Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Sports Films
Review: Hollywood has never done sports well. Their movies are usually either cloying, cliched kid flicks or sappy melodramas. "Without Limits" is neither of these. It's a fascinating, exhilarating look at a running legend.Billy Crudup was superb as "Pre". Cool, cocky, with a running style that sent shivers through me. Donald Sutherland gives another first-rate performance as coach Bowerman. Compared to R. Lee Ermey's portrayal in the lesser movie "Prefontaine", watching Sutherland work was like eating filet mignon after beef jerky. The highlight of the film for me was the '72 Munich race. Pure sustained tension. I've seen the film 4 times, I know the outcome, but I nevertheless hop out of my chair every time I see Pre/Crudup break from the pack. Excellent, too, how they deftly spliced in the actual footage. Only two criticisms: the romance was hokey, and there was too much unnecessary fiction woven in (Pre gashed his foot running around a swimming pool, not while having sex upside down, for crying out loud). But because of this movie, I learned that Pre wasn't just a flashy jock who died young. He was a true working class hero in a sport where there weren't many. He had his own running code, which he also applied in life: run all-out, ahead of the pack, all the time. As a runner, "Without Limits" actually inspired me to actually chop seconds off my running times, which is not a bad testament. But I don't think one has to be a runner to like this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Take two, a little smoother
Review: I give this movie four stars for general moviegoers, most of whom did not bother to see either this version or the earlier "Prefontaine" the first time in theaters -- probably for reasons sufficient to them. People who run long distance, who love Steve Prefontaine and/or what he stood for, are throwing stars at both of these movies for those reasons, I suspect, not for the movies as artifacts in themselves. Since I attended Prefontaine's high school a number of years later, I met him my first week of school, I ran long distance and even posted faster two-mile times then Pre as a freshman and sophomore, and I was in the Marshfield stadium when his running colleagues carried the coffin onto the field for a memorial service before the body was taken to its final resting place south of town, I fight to retain some objectivity myself. "Without Limits" is coach Bill Bowerman's, fellow runner Kenny Moore's, and a particular Pre girlfriend's version of the story, gussied up by screenwriter Robert Towne. Towne has done incredible work in the past ("Chinatown," for instance), but I thought his other Eugene, Oregon/distance running story, "Personal Best," stunk. This one is better. Crudup does a good job of playing Pre; I think "Prefontaine"'s Leto barely edges him for looks. "Without Limits" does a slicker, big screen presentation compared to the earlier film's home movie/documentary style, which is why I think it might appeal more to the average moviegoer who doesn't know anything about Pre or doesn't care about distance running. They're just different approaches to the same basic story ... and probably equally wrong in many of the details. (Prefontaine's parents were in on the earlier film, and supplied the makers with actual home movie footage of Pre as a child.) I'm delighted that any film got made about this man, let alone two; I'm gratified if either movie has served to inspire younger runners; but I think it's ridiculous to argue that one or the other "really" captures the man. Just enjoy them for what they are, and cherish the memory of an incredible athlete.
Rating: 
Summary: Without Limits
Review: This is a must-have movie for all middle and long-distance runners. It's history of a legend that every runner should know about. Absolutely and sublimely awe-inspiring.
After the ordinary person has seen this film it WILL make then want to go out and and start running!
And after a runner has seen this movie they will want to be like 'Pre' and win the Olympics!!!
It also shows us the origins of the sports brand Nike and the superb knowledge and class of a legendary coach in Bill Bowerman. BUY IT!
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE GREATEST MOVIES EVER
Review: I think that is the greatest movies ever the actor looks almost the same as Pre i would have never became such a big Pre fan as i am now i watch this movie before all of my running races and it really motvates me to do my best and because of this movie i ran my hardest and my team on the Championship and i got fourth nothing compared to Pre but it is a start i have to say he is my biggest role model and I give this movies millions of thumbs up Sean McClory
#1 Steve Prefontaine fan
Rating:
Summary: A great movie and must for anyone who has ever run
Review: First let me say that I am tired of the entire "Without Limits" vs. "Prefontaine" debate. In my book, these are both complimentary verses of the same song. I personally enjoyed Without Limits much more; when I need to feel inspired, it is the movie that I put in the VCR. "Prefontaine" covers his life in a little more detail and is more factually accurate. For example, "Prefontaine" does a better job with the 1972 Olympics by showing what happened to Lasse Viren in the 10,000 before his race (the 5,000) with Pre, showing what the play by play analysts had to say before the race, etc. Prefontaine is a good movie. But Without Limits is a great movie. The performances in the movie flat out kick; not only Crudup (as Pre) and Sutherland (as Bill Bowerman), but even some of the more minor parts like Coach Bill Dellinger's ("everyone is offering this kid to make the move" from a phone booth in the rain) are done to perfection. The running sequences are outstanding. Rent it...buy it...find it on cable, but see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Stupendous movie, uninspired DVD
Review: "Without Limits" does indeed go beyond a typical sports movie by being both an inspirational story and a character study. All of the acting is superb, especially Crudup and Sutherland. The scene in which Pre blatantly ignores Bowerman's mandate to sit back during most of the race and let the front runner wear himself out is especially good. It's funny, revealing of both characters, and just has that right level of inspiration (you can ignore the rules and win out of sheer guts) without being sappy. I've seen "Prefontaine," the other movie about Pre's life, and I can't say that I was impressed. Some reviewers claim that it is more factual. Perhaps that is the case, but "Prefontaine" is not a well made movie. It also takes on extra baggage that distracts from the story. For example, in one scene they show Pre making snide comments about anti-war protesters. Was Pre a hawk? Did he ever express an opinion about war? I have no idea. But as a college athlete it would have been exceptionally hypocritical to have such an opinion when his status as an athlete allowed him to stay out of the military. "Without LImits" doesn't get bogged down in these unimportant side issues. Instead, it focuses on Pre's fight against the AAU, the governing track and field organization which was so obviously taking advantage of athletes at the time. Prefontaine once said, "Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." That about sums up the spirit of this movie. While the movie is great, the DVD is nothing special. I can't figure out why movie studios make great movies like this and then slap them on a DVD with "extras" that include sub-titles at that's it. If there was ever a DVD that should have had extras this one was it - short documentaries on the real Prefontaine, how the movie was filmed, interviews with people who knew Pre, those who were fans at the time, archival footage. This could have been a stupendous DVD with lots of entertaining, educational and inspirational extras. Maybe they'll release an updated version - because this movie deserves it.
Rating:
Summary: Without Limits vs Prefontaine
Review: It's been a few years since I first saw 'Prefontaine'. I'd seen it several times and I finally saw 'Without Limits' tonight. Prefontaine: Acting
I thought the acting in this movie could have been much better. The principle actors were decent, but it was a long drop off to the secondaries as far as acting talent. I felt Leto was more brash, cocky and arrogant. In comparison to Crudup, it made me feel Pre was this way on many occasions more out of fear or a need to be arrogant, as opposed to true belief in himself. More like a prima donna. Facts
Given that these are movies and not documentaries, I really don't care about the small ones such as how close a race was, etc. But would like to get the truth on the the bigger issues such as personal relationships, how he hurt his foot (there either were witnesses, or there were not), and how directly he was involved in the fight against the AAU. I liked the added details in Munich and his life after Munich, showing his continued successes. These details were great from an informational perspective, but it certainly made the direction seem choppy. Without input from Pre himself, so many aspects of his friendship and love life are skewed by the perspective of the person that is recounting it, and can be questioned in both movies. To observe it is to change it, as they say. I would certainly say if you asked for the story of my uneventful life from 2 different ex-girlfriends, you would probably get 2 completely different stories. Racing
This movie seemed a little shallow in this area. It seemed like all it did to teach the audience about strategy and Pre's abilities was to say, "You are too slow to sprint, so you have to push the pace faster to make the kickers tired". Maybe that is as much detail as the common viewer wants, but I would have liked to have seen more. I thought the race sequences in both films were good. The interviews mixed with tradional story telling might have worked better if the casting had been better. Production quality was not as good as WL. Without Limits - Acting
By FAR the superior movie. Crudup and Sutherland's relationship just felt so much more real. And a million times more mature. You have to question authenticity of course, but their philosophical conflicts truly drive this movie and make the overall product much more mature. Facts
This is not meant to be a documentary, and I can understand having to summarize 3-4 events into 1 event to make an accurate point - whether you are talking about Pre's love life or his races - for the sake of drama or time. I still would have liked to seen at least a few minutes talking about Pre's races after Munich instead of leaving the new viewer to thinking that he only ran 1 meet after Munich, and he died later that night. To me this was a weakness in the film. It left a lot of places where you have to fill in the blanks - such as Bowerman's appointment as Olympic coach, the Pre graduated and was no longer a student, etc. Now that I've seen both films and have a stronger grip on the true facts, skipping these details aren't as big of a deal as they are merely background to what is happening to Pre - as long as you are already aware of them. Racing
In addition to focusing on Pre's relationships, it spent more time on race strategy, introducing other athletes than just Viren, and seemed to engage the sport at a deeper level. As a former competitor, this interested me quite a bit. Prefontaince had more race sequences, but I thought the sound effects in WL were great to create the feel of the race. The tension felt of running in the pack was expertly done, and the acting of Crudup in these sequences was good. I would have liked to see a little more pain on their faces and a little less closed-mouth running. WL did a better job at showing exactly how fast a 63 second quarter is. This movie went out of its way to focus on Pre, Mary, and Bowerman's relationships. This just felt more authentic and mature. I think it is a shame they had to sum up so many of Pre's races - before and after the Olympics - but this was a conscious decision made to embrace Pre's story by showing fewer of his races - which can be felt as redundant in this medium, and humanizing him more. Prefontaine did a great job showing Pre's drive and heart, but I thought WL was more rewarding by showing his struggles with himself and those close to him - which surely must have existed. While both movies showed some sides of Pre that aren't always listed as 'good' characteristics, only in WL did it truly feel like reality. The dialogue in Prefontaine certainly felt more like a Disney movie and combined with delivery, it was all a little contrived. Once again, I felt that Without Limits was more the thinking-man's version of the movie, while Prefontaine did an excellent job with the facts of Pre's racing career and had an emotionally high value throughout the movie. Both raw emotion and embracing a new philosophy can inspire someone, and they both succeed at this. I would probably choose Prefontaine to show to people that do not know Pre's story, but for my own viewing, I would probably watch Without Limits repeatedly to get to the heart of the human story and struggles with philosophy, passion, and desire.
Rating:
Summary: It's not a movie about running nor is it a sports movie
Review: as I have read others reviewers comments. This is a movie about life and the challenges we all face as family members, individuals, students, teachers, and members of society. It's about sacrifice and going the distance. It's about following your own heart in the face of opposition. And perhaps most importantly it's about philosophy. Or more accurately it's about the contrasting philosophies of the films two principals. Bill Bowerman (Donald Sutherland) and Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup). Each wants to win and each is a master at their own particular craft. But the conflict arises out of each one's definition about what winning really is. And there lies the essence of the story. The film is just flat out entertaining. Particularly the olympic race in Munich is perfectly directed with both staged and actual footing in addtion to being paced so well that I as other reviewers have commented watch the race each time on the edge of my seat hoping for an outcome that I know isn't coming. Not to mention the numerous funny one liners in the film. Crudup and Sutherland are outstanding as opposite sides of the same coin. Outstanding!
Rating:
Summary: An Uplifting Running Film with Universal Appeal
Review: I really enjoy this film and, admittedly, probably for a lot of reasons external to the film itself. I am a distance runner from Oregon. Thus, the legend of Pre is alive and kicking from where I am from. I read his biography as a high school runner and admired his dedication and commitment to a sport I was only just being introduced. Moreover, I have been to Eugene many times, run on "the track," and seen the spot of his untimely death. This film is an inspiring film; if you are a runner, you must see it. It will make you want to get up off the couch and go for an easy ten. The acting in this film is better than in "Prefontaine," the other film documenting Pre's life produced a year before this film came out. Donald Sutherland's performance as Bill Bowerman is extremely moving and endearing. His connection with Pre is that of a father to a son. As far as historical accuracy, many will quibble about the details of Pre's life and relationships, but I am not overly concerned by this fact. As in literature, it is not the job of an author to necessarily render everything according to historical accuracy. Rather, he or she must create memorable characters that move and affect us. This film achieves just that. While its interest will definitely appeal to those of the athletic (and, in particular, running) community, I believe that its message has a more universal appeal as well. Pre set out to conquer the world and ended up finally conquering himself and coming to peace with that fact. If you're looking for an uplifting, heartwarming story-you've come to the right place.
Rating: 
Summary: It is worth watching but Prefontaine is the better buy
Review: I have read a great deal about Pre's life and own both Without Limits and Prefontaine. I watch Prefontaine religiously but have only put in Without Limits a few times. The way the story of Pre's life is portrayed gives the viewer a false sense of who Pre really was. Sexual overtones are used way too much and it takes away from the film; they make Bowerman out to be some kind of perv and Pre a kid that had sex with every girl in town when in reality he had the same girlfriend from his early years at Oregon up until his death. This one is worth the rent but don't take it for true fact...for that buy Prefontaine because it sticks much closer to the facts. Without Limits does have better acting but I think that is because Prefontiane formats the movie like it was a documentary with soliloquies of Pre's closest friends and coaches, it gives it almost an independant film feel which I think is the reason why a lot of people down it. Go for Prefontaine instead.
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