Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Bradley Cooper | ... | ||
Robert De Niro | ... | ||
Abbie Cornish | ... | ||
Andrew Howard | ... | ||
Anna Friel | ... | ||
Johnny Whitworth | ... | ||
Tomas Arana | ... | ||
Robert John Burke | ... | ||
Darren Goldstein | ... | ||
Ned Eisenberg | ... | ||
T.V. Carpio | ... | ||
Richard Bekins | ... | ||
Patricia Kalember | ... | ||
|
Cindy Katz | ... | |
Brian Anthony Wilson | ... |
Detective
(as Brian A. Wilson)
|
An action-thriller about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100 percent of his mind. As one man evolves into the perfect version of himself, forces more corrupt than he can imagine mark him for assassination. Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions. But brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent. With a dwindling stash and hit men who will eliminate him to get the NZT, Eddie must stay wired long ... Written by Relativity Media
I was really looking forward to this movie. It has so much potential: an intriguing and clever concept, superb actors, decent script, good direction, sensational visual effects and editing, so what happened? I can't help but feel there was a great story driven film in here at one time during development. However, somehow studio executives -- no doubt pandering to the teenage boy demographic -- just had to add in all the predictable car chases and shoot-em-up gratuitous action. In the end this action was irritatingly distracting from the very captivating storyline that I kept on wishing they would come back to - i.e what happens when one has unlimited cognitive capacity. This is the same flaw that marred Christopher Nolan's otherwise fascinating story in Inception.
Note to studios and filmmakers why can't you be bold enough to just stick with the STORY? You're squandering these great concepts. Not every film needs to be an action/adventure.