Limitless, Blu-ray (2011)
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish
Director: Neil Burger
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Video: 2.40:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 1080p HD
Audio: English DTS HD-MA 5.1; French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras: Theatrical and Unrated film versions; audio commentary with Director Neil Burger; two featurettes (“A Man Without Limits” and “Taking It to the Limit: The Making of Limitless”); alternate ending; theatrical trailer; preview trailers for “Immortals”, “Season of the Witch” and “X-Men: First Class”; digital copy disc
Length: 105 minutes
Movie Rating: **** Video Rating: **** Audio Rating: ****½
Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling writer battling to overcome writer’s block on his latest book. In an effort to help jumpstart Eddie’s creative juices, an ex-brother-in-law introduces Eddie to a breakthrough new drug called NZT. The drug, taken in a clear pill form, is supposed to stimulate a person’s mental abilities to its maximum potential. Eddie begins taking the NZT and it works wonders for him by unlocking the seemingly unlimited power of his mind. Eddie takes full advantage of his new-found skills to finish his book and then increase his wealth, power and standing via working in the financial markets. NZT is not without its side-effects, however, including the inability to account for large periods of time and severe complications when stopping use of the drug. Additionally, various bad guys become aware of NZT’s existence and they are all very determined to get their hands on the drug.
”Limitless” has an interesting storyline and brisk pacing. Bradley Cooper proves that he can be an effective lead in a movie and Robert De Niro commands attention in his too-short time on screen. While the movie may lack humor and/or the type of non-stop action that would demand repeat viewings, “Limitless” is definitely worth checking out at least once. Fans of the film will want to own the Blu-ray with its high-quality AV presentation. Recommended.
The overall high definition video quality of “Limitless” is very good. Images are razor sharp with exquisite detail. Black levels are consistently dark throughout the film. The color palette changes based upon whether Eddie is using the NZT. The colors range from drab grays and browns when he isn’t using, to bold and vibrant colors when he is using. Picture defect mastering is solid with no major flaws or compression artifacts. The overall audio quality with the DTS hi-res track is even a little bit better than the video presentation. The soundtrack does a fantastic job of incorporating all of the discrete channels into its mix. Dialogue is crisp, intelligible, and properly positioned. The surround channels are actively utilized for ambient sound effects and the music score. The LFE channel is deep and powerful.
— Calvin Harding Jr.
