Ignorance brings chaos, not knowledge.
Lucy is one of those films that brings about furious reactions, it is after all a science fiction type action thriller. They always divide film fans right from the off. It's a film that to all intents and purposes needs to be viewed just as a cinematic experience, as a piece of popcorn fodder that may try to be something more cerebral, but ultimately is a daft - but hugely fun - piece of film.
Luc Besson writes and directs a film that sees Scarlett Johansson duped into being a drug mule, with the transportation of drugs sewn into her abdomen. It's a new drug, boy is it a new drug, and when things go belly up and the drugs are unleashed into Scarlett's system, she's a threat - or hope - to mankind.
It can be, and has been, called pretentious et al, such is the science factor, which is perfectly understandable, so any hope of tight science fiction musings will only end up in a crushing disappointment. Undeniably Besson and his backers thought they had something to say, to open up the film watchers' minds to something deep and probable, to be relevant and viable. But unlike the makers we the viewers didn't have access to donepezil, so we sadly couldn't all turn into Bradley Cooper and be limitless in our viewing capabilities.
Personally, it's a rollicking fun film for two thirds, when it's about Scarlett kicking butt, a revenge driven babe, it grips and shakes all the genre compliant cinematic senses. The ending, the grand finale, infuriated me, and by the looks of Morgan Freeman (coasting for easy money), he was also a little frustrated. But I had fun, yet on the flip side if anyone fronted me up and said they hated the film with a passion? Then I would understand and take them home to play with my chemistry set. 7/10
A lot of people appears to have gotten into some hate-mode when watching this movie. I guess they did not check up what the movie was really about before watching it. The movie is not perfect, it has its flaws, but a 1 or 2 star bullshit rating is hugely unfair. Personally, I really liked this movie. It is science fiction, pure and simple. If you expect science without the fiction, well then you should go and see some other movie. With Luc Besson both writing and directing and statements like “merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic” in the blurb … well I got pretty much what I expected.
The movie starts off making you think it is a “simple” revenge story with science fiction elements in the form of the superhuman Lucy. However it gradually evolves into something else. Lucy knows that she cannot survive in her new state and it becomes a quest to preserve the knowledge that she has acquired while she still has the time and at the same time dodging the drug dealers that are the cause of her situation in the first place.
Lucy is great. Her powers and how they develop are awesome. I really like surprise effects in movies and books of the kind that you get when someone like Lucy reveals her powers to the “mundane”. Especially when the revealing means swatting a few bad guys. This movie is full of moments like that. It is quite a roller coaster ride of action with Lucy exhibiting her growing powers. Not too surprisingly the movie is also full of scientific bullshit and plot holes. I do not really care. I’m in for the ride and it is a fun ride.
Scarlett Johansson is very good in her role as Lucy. Most of the other actors are ok although the Asian drug boss could have been better. He came out more like a brainless thug than anything else. Certainly not as the mastermind of a criminal organization.
The ending was a bit unsatisfactory compared to the rest of the movie though. I was a bit disappointed that the big fight at the end more or less was done without Lucy. The long cinematic sequences where Lucy wondered about in time and space felt a bit like yawn-filler-material. The actual ending, well that “I am everywhere” bit was really been there, seen that, done that. Also, if she was indeed everywhere, why the hurry to create that fancy memory stick?
Anyway, apart from that I really enjoyed this movie.
