot of coincidences, ones that no one could have
predicted.
That is just a few examples of sloppy storytelling. There are also a
bunch of basic nit picks that I have like: 1) Why didn't Eddie, who was
fearing for his life, buy a gun & train how to use it under the help of
NZT? He hires bodyguards and buys a fortress to live in but doesn't
purchase a handgun? 2) Why didn't the scientists who made NZT take it
themselves in order to use their super smarts to perfect the drug and
make it what Eddie's scientists were able to create in the end without
the aid of being under the drug's influence? 3) After drinking the
Russian's NZT laced blood, why did Eddie lie there on the ground
waiting for the henchmen to return so he could poke one in the eye w/ a
needle? Why not get out of there? Did we really need that stupid fight
scene? 4)Breaking into the safe with a chainsaw in minutes? Impressive
5) Is it really believable that NZT wouldn't have hit the black market
and been all over the place?
Lastly - a huge problem I had with Limitless was the happy, Hollywood,
contrived Ending. Withdrawal from NZT? Side effects? Once the drug
wears off so does the heightened brain activity? No problem - the movie
flashes forward 12 months to give Eddie Morra a rainbows, puppies &
sunshine like ending where his labs have now created a pill that works
like NZT only there are no side effects and the super smart effects are
permanent. How nice! He's all happy now & brilliant forever & running
for Senate - he's with his girlfriend & their ordering food and look,
he's fluent in a foreign language because he's so smart and YUCK. The
ending was so over the top in an 'everything worked out in the end'
way. I hated it. I didn't need for Eddie to die or crash and burn or
anything like that but Limitless took the concept of a happy ending to
another level.
Also, with the ending comes a rushed attempt to villanize De Niro's
character of Carl Van Loon who out of no where makes a pathetic power
play by trying to blackmail Eddie & is quickly shot down. The whole
scene between them fell flat for me and felt incredibly sloppy and
quickly put together.
Overall, in spite of all the shortcomings, Limitless is still a really
good movie. It's thrilling, fast paced and the basic concept is
interesting and makes for an entertaining film - you just can't really
think about things like logic or else you will be disappointed. 7/10
0