BLU-RAY REVIEW

Limitless

Featured In Issue 159, September 2011

Picture4
Sound4
WSR Score4
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
2275943
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13 / Unrated
(Rating Reason):
Thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language
(Retail Price):
$39.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
105 / 105
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2011
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
07/19/11
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Neil Burger
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Based upon the book The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, Limitless follows a burnt-out writer (Cooper) who discovers a top-secret pill that unlocks 100 percent of his brain's capacity. Taking the pill, he acquires mind-bending talents that bring him big money, beautiful women, and limitless success, but at a dangerous price. (Gary Reber)

Both the theatrical (01:44:46) and the unrated (01:45:33) versions are available. Special features include commentary with the filmmakers, the featurettes A Man Without Limits (HD 04:29) and Taking It To The Limit (HD 11:38), an alternate ending (HD 05:14), the theatrical trailer, and a digital copy of the film.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture is strongly stylized with a varying color palette that, at times, is greenish tinted, with hues desaturated. At other times the hues are boosted. Contrast varies, depending on the stylized segment. The picture exhibits a gritty, drab look during segments depicting Eddie's "normal" life. When he pops NZT, the color palette changes dramatically with intense hues, to suggest an "amped up" emotional feeling. Resolution is generally good throughout, and black levels are solid. This is, at times, a really good-looking picture, but otherwise dingy and drab. Still, the picture appears true to the filmmaker's intent. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is strongly rendered with various dynamic jolts, enhanced with strongly energized .1 LFE. The sound is inconsistent, however, retreating to a frontal focus and a "produced" sonic signature. But when fully engaged, the surround channels are directionalized and energized, for an enveloping experience. Atmospherics, such as city sounds, are subtly enveloping but not particularly engaging, sounding far more frontal focused than the scenes would suggest. Dialogue is production sound and ADR and wanting in spatial integration. Overall, this is a satisfying soundtrack with strong elements that occasionally are engaging. (Gary Reber)