Lucy [2014] is the science fiction blockbuster which follows protagonist and leading heroine Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) in a fast-paced ride to gain vengeance, drugs, and self-actualization. Directed and written by Luc Besson (director of The Fifth Element), Lucy delivers drug-fueled driving chases, visually breathtaking SFX and metaphorically significant stock footage.
We meet Lucy, with a series of quick cuts of her partying. Lucy converses with her cowboy-hat wearing friend Richard, after a long night out on the town. He’s bad news. Outside a business building, they chat about nonsense. Richard states he needs Lucy’s help to deliver an important briefcase to Mr. Jang (conveniently, he’s waiting inside that same building). ScarJo declines this task for the comforting embrace of her bed. Out of the blue, scummy Richard pulls out cuff-links and attaches her to the briefcase. Then all hell breaks loose.
Superhuman abilities. Lucy becomes smarter, stronger and more bad-ass as she reaches her brains 100% capacity. You’ll need to disregard science altogether and get comfortable with fiction. The premise of humans having usage of only 10% of the brain's capacity is a (popularly?) debunked myth for a while now.
Special FX. It's the meat and potatoes of the entire experience. Watch it for the effects and do so on a mammoth screen. The visual effects crew earned their paychecks for this project, that’s for sure.
It’s a jambalaya of sorts. Get a pot and just add a bunch of movie ideas and motifs. Obviously, comparisons that come to mind are Limitless (2011) and slight resemblance to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Okay, so that’s a minus, but it’s all been done before anyway.
Overacting. Morgan Freeman’s peer conference had a bunch of extras hamming up their minuscule parts. Keep an eye out for one of the professors in the audience nodding profusely and embodying an overenthusiastic portrayal of what a professor is supposed to act like.
Don’t get bogged down in the particulars of the story and enjoy the visual feast.
Watch Lucy via Amazon
