Lucy - Review

A party-going American (Scarlett Johansson) residing in Taipei unexpectedly becomes a drug mule for a Korean kingpin (Choi Min-sik). She is to transport a brand new synthetic drug called CPH4, a powdered substance crafted from the same chemicals given to developing fetuses. One kick to the gut later, the packet is ripped open and inexplicably transforms her into a living super-computer, able to fully access superpowers that humans are capable of, or at least what writer-director Luc Besson thinks look cool on screen. Considering this is a movie where a person uses more than 10% of their mental capabilities, which for the record is a total crock, Lucy is somehow not smart enough to put a bullet in the antagonist's head before embarking on her global adventure. She's given a prime opportunity to do it but is forced to walk away by Besson, simply so conflict can remain in the proceedings and more police and innocent bystanders can be be viciously murdered. But Lucy herself isn't a complete saint either: In one chase scene, she causes an untold amount of casualties, as she weaves and bobs through Paris traffic willy-nilly. In other words, LUCY is the female version of MAN OF STEEL. Moral questions aside, the picture does keep moving forward thanks to Johansson's performance. She can easily draw pity in the opening scenes, while also breaking out the energetic side of her acting talent, a side that is sadly not utilized nowadays. Once she has the ability to do things like spot medical defects and read cellphone signals on windshields, Johansson perfectly becomes a dangerous humanoid, bent on collecting more drug fuel and information. Still, Johansson can't save every frame, especially when Besson implements questionable artistry like Family Guy-like cutaways, all before ending the picture with a lame, film student-level recreation of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. LUCY isn't totally worthy enough to be accessed but at least we get some brain candy, such as the rare sight of a useless male hanger-on to a female action hero.



FINAL REVIEW: 2 / 5