Plot: New scientific research is shattering conventional wisdom about the human body and offering fascinating insights into how we can all unlock our body’s superpowers to fight illness, perform better and even reverse the aging process! This science is put to the test by Hemsworth, who, despite being in peak superhero-condition, is on a personal mission to learn how to stay young, healthy, strong, and resilient. Undergoing a series of epic trials and extraordinary challenges in order to understand the limits of the human body, he’ll learn firsthand how we can live better for longer by discovering ways to regenerate damage, maximize strength, build resilience, supercharge memory and confront mortality.
Review: The idea of celebrities using their fame as a platform to further a social agenda is nothing new. In the past, famous folks have used the brand awareness of their face or voice to contribute to political campaigns and documentary films. In recent years, with the increase in streaming platforms necessitating tons of programming of all sorts, actors have been able to pursue pet projects in the form of limited and ongoing series. The latest to join the trend is Chris Hemsworth who headlines the limited National Geographic series Limitless. Centered on the idea of living longer and healthier lives, the series focuses each episode on a particular challenge to your personal well-being and explores how to change negative behavior.
Similar to Will Smith’s National Geographic series Welcome to Earth, Limitless combines scientific research and information coupled with the host navigating a real-world challenge tied to the specific episode’s theme. Where Welcome to Earth found Will Smith traversing some of the most remote and challenging terrains on the planet, Limitless pits Chris Hemsworth against various challenges to mental and physical well-being. Some of the challenges are more intense than others, but all are mined for maximum cinematic value and continue the long-running quality eye candy visuals that National Geographic has become associated with. Limitless also shares a production company with Will Smith’s endeavor and an executive producer with acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky.
Of the six-episode series (five of which were made available for this review), Chris Hemsworth endures experiments, exercises, challenges, and more to explore cutting-edge scientific research into maintaining health into old age. Each episode focuses on a unique aspect of human aging and Hemsworth himself both narrates and participates in the journey. While the Thor actor is in peak physical condition, this series does showcase his own anxieties and limitations that some of us may take for granted. In the first episode, “Stress-Proof”, Hemsworth talks at length about the purpose and goal of the series as well as shows his own vulnerabilities. Partnering with Dr. Modupe Akinola, Hemsworth subjects himself to activities like holding his breath while restrained and many more tests that lead to the concluding challenge involving scaling the highest point of a skyscraper. The tasks are undertaken with maximum security and safety measures, but the high quality of the cinematography gives this series a beautiful and immersive feel.
The episodes feature Hemsworth and his close friends and family, including appearances by his brothers, Liam and Luke, and his wife, Elsa Pataky. The three Hemsworth siblings explore the Arctic in the second episode, “Shock” while Pataky is a key player in the final episode “Acceptance” which takes a cheekier and slightly different approach to the series with a challenge that is less death-defying and more humbling. The episodes also chronicle Chris as he spearfishes off of the Great Barrier Reef and performs a 100-foot rope climb as he prepared for the physical demands of filming Thor: Love and Thunder. Each episode runs for a full hour or longer and showcases at least one medical or scientific expert who partners with Hemsworth to present the episode. Each entry features narration by Chris and interviews with the experts which lend a lot of credibility to the entire series.
There is a lot of indulgence in a series like this but Chris Hemsworth also has an effortless charm about him, similar to how Will Smith carried his docu-series on NatGeo. Hemsworth never pretends to be an expert on the subjects that he is presenting, but he does have first-hand experience in enduring them as much as any living person. To see the MCU’s heroic god character in this light offers a humbling experience that allows the audience to relate to him more as a human being rather than a celebrity on an altar of fame. Still, Limitless is a heavily produced docu-series that is catered to the star and makes sure that it presents him as an authority as much as it puts him in any sort of danger. The stakes never really feel all that dangerous even if what Hemsworth and the crew had to do to film these episodes was completely real.
Limitless definitely has its limits but also puts heavy emphasis on the star power of Chris Hemsworth. If this series had been hosted by anyone else, it likely would not have been nearly as watchable. Hemsworth is as charismatic when acting as he is in “real life” and this series will cement the affection of those who adore him. As a work of documentary, this is a beautifully filmed series that has some solid information behind it, but it is far from an unbiased and balanced work of non-fiction. There is a message in this series and it is a convincing one. Some may argue about the legitimacy of some of the facts presented by the experts here, but even if you fail to agree with what they explain, this is an enjoyable watch that will give everyone a little bit of a boost to take care of themselves and strive to live healthier and longer. For that alone, this series is worth a watch.
Limitless with Chris Hemsworth premieres on November 16th on Disney+.