New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

For people who saw Abbie Cornish in Sucker Punch and thought “More, please”: Limitless

As I have stated before, I am not a comic book aficionado, although I occasionally consume this form of media just as I do all of the others. Over the past few years, the one non-Gail Simone/Brian K. Vaughan title that has gripped me the most is Identity Crisis, a DC property that is centered upon the Justice League but encompasses a lot of their comic book universe. One of the villains in that story is Deathstroke, a mercenary capable of using 90% of his brain. His intelligence allows him to counteract several members of the Justice League simultaneously. I find the premise engaging and its implementation in that comic book sublime. In fact, after The Dark Knight Rises is released into theaters and Christopher Nolan moves off to new projects, this is the Justice League movie I believe Warner Bros. should create. But I digress.

The point is that Limitless uses a similar concept to identify the positives and negatives of how such behavior could impact an ordinary man, Eddie, played by Bradley Cooper. Given an experimental drug that functions as a brain steroid, Cooper is suddenly able to connect previously unattainable logic strands in his mind. The problem is that the drug is not only addictive but also has a side effect of erratic behavior. As such, Cooper’s character experiences a series of highs and lows that even the most extreme junkies cannot imagine. After he loses his job and is disavowed by those closest to him, the protagonist notices in an interview that the head of the company administering the drug behaves in similar fashion; he is just as much of an addict as his customers. This causes Eddie to seek him out and get some answers.

When Limitless was released, I stated in Monday Morning Quarterback that I felt this movie had one of the best premises of any 2011 title and I still stand by that. Reviews are largely positive as well, and the movie is a massive hit ($79.3 million domestic, over $150 million globally) relative to its paltry $27 million budget. This is a blueprint example of a good idea leading to a good movie that also happens to sell well. We as snobby movie goers want to support such behavior, because it means fewer fat suit comedies get greenlighted. Limitless narrowly misses being the DVD pick of the week, but it’s still highly recommended.

For people who miss That 70s Show and/or That 80s Show: Take Me Home Tonight

In case you have forgotten, there was in fact a That 80s Show; it lasted a whopping 13 episodes. Still, Foreman from That 70s Show was always popular, at least up until he put on a dark Spider-Man costume and wound up ruining the most popular franchise of the early 2000s. In spite of this, Topher Grace is much beloved by BOP’s staff for his deadpan sense of humor. Take Me Home Tonight is a 1980s period piece as well as a pet project for Grace. Alas, it was filmed in 2007 but not released until 2011, making it something of a period piece in and of itself. Movies do not sit on the shelf for four years without good reason, and that’s a sad statement to consider for a movie wherein Grace and Anna Faris are two of the leads. Its $6.9 million final domestic tally reflects the fact that it is a financial disaster and its 28% Rotten Tomatoes score indicates that most movie goers made the right choice in passing on the project. If you enjoy 1980s jokes about puffy hair, skinny ties, and spandex, maybe you will be entertained. Otherwise, the logical conclusion is that 1980s period piece television shows and movies are not an idea whose time has come yet.


For people who have gotten over their disappointment of the DOA: Dead Or Alive movie: Tekken

I purchased the original Playstation on the day of its North American release (yes, I’m old) back when the idea of 3D fighting games was relatively new. Virtua Fighter was all the rage at arcades, which were still en vogue at the time. The Playstation featured two popular franchises in the early days, Battle Arena Toshinden and the game that would steal its thunder, Tekken. The former game was a flash in the pan, a huge deal in 1995 and for about three months in 1996. After that, all anybody could remember about it was the blonde chick with the whip. It…wasn’t a videogame that embraced the idea of sexual equality. Tekken was much different in that it was fun to play, everyone had ridiculous hair, and animals were unlockable playable characters. Over a decade before Jack Black popularized the idea of a kung fu panda, Tekken was training a generation of videogame addicts how to disembowel humans with ursine claws.

Continued:       1       2       3