The 2011 movie Limitless gives a new twist on the old phrase, “Be all you can be”. You see, it’s fairly well known that we don’t use our brain’s full capacity at any one time. But what if we could, and there were no limits as to what we could learn and do?
Would we want to watch the movie Limitless…or would we pass and see if there was anything more interesting to see or do? Let’s find out!
No Limits
The movie revolves around the idea that there is a drug that can help us use more of our brain. Sure, we use all parts of our brain at one point or another, but not all at once. The movie’s main character Eddie Morra (played by Bradley Cooper) discovers what happens when we access our capabilities…and why we might not want to try.
Eddie is your typical underachiever – he’s got the talent, but lacks the focus to use it well. Eddie’s a writer who isn’t getting his book done, and whose girlfriend dumps him. While things are going downhill, Eddie bumps into Vernon Grant (played by Johnny Whitworth) who happens to be Eddie’s ex-wife’s brother. Vernon, who deals drugs, tells Eddie that he has a sample of something new, called NZT-48. And would Eddie like to try it?
Heck yes! Eddie takes the (illegal drug) sample and finds that it makes him smarter and more focused. Eddie wants more, and Vernon agrees to give it to him. Unfortunately for Vernon, the NZT-48 was his death warrant. When Eddie goes to Vernon’s apartment and finds him dead, he also finds Vernon’s stash (along with some cash and a notebook full of names that’s somehow related to the drug).
Are There Limits?
With a supply of NZT-48, Eddie decides to ditch his writing career in favor of the stock market – where he becomes very rich indeed. And as you might guess, his girlfriend Lindy (played by Abbie Cornish) comes back to him as well. Life is good…right?
Maybe not. There’s a problem with the NZT-48, and one of the side effects is that he gets memory lapses. And one memory lapse might have been fatal to the woman he was with, who is now dead. Eddie doesn’t know if he killed her. And to make matters worse, he’s running out of the drug and the withdrawal symptoms are along the lines of losing his intelligence or death. Neither is very appealing, so Eddie goes to great length to find someone who can reverse-engineer the drug for him. What’s a guy to do?
Limitless – See It or Pass?
The critics and audiences were more or less in agreement with Limitless; it was a good movie, but not outstanding. The plot uses a few too many stereotypes, so some parts are pretty predictable. Audiences tended to like it more than the critics.
Bradley Cooper did a terrific job with the role of Eddie, so if you liked Bradley in his previous movie (“Faceman” in The A Team), you’ll like him here as well.
Should you go see Limitless? If you like suspense movies, you’ll probably want to buy yourself a ticket, get yourself some popcorn and enjoy!
