103, Limitless

I was lucky enough to get out to see this at a mid-week preview.  No Ad's, busy screen, loving it!!  The lead in this movie is Bradley Cooper.  So far, not a duff movie to his name.  Starting in TV, Bradley appeared in some minor roles, Wedding Crashers / Yes Man until the Hangover in 2009 where in my eyes he launched into greatness.  All About Steve, and The A-Team quickly followed and before we know it he's in everything! and deservedly so - specifically looking forward to The Hangover II due out later this year, Limitless was billed as a big budget, A-List cast with Cooper & De Niro heading Hollywood's finest.

But does it live up to the hype?

Well its good, but I am sure it could have been so much more!  The plot is quick to get going - mystery Drug that enhances brain productivity and the relationship between the main characters is explained early on but it seemed to all come too quickly.

I have moaned before about movies taking their time to get going and this is not exactly the opposite but he appears to go from Zero to Hero in about 5 minutes with no real focus on the climb to greatness.  In the story, the rise happens over 12 days but even so, a bit more of the partying and wealth spreading would not have gone amiss.

The main focus for this movie is once the Money & Skill are obtained, then the focus switches to the trials of keeping it, rather than getting it and the ever present side affects of the drug and others its affected play a heavy part. 

It's a good story and don't get me wrong, its a good movie but I just left the cinema feeling a little cheated.  Cooper has been outstanding in so many other movies and if anything this has probably undervalued him.  De Niro is great as the moneyman and they bounce fantastically off of each other but other than that it came across as a mediocre flick, maybe worthy of a DVD purchase once it hits the bargain bin but nearly £20 on a Blu-Ray?  Nope.

If like my wife, Cooper most definitely floats your boat then you will enjoy it - he is his normal witty, sometimes funny self but as said before - could have done more.

In my eyes his best role to date is as "Face" in the A-Team, a movie I purchased and watch continuously over and over again and he will have to go some to make me think otherwise.  If this is meant as an interim quickie between that and the Hangover II then its done its job - If its supposed to be deemed as a stepping stone to better things then granted, but if this is supposed to be a defining moment in movie history?  Well, its off the mark.

Cooper fan? Then you should watch it.  You will enjoy it for what it is.  If not, don't bother.

See this if........................................You like the Man - not the Movie.