In spite of what you may have read, director Luc Besson’s “Lucy,” is not a bad film.
It’s not an intellectual thriller along the lines of “Inception,” and it probably won’t win any Oscars, but it’s still a compelling story.
Lucy (Scarlett Johnsson) is studying abroad in Taiwan when she gets kidnapped and forced to be a drug mule for a new synthetic drug called CPH4. When she is accidentally infected by the drug, she finds herself with an increased mental capacity, and the ability to take down the drug lords who got her into this mess.
While a lot of the talk about this movie has centered around its incorrect brain facts (it turns out we do use more than 10 percent of our brain), it really does not detract from the story. When watching a film of this nature (or most films) you require a certain suspension of disbelief, so the numbers being off really isn’t a problem.
At its heart “Lucy” isn’t really about the brain, anyways. It’s an attempt at a feminist, female empowering twist on the traditionally male action genre. Although I’m not sure it quite gets there.
While Scarlett Johansson gives a fantastic and empowering performance, the fact is she’s the only woman in the film, aside from a brief appearance by her roommate.
In spite of that oversight, it still is a good film. Although, if you’re not a Scarlett Johansson fan, you’re probably okay waiting until it comes out on DVD.
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…just for fun:
