Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

nixskits After the mid-80's debacle behind "The Two Jakes", film lovers wondered if we'd ever get another Towne lensed character study. Of course he'd keep writing, his reputation secure as the industry's most reliable script doctor. But would he put another director's credit on his resume?A decade after "Tequila Sunrise", he delivered this visceral exploration of an athlete's will to keep going, if only against his own standards when hustling through a daily ten mile exercise. The late Steve Prefontaine wasn't the world's most famous track star other icons have since become with the slick marketing machine of today. But the legacy he left is untouchable.Billy Crudup proves himself to be the ideal actor for this all out, all the time runner. And Donald Sutherland is quietly powerful as Bill Bowerman, the coach who's always got the right idea and motivation to help his star get the edge on fellow racers. (The script was co-written by Kenny Moore, portrayed by Billy Burke.) The most poignant scenes of this flame thrower of a man involve him pushing the boundaries one assumes mortals can't surpass. Steve literally runs till he bleeds! And perhaps most amazingly, slowed when in the trap of human gridlock and not fully able to go to the limit, Steve still placed fourth in the 1972 Munich Olympic's 5k race (clocking his last of three miles in that particular metric event at an astonishing 4:04 minutes). He died before being able to get another crack at the world's televised stage in Montreal for the 1976 summer games. One can only guess at the future this unique talent still had ahead. In a striking comparison, one could say Steve was to track what Bobby Orr was to hockey or Willie Mays to baseball. Or, Robert Towne to storytelling.

Travis_Bickle01 Good sports drama about the life of runner Steve Prefontaine with Billy Crudup in the leading role. Crudup ("Almost Famous", "Sleepers",...) gives an excellent performance as usual. Donald Sutherland, who plays Prefontaine's coach is also very enjoyable. We also see Monica Potter ("Con Air", "Along came a spider"). A year earlier, in 1997 there was also a movie about Steve Prefontaine, called "Prefontaine" with Jared Leto ("Requiem for a Dream") in the leading role, but I can't compare both movies because I haven't seen "Prefontaine"."Without Limits" is nothing extraordinary but it is very enjoyable. It isn't about Prefontaine's whole life, it focuses on the period of his career as a runner. The actors give also very nice performances. You should certainly see this movie when it's on TV, he definitely worth it.8/10

bsinc This is definitely one of the best sports movies ever made as well as one of the most unnoticed movies of 1998. Strange really, because "Without Limits" is an amazing story about Steve Prefontaine. I didn't know it was a biographical movie up until it showed the Olympics. So when I realized that the main character really ran like the wind and had no physical obstacles he couldn't overcome I instantly became an admirer of Steve Prefontaine.Billy Crudup, who truly stole every scene "even" in "Almost Famous" is brilliant as Steve Prefontaine. His amazing transformation into the role of America's fastest runner was absolutely amazing, and I had no idea who the actor was, I only vaguely remembered his name. Donald Sutherland delivers his performance of the decade and the very beautiful Monica Potter does a great job as well.The subtle manner in which the director chose to display Pre's life is admirable and very touching. He truly was a role model. He's a role model to me now, more than 30 years later. When he was explaining his running logic to his coach I really understood his look on life. He wasn't planning on being disappointed, he went the distance.There's one more thing this movie deserves immense credit for. It made me want to run. AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT!!!!!!! A brilliant movie that made me think about my life. 8/10

shark-43 Billy Crudup totally loses himself in the lead role and Sutherland does some of his best work as Coach Bowerman. I can see why many in the public stayed away from the film itself - not too many moviegoers are interested in track & field, let alone track & field in the 1970's. I always knew who Prefontaine was because I ran track and cross country in high school in the late 1970's and remember hearing of his untimely death. The film is done in a very straight forward kind of way and that's why I like it. It doesnt waste too much time with side stories or sub plots. One HAS to have a love story and many of the elements of the romance are some of the weakest moments but what can one do? You have to take SOME of the studios notes (besides - even though I think the actress playing the lead is beautiful, I have seen her in other films and I find her work very one-dimensional). But Crudup is amazing as the obsessed runner and the scenes of the actual races are stunningly photographed and edited. Well done.