Limitless: 1 star

*this will be a humorous review because this movie is awful

"A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities." This is from IMDB and a horrible summary. I guess who ever updates IMDB didn't think this movie deserved the time it takes to write a proper summary. He doesn't discover it, someone he knows gives it to him. It doesn't' make him super human; that makes it sound like he can fly and shoot webs from his wrists. It just makes him smart, which last time I checked wasn't super human. However, the people involved in this film's production may think otherwise. 

Seriously, I went into this film with absolutely no expectations. I just wanted to have fun with it. I knew it wasn't Shawshank Redemption. I just wanted to turn my brain off and watch Bradley Cooper be cool. Unfortunately this film hurt my brain. I had to turn it off. That's right, please welcome Limitless to the very small group of films (three I think) that Patrick Mooney couldn't finish watching. I guess these days I just don't have the time to waste. I'm 30, I have things to do...like sit on the couch and watch anything but this. I gave Limitless one star instead of zero because it does have Bradley Cooper in it, and Bradley Cooper was in Wet Hot American Summer (which looks like Hamlet next to Limitless) therefore Limitless gets one star. 

One of the aspects of the film that was a huge turn off was it's treatment of women, or lack thereof. Limitless could be used to teach a college level film studies/media course on the treatment of women in modern society; specifically in media and film. If anyone still thinks women are now treated as equals and sexism is over then please watch this movie. Example: Eddie Mora's (Cooper) girlfriend breaks up with him at the start of the movie. Eddie is failing as a writer, doesn't take care of himself anymore and is a horrible boyfriend. He's no longer the man she fell in love with.  She delivers a very well thought out reason for her decision and they part amicably. Eddie obtains the magic pills and becomes smart and successful. He then bumps into his ex on the street and says some stuff that is really smart. He's also no longer dressed like a homeless person. She immediately (give or take a few hours) disrobes and has sex with him. Only after a few weeks does she realize that he still isn't the guy she fell in love with years ago. Oh, and prior to his ex, he met a few other women along the way who reacted the same way. Apparently you gals only care about suits and money and absolutely love New York club bathrooms; so romantic. I guess her previous reasoning for leaving him was a lie and she really only cared that he looked gross and had writers block (remember: he wasn't dumb, he just had writers block). 

Another turnoff was the direction. Director Neil Burger uses an absolutely nauseating effect to portray passage of time while Eddie is on the "medication". It's kind of hard to explain, but it's basically blocks and blocks of city streets collapsing into the 2D plane of the TV. It's meant to seem like you are travelling quickly down these streets, but since the images are coming towards you while you stay still it feels more like everything is collapsing into the viewers brain instead of the viewer moving forward. It's awful. Other than that, nothing really impressive to report artistically. 

Basically Limitless is a waste of your time. Unless you want to have an "objectifying women" drinking game I would stay away from this one.