"Limitless" Provides Limited Buzz

What would you do if you could take a small, translucent pill that gave you access to the entirety of your brain?  Maybe you would write a successful novel in less than a week.  Perhaps you would take your chances in the stock market and make a killing, thus unveiling your unlimited knowledge to the entire city of New York and eventually the country.  After seeing Limitless, you'll realize that the former, more subtle approach is probably your best bet considering what Bradley Cooper's character goes through in the plot of the movie...or maybe you won't.  If you can handle getting roughed up a few times and being pushed to the brink of ending your own life then you might as well risk it to get the biscuit.
The overall message of Limitless is difficult to find, but in a movie about popping pills, making money, and avoiding bad guys, an overall meaning does not seem highly necessary.  Bradley Cooper's character, Eddie Morra, starts off as a washed-up writer with a book deal, but no story.  The make-up department probably deserves the most credit (even with Robert De Niro thrown into the mix) for making a Hollywood stud look like your Average Joe.  When Eddie randomly runs into his ex-wife's brother, the star of the movie is revealed: NZT.  The former brother-in-law, Vernon, presents the new drug, NZT, immediately after hearing that Eddie is experiencing writer's block.  Thus, the chaos ensues.
The first half-hour of the film deals with excessive narrating from Bradley Cooper, similar to Jim Sturgess explaining his every move in 21 so the audience is not only entertained, but educated in the process of counting cards.  Sturgess' narration was both unhelpful and tiring, while Cooper's is the same, but for something nonexistent in the real world.  However, as Eddie becomes more addicted to the drug, the audience becomes more addicted to the film.
A handful of interesting fight scenes, along with the incredibly intriguing visuals, which include a fast paced, slingshot-like rush through New York City, certainly keep your eyes on the screen.  The great De Niro will also attract a large turnout, as he should, but as of late he has not been selective enough in choosing his roles (e.g. Little Fockers).  He plays an easily replaceable part, but I'm sure the audience would prefer him to some unknown actor.
Throughout the movie I kept thinking, if this pill makes Eddie so intelligent, why can't he just make more of it while under its influence?  I guess it simply doesn't work that way, but it all ends to Eddie's advantage in a cheerful conclusion that is not well-deserved.  However, if you're looking for some mindless entertainment, you will not need any NZT to enjoy Limitless.  You'll get a bit of a high though.