Johnny Major
Posts: 5
Joined: 26/4/2011
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Caution: This review contains spoilers
When my friends and I left the cinema after watching Wanted (2008), we spent the return journey home vocalising our frustration over the film’s more ludicrous plot points. The loom of fate, an ancient weaving apparatus that selected the next targets for a band of assassins, was just too much for even the most avid action-thriller fan to swallow. After watching Inception (2010), we left with our heads spinning, futilely trying to piece together the elaborate, knotted storyline with the gravity defying action sequences. When we left the cinema after watching Limitless, just a few days ago, we made our way back to the car park fiercely debating on whether or not we would take the pill that granted the main character all of his mind-boggling abilities: finally, an action-thriller that leaves you feeling stimulated instead of deflated.
The greatest hurdle facing action-thrillers today is creating the perfect balance between a gripping storyline and adrenaline pumped visuals. Modern action-thrillers tend to either focus heavily on producing breathtaking, high intensity sequences, paying little attention to story development, such as Wanted, or revolve around storylines more complex than the Enigma Code, Inception being the exemplary culprit. With the release of Neil Burger’s Limitless comes an action-thriller that leaps this hurdle, propelled by a well thought out equilibrium of captivating story and invigorating action scenes.
Limitless follows the journey of Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) from a failing writer and general washout to a suave, sophisticated businessman. Though his success is not due to his merit but to NZT, a newly developed and incredibly expensive pill that allows the consumer to harness one hundred percent of their brainpower. Morra finds himself on a nonstop joyride as he skyrockets to the top of the business world, blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking right around the corner. When Morra’s supply of NZT runs dry, he finds himself plunged into mental and physical turmoil. Desperate, he launches himself in to a search for more NZT, only to be plagued by a Russian loan shark and corporate hit men. A whirlwind of unfortunate run-ins and close escapes ensues, pushing Eddie literally to the edge as he stands on his apartment’s balcony ready to commit suicide rather than suffer an excruciating death at the hands of his pursuers. Through his own quick thinking, Eddie is able to wriggle out of his predicament and re-establish order in his life, though whether or not he is free from his dependency on NZT is left to audience’s imagination.
With an original and tidy narrative combined with a respectable measure of intense action, Limitless maintains an engaging plot and exciting pace throughout the majority of its one hundred an five minutes running time. The primary exception to this is a section, about half way through, where the story temporarily looses its thrust. Said section is comprised of a series of business meetings and dinners where Morra bedazzles and persuades potential, high-powered employers to take him on. Not only are these sequences unnecessarily long, they are inundated with so much technical, business jargon that anyone who doesn’t have an honours degree is business, or a financial vocabulary dictionary to hand, will find themselves at a complete loss. That said, once past this confusing and somewhat tedious section the film recovers its energising pace, maintaining it right to the end.
Visually, Limitless is no more or less than what one would expect of a modern, Hollywood thriller set in New York City. The directing is clean-cut, making for clear and precise action sequences that don’t leave the viewer frantically trying to decipher who each streak of colour whipping across the screen is. The performances are credible, with Cooper’s portrayal of Morra generating a sufficient amount of sympathy from the audience as to care whether or not he makes it out alive.
Although Limitless doesn’t hit the bull’s eye on the action-thriller dartboard, it is certainly a step in the right direction towards more plausible and gripping films of its genre. It is all too easy for an action-thriller to stray a little too far and fall into the category of either just pure action or plain thriller, losing that enthralling edge that makes action-thrillers such a pleasure to watch. Limitless treads very carefully up that thin line where the two genres meet, providing all the high risk rush of an action film anchored in the entrancing suspense of a thriller.
Summary: If you like your films fast, tense and slightly mysterious then Limitless is definitely one to watch. All of its elements have been carefully considered to create a dynamic infusion of adrenaline and anticipation that truly deserves the title of action-thriller.
Overall Rating: 8/10
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