Limitless (2015)

Limitless makes for a lively show with an addictive potential.

As the show unveils multiple conspiracies, all at cross-purposes, Limitless seems less like an exploitation of its movie namesake and more like a well-made and well-thought-out TV series of its own.

The show could go interesting places, too, even explore provocative ideas--although the pilot pokes at those only halfheartedly. Limitless instead sets up as just another buddy cop show, with a superhero component and a sinister subplot. Those potentially interesting ideas are kicked to the curb.

Although we’re far from seeing how well this will all play out, there’s enough mystery laid down--who created NZT? How does Rebecca’s dad play into this? Can Bradley Cooper stick around, please?--that the future of the show has true potential, perhaps the most of any drama series so far this season.

The plotting is pretty perfunctory, but McDorman wears the show’s hyperbolic intensity lightly, as if playfully mocking the hard-boiled self-seriousness around him. But he also brings pathos to Brian’s gnawing sense of failure.

It’s lithe and funny for this kind of show, yet another series about a very special crime-solver.

Limitless retains the flippant style of the movie, especially in Brian’s voice-overs, which distinguishes it from many of the others. The guy is a mega-genius, but he’s a likable one.

The Limitless pilot, the only episode CBS made available for review, offers a terrific hour of character introductions that builds on the world established in Mr. Cooper’s movie. There are a few plot holes, but they’re forgivable. Then in the last 10 minutes of the pilot, everything that made the hour unique is threatened with extinction when you can see the confines of the CBS crime procedural box closing in.

Mentalist and Sherlock fans looking to fill their procedural need may find some delights here, and the show’s editing and direction help kick series this up a notch. ... But its similarity to other source material puts Limitless at a disadvantage, as the viewer may occasionally just wish they were watching these other, better shows.

So, basically, this is a drug-fueled Sherlock Holmes situation, although Brian does something so monumentally stupid while supposedly in his smart state at the show’s beginning that it comes close to undermining the show’s premise. Luckily McDorman, who appeared in “American Sniper” with Cooper, has an easygoing charm that helps right the boat.

Limitless isn't bad, but it's not mind-expanding.

A fast-paced, sure-footed pilot that tells the same essential story as the film.... Carpenter and whatever chemistry the two leads have will not be enough to separate Limitless from the stack of new and returning high-concept procedurals.

The first episode is a cut or two better than so-so, with Cooper’s brief but pivotal appearance something that many opening night viewers might be willing to wait on. Don’t get too used to him, though.

Limitless may give you an immediate high, but side effects may include listlessness, dangerous plot holes and a sinking feeling you’ve wasted an hour of your life.

It's relatively engaging and slickly produced, with effective visuals showcasing Brian's new talents, but the side effect of this show may be fatal blandness.

Of these three shows ["Minority Report" and "BlindSpot"], Limitless is the most competent at what it's trying to be, even if what it's trying to be is a middling CBS procedural.

It's hard to judge where Limitless is going based on the premiere, which takes the hour setting up the premise. But CBS has had so much success with procedural crime dramas, don't discount the possibility that this one could turn into the latest in a long line of hits.

You’ve seen it all before on Limitless.

Looks like a standard procedural, but McDorman is adorable.

Even though its pilot is zippy and action-oriented, everything here feels like a very competent retread.

The superhero aspects can be fun to watch, but they don't make a lot of sense.

As with “Minority Report,” you don’t need to be a pre-cog to predict that Limitless will continue to fill up the middle with lots of middling material.

Your belief will be strained, but at least for 25 minutes, Limitless is a mindless hoot.... 30-plus minutes into the pilot, Bradley Cooper shows up as Eddie Morra and his scene saps the pilot of all forward motion.

While Limitless is competently executed, what it lacks, finally, is any spark of inspiration. And alas, there’s no pill for that.

Limitless is the more preposterous of the two shows ["Rosewood" is the other show], but despite its shaky premise, ends up being just a scosh more engaging.

Like many CBS dramas, Limitless is made with aggressive competence.... But there’s a depressing lack of originality to Limitless, which quickly positions itself as a dull cop show despite its wackier sci-fi origins.

It’s just not fun.

In the end, it's up to the star to sell the gimmick in a show like Limitless, and so far, McDorman would not seem to be ready for the task. There are too many scenes where one can't quite tell what Brian is supposed to be thinking or feeling, and too few scenes where one manages to care.