In a wave of sequels, prequels, and reboots that Hollywood constantly uses to flood the cinema halls with, it's quite pleasant to find other movies that offer an original story and are not just recycled material. Limitless is one of these movies. It is based on the novel The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn. Bradley Cooper and Robert de Niro (playing in a supporting role) are the 2 biggest names in this clever thriller that excites and thrills its audience until the credits roll.

In the USA, the theatrical version was rated PG-13 (for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language) by the MPAA. For the home cinema release the US audience is able to buy a DVD and a Blu-ray that both include the theatrical version as well as an "Unrated Extended Cut". Mostly, you can expect rather senseless extensions - not so for Limitless, the Unrated version is absolutely recommendable. You get to see that the movie actually had to be shortened in order to receive the PG-13 rating (you will notice the typical altered dialogues, framecuts or alternative footage). Otherwise, the Unrated version (which not at all makes the movie a bloodbath) would probably have received an R-Rating. It can be doubted that the movie then would've been as successful as it was in its shortened version (US box-office gross: approx. 80 mio, international box-office gross: approx. 155 mio.).

Director Neil Burger's statement underlines this assumption:

Well, there’s an extended cut that I’m very excited about people getting to see. The movie was intended to be an R, and then it was cut down to be PG-13, which is fine. I really liked the PG-13 version, but I love the R version. It’s much crazier, wilder, more extreme. There’s just some insane things in there, that aren’t in the PG-13 version. It’s much racier, also.

Comparison between the theatrical version (PG-13) and the Unrated Extended Cut (both included on the US DVD released by 20th Century Fox).


27 alterations:

11 scenes with censored violence
5 scenes with censored dialogues
5 scenes with alternative footage
3 additional scenes
2 extended scenes
1 extended scene in the theatrical version


The Unrated Extended Cut is 57.44 seconds longer than the theatrical version.

Alternative Footage
0:04:57: In the theatrical version Eddie just lazes about the couch. In the unrated version he eats a pizza and watches a Bruce Lee movie on TV.
3.96 Sec.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Alternative Footage
0:28:08: During the short sex scene between Eddie and the girl in the night club, the theatrical version's image section is slightly zoomed and cuts to the next scene as soon as the panties fall off her foot. The unrated version goes on a little longer.
Unrated 0.96 Sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Dialogue
0:31:58: The PG-13 censorship continues during the dialogues. Gennady in the unrated version says a "bad word". In the theatrical version the dialogue lacks this word, thus they used alternate takes for each version (which is the main reason for the difference in time).

Theatrical Version: "Because I don't see you before and I don't like you already."
Unrated: "Because I don't see you before and I don't fucking like you already."
Unrated 0.76 Sec. longer

Additional Scene
0:36:11: A short scene where Eddie and Lindy have sex is only included in the unrated version.
4 Sec.

Alternative Footage
0:43:57: This alteration at the same time is also a re-cut. During the "fast forwad"-like image-sequence of the different places which Eddie heads for you also see a subway station. In the theatrical version is interrupted at this point and he gets into a brawl with a few broody guys. Then his marathon continues. In the unrated version, the subway station at first is just a place like all the others; only after having sex with the blonde girl he gets into the brawl. This is why there's a small alteration when the movie zooms through the subway station. In the theatrical version you at the end of the zoom see Eddie and the hoodlums barging against each other (so you see Eddie a little earlier). In the unrated version you instead see an unidentifiable man.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Additional Scene
0:43:57: Because of this alteration, the unrated version thus continues uninterrupted. The zoom to the nightclub are completely new.
7.2 Sec.

Extended Scene
0:44:56: In the theatrical version you can only guess that Eddie had sex with the blonde girl. In the unrated version she sits on him (topless) and you can see his quite surprised facial expression because of these events.
8.6 Sec.

Extended Scene in the Theatrical Version
KF: 0:43:52: During the encounter with the belligerent guys the theatrical version include a (not really important) additional shot.
+ 2.36 Sec.

Alternative Footage
0:45:15: During a flashback that shows Eddie getting some useful information on how to fight the theatrical version shows him as a kid when he first saw the Bruce Lee movie. The unrated version is connected to one of the previous alterations so you see him lying on the couch, eating pizza, and watching the movie.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Alternative Footage
0:46:00: When Eddie gets up after the fight, one of the versions war mirrored.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Violence
1:02:39: In the theatrical version you don't see the knife entering the man's body (not bloody).
0.44 Sec.

Censored Violence
1:02:42: When the knife is pulled back out, both versions show some blood, however, the theatrical version shows less blood than the unrated version.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Violence
1:02:46: Again, the theatrical version used more harmless material and additionally is a little shorter. In the unrated version you see the first stab and also how the killer repeatedly stabs the second man's lower bory.
1.36 Sec.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Additional Scene
1:08:20: Lindy also crosses the street.
7.04 Sec.

Extended Scene
1:08:30: The camera continues to follow Lindy when she walks past Gennady. The theatrical version starts when Lindy is no longer in the shot. After this shot you see Eddie looking out of the window. In the unreated version this was shown in between the two shots of Lindy.
6.36 Sec.

Censored Dialogue
1:09:29: Another censored dialogue in the Theatrical Version; this time it's a sentence spoken by Carl Van Loon who drops the F-Bomb. Again, both versions use different takes and the following shot of Eddie agreeing is different as well.

Theatrical Version: "You don't get sick. You're playing at this level, you get hit by a car, you don't even die."
Unrated: "You don't get sick. You're playing at this level you get hit by a fucking car, you don't even die."
Unrated 0.44 Sec. longer

Censored Dialogue
1:16:21: Van Loon's co-partner is not really fond of Eddie and underlines it by dropping an F-Bomb. In the theatrical version, they simply deleted this obscene word from the soundtrack (which you can actually hear if you listen closely).

Theatrical Version: "You don't remind me. Who are you anyway?"
Unrated: "You don't remind me. Who the fuck are you, anyway?"
No difference in time.

Censored Violence
1:21:11: The shot of the severed hands inside the box is longer in the unrated version.
1.28 Sec.

Censored Dialogue
1:21:12: Meanwhile, Carl is quite angry because the big deal began to totter. In the Unrated version he vents his displeasure by using a swear word. In the theatrical version this word was not included.

Theatrical Version: "Right now I wanna know why this deal is dead in the water!"
Unrated: "Right now I wanna know why this clusterfuck of a deal is dead in the water!"
Unrated 0.2 Sec. longer

Censored Violence
1:27:05: A few missing frames of the knife being stabbed in Gennady's lower body. In the theatrical verison you instead see Gennady bending forward in pain a little longer.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Violence
1:27:09: Again, the theatrical version uses alternative footage. In the unrated version you can clearly see the knife sticking in Gennady, while the theatrical version is a little less detailed.
Unrated 0.72 Sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Violence
1:27:13: The unrated version during this shot is clearly more brutal. You see the knife more clearly sticking in Gennady's bloody wound. The theatrical version doesn't include this explicit shot. Additionally, Eddie appears to be a little more "mechanic" than in the theatrical version (which you can tell from his facial expression).
The brawl in general is longer in the unrated version.
Unrated 3.08 Sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Dialogue
1:27:47: Another censored dialogue (this time the censorship was actually done quite inventive).

Theatrical Version: "Only NZT could help me and the last of it was in this thug's bloodstream."
Unrated: "Only NZT could help me and the last of it was in this fuck's bloodstream."
No difference in time.

Censored Violence
1:27:50: Gennady bleeds dry a little longer in the unrated version.
2.72 Sec.

Censored Violence
1:27:55: Eddie's vampire-like act is shown in both versions, however, the unrated version includes more blood. Also, the whole scene is longer in the unrated version.
Unrated 8.08 Sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Unrated Extended Cut

Censored Violence
1:28:39: Eddie's little gag to make a little welcome greeting for his guards out of the severed hands is shown longer in the unrated version.
2.4 Sec.

Censored Violence
1:29:16: Only the unrated versio shows a close-up shot of the needle inside Gennady's acolyte's eye.
Unrated 0.2 Sec. longer