Limitless (2011) Film 11/50

Spoiler Alert! You will see every twist and turn coming in this movie...even without the "limitless" effects of NTZ-48. And if you don't, you must be on NTZ-48, as it appears that the one major side-effect of the drug (not including death or coma) is its power to make the user oblivious to the obvious.

There are some major problems with this film. The most egregious being the complete lack of a character to root for...at all. Cooper's character pre-NTZ and post-NTZ are two distinct personalities with one thing in common: they're both absolute jerks. Whether tormented by writer's block or deriving complex formulas for dealing successfully in the stock market, Cooper is insufferable. Getting a haircut and a purpose in life (if a strong desire to make lots and lots of money fast counts for one) doesn't improve anything except that he's much easier on the eyes. I'm not sure whether to blame the writing or Cooper's performance for neglecting to include a likability factor to the lead, but either way, the result is a thriller which lacks all suspense having left the audience little to no investment in what happens to any of its characters.

And then there's De Niro. Oh, Bobby. You totally phoned this one in and still managed to give the best performance in the film. Cash that paycheck with pride.

This plot had such potential to make a fantastic commentary on America's obsession with looking for the quick-and-easy-fix to life's problems rather than taking the road less traveled (you know, the one where people have to put some actual effort into making things better in their lives). Instead, it glorifies taking the easy-way-out without even a hint of irony. A great opportunity lost.

Sure, you can argue that the visual effects and aesthetic were respectable, but who really cares if the characters are devoid of any redeeming traits and the plot is trite and uninspired. Especially considering this film was released almost a full year after Inception. The bar had been raised, and Limitless didn't even come close to leaving the ground.