East June 10th Two major commitments to Spanish series are released, with the coincidence that each of them has one of the protagonists of ‘Money Heist’. In ‘Intimacy’, which you can see on Netflix, everything revolves around the leaking of a sexual video of the character played by Itziar Itunowhile in ‘No limits’, which comes to us through Amazon Prime Video, Alvaro Morte gets into the skin of the legendary sailor Juan Sebastian Elcano.
Starting from an incredible true story, ‘Limitless’ tells the story of the first voyage around the world. An expedition financed by the Spanish crown with the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellanhere with the face of Rodrigo Santoro, at the front that would extend over three years and was not exempt from countless problems, even caused by alleged allies. The result is an agile series that pays a lot of attention to historical rigor, but in which the characters played by Morte and Santoro stand out above all else. Precisely the most important change is to favor that both share more scenes.
with the wind in favor
It could be said that ‘No Limits’ is the story of a dream and all the complications to make it come true, since 700 years ago humanity did not have the same knowledge as now. Perhaps to describe the description made in the first episode of Magellan as enlightened is an exaggeration, but it does go along that line, also relying on an enviable determination to do whatever it takes to fulfill his vision.
That also leads to the first episode is possibly the least stimulating of all those that I have been able to see so far, both because of the need to deal with more characters whose transcendence ends up being quite scarce and because what the viewer is wanting to see is that maritime odyssey to reach what was known at that time like the south sea.
What the series does well in that first episode is to introduce the characters of Magellan and Morte, but also differentiating them, with the first being more serene and stubborn in his ideas, with the second being more resolute, but also unquestionably rebellious. All in all, it is a pity that the latter is diluted when he has to go to sea and respect the command ladder, but at least from the outset it has been made clear that they are characters with different points of view.
That said, the expedition starts in the second episode and the series shows incredible agility so that everything flows and the viewer has it easier, either simply to have an entertaining time or to connect with the ups and downs of the journey. It also helps that the episodes are shorter than usual, regularly going under 40 minutes, which motivates me to keep going until I see the six chapters that make up ‘No Limits’.
Also, the setting work is quite successful. It can often be seen when something has been shot in a studio – the fact that the press would receive screeners with many unfinished effects already removed any doubt about it – and when a greater effort has been made, but the result is satisfactory in terms of immersion. The only major drawback is that the exhaustion, dirt and apathy resulting from spending so much time on the high seas may not be fully reflected.
Ambitious within its budget limits
That may be the result of ‘No Limits’ seeking a certain neatness at all levelsfrom the fact of not getting into trouble when judging how their characters act to not delving much into the most uncomfortable situations -there they were governed by the rules of the time- to that deterioration of the situation.
In exchange for note the important budgetary effort -there is talk of a total cost of 20 million euros-, with the British director simon west (‘Con Air)’, knowing how to give the necessary epicness to the moments in which he bets on it. Of course, do not expect something here that would easily require multiplying the investment by ten, but within the margins in which it moves resolved in the most satisfactory way.
It is also noted that this is going to get more as the episodes go by, both inside the ships and in the problems that occur outside them, but even then Morte and Santoro also have much more weight than the rest of the characters, where one tends to resort to one or two traits and little else. The same does not happen with them, and it shows.
Not that the two actors give great performances, but they do know how to adjust well to what both their characters and the series itself requires of them. That’s where she could have sunk ‘No limits’, but Montoro and Morte keep her afloat and in the right direction. And those moments of greater intimacy between the two, whether they are friendly talks or attempts at confrontation, help to give a little more depth to a series that does not seem to have any special interest at this point either.
In short
‘No Limits’ is not going to be the definitive version of the historic first trip around the world, but it is an approach that is accessible and stimulating enough both to have a good time and to arouse greater curiosity about it. It is agile, well resolved and with two protagonists who manage to keep the pulse.