Feature | Lights, Camera, Action! – Lucy (Movie Review)

Lucy (UK Rating: 15)

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself embroiled in a drugs deal, courtesy of her dodgy new boyfriend, and she is forced into becoming a mule by the gang. A package of blue crystals is inserted into her stomach, but when she's beaten up in prison, the bag bursts and a large quantity of the drug is released into her system. The result is that she starts to use increasingly large amounts of her brain's capacity - until she hits 100%.

Her primary aim is to take revenge on the gang that got her hooked on the crystals in the first place, so her rapidly expanding powers are a definite advantage. Therefore, as a piece of revenge action, it's a straightforward enough film, yet Lucy has other aspirations. It aims to be something closer to sci-fi, which is where all the stuff about brain capacity comes in. According to the film and its posters, most people only ever use about 10% of their brain's capacity - a neat premise, but one that's already well known as being more of an urban myth than a piece of science. Suspension of disbelief is an absolute must for anybody wanting to get more than just entertainment out of this one.

Director Besson aims to give the theory more credibility through the character of Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), the only person on the planet who understands what's actually happening to Lucy. From the audience's point of view, it means there's somebody who can explain the stages she goes through as she begins to use increasingly more of her brain.

What keeps everything going is Johansson herself and the film relies heavily on her on-screen presence and charm to move it along. She gives a thorough, workmanlike performance, initially feisty and then scared but, once fuelled by the drugs, robotic, assertive, and totally fearless. It's certainly refreshing to see a woman at the centre of the action, although this isn't quite as action-packed as some of this summer's other offerings.

Luc Besson does, however, manage to keep everything on a tight rein, so that Lucy comes in at around the 90 minute mark and, in truth, it doesn't amount to more than that.

6/10

Good

Lucy is a good looking film. That's not just because of its leading lady: the drug-fuelled, brain-boosting special effects are attractive and colourful. Sadly, though, it really is all about looks, and there's little in the way of substance underneath. Fans of Scarlett Johansson will, no doubt, love it. Sci-fi fans will have more reservations, and why it was such a box office hit in the USA is destined to remain a mystery.