Lucy (2014)

Wonderful character development!

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Really like a strong take no prisoners lead and Scarlet Johansen does well in this role to remind us all to kick some ass on a daily basis.

Seen this sci fi gun flick before, remembered it as a ludicrous incredible story. That is true. But if you look at it from another point of view then this movie can still be enjoyable. It sure has got speed, action and suspense.The weakest point however is the impossible ludicrous story. What is the ludicrous story about? Scarlet Johansson becomes a forced drugmule at gunpoint. The drug she carries however accidentally gives her superhuman capibillities, that is the ludicrous part of this story. How ludicrous? Well, she can melt with machines, she can stop bullets, travel through time back to the dinossaurs. Ludicrous enough? Still there is something to be applauded for in this picture and that is it's guts. It dares to try mix a normal gangster movie with vague scifi nonsense. And surprisingly enough I watched it till the end, however bizarre and plain stupid the story was. Normally I really dislike implausible stories, let alone this kind of bizarre time travel story. But somehow director and writer Luc Besson pulled it off. It could have been better though with a more credible story, now it is merely a good action packed scifi B movie.

Violent and unpleasant movie built around two truly stupid ideas : a) the idea that normal humans use but a tiny part of their brain and b) the idea that one can become really, really, really intelligent by taking designer drugs. In fact, taking designer drugs won't simply make you smart : you will be able to levitate, fly, build revolutionary computers, travel through time and space, read minds, render yourself invisible ! It's very reminiscent of the old joke about the little boy asking for tampons as a birthday gift, because with tampons you can do everything you would like to do - go swimming, play tennis, climb mountains, and so on.A small question : have you ever heard of "endocrine disruptors", chemical substances disrupting the hormone system of both animals and humans ? Such disruptors are, or can be, present in all kind of household products and plastics, such as cosmetics, food containers (think meals to be heated or reheated in the microwave), baby toys, packaging, and so on. Studies have linked the presence of such endocrine disruptors to serious threats to human health, including a diminished intelligence in descendants. Even if only part of these fears turn out to be true, then we're facing a health crisis of stupendous scope and gravity, for which thousands and thousands of innocents will be paying the price. And while we're at it : a general lowering of the IQ is precisely the thing that causes the collapse of a civilization. As a result we're talking about an existential threat.Now here's the strange thing : if you go to a major studio and say something like : "I dream of making a big budget blockbuster, with stunning stars, about the link between environmental pollution and human health and about the danger to our children's intelligence" there is every chance of being laughed out of the office. In fact, there is every chance of you being escorted from the premises by security guards. And yet there is money and interest to be found for random nonsense such as "Lucy". Upon reflexion, perhaps this DOES prove that homo sapiens only uses part of his brain...

Unless you are nearly brain dead, you will find this film stimulating. If you are a sci-fi buff like me, even more so. A film like this reminds me of how starved some of us are for films of this sort. This film was brilliantly directed by the French Maestro. Beautifully acted, by Scarlotte Johansson. While the transformation is happening, we see Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) giving a lecture on the capacity of the human brain. He says people generally use only about 10 percent of their brain's capacity. (Yes, it's an urban legend, but you'll enjoy the movie a whole lot more if you ignore that fact and just go with it.) Norman, an authority in this field, has no idea his path will soon cross with Lucy's.Lucy accidentally ingests the drug and her neurons begin firing. Her brain begins to grow ever-more powerful - so powerful that she's able to easily disarm any captor and figure a way out of any situation she's in. She needs someone who understands brain function to help her while a team is hot on the trail to dispense with her. The film moves at such a frantic pace and provides such mind-boggling visuals and fascinating concepts about time and existence that it's impossible not to be entertained. Besson also throws in some brief but exhilarating nature scenes to emphasize Lucy's vulnerability (at first) and then to expound upon what she is learning.Somewhat improbably, it's also an ideal culmination of a sci-fi trilogy Johansson may not have even realized she was making. In Her, Under the Skin and now Lucy, the 29-year-old veteran has not only delivered some of the finest work of her career, she's found a trio of characters in conversation about what it means to be human through the eyes of an outsider, be it artificial intelligence, alien or an accidental superhuman. In fact, it's near impossible to imagine Lucy without Johansson and her perfectly calibrated performance, a crucial component to investing in the story's inherent silliness.The action was a little over the top at times. The Chinese gangsters were perhaps a metaphor for the Chinese Politburo. Perhaps the world's ultimate criminal organization, that will stop at nothing to achieve it's ends. What you'll find here, is a well-crafted science fiction yarn that might make you think more than you bargained for while you enjoy the shoot-ups and vehicle crashes.