Dumb action flick tries to be smart. Or smart action flick comes off dumb…I can’t decide which.
I love Morgan Freeman. I could listen to that smooth voice all day. Particularly when he’s lecturing about the human condition – something I find incredibly intriguing, even without his hypnotising tones. Thus, LUCY should have been right up my alley.
Trashy student Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) gets tricked into transporting a new drug. She accidently ingests a heap of said substance, resulting in super brain awesomeness! With increasing access to the furthest reaches of her mind, Lucy unleashes her infinite brainy powers to overthrow the crime lords.
I know it sounds silly…but literally, that’s the story line. Though it’s not all fluff: The film is punctuated by philosophical discussion surrounding human evolution and our ultimate governing purpose. Yep; It’s a mixed bag this one!
The first act succeeds at spoon-feeding the audience with almost comical insert shots of National Geographic style nature footage designed to reflect Johansson’s current plight. While an admirable attempt at juxtaposition, it’s all a little obvious.
This is crosscut with a lecture by Freeman on human brain capacity, offering another hint of what’s to come.
Admittedly, I was far more intrigued by Freeman’s lecture then Lucy’s exploits and was almost irritated when the film cut back to the main action.
That being said, there is certainly entertainment to be had. Everyone dreams of having super powers, and apparently gaining access to 100% of your brain tops them all. Lucy can sure do some cool stuff. There’s also a wicked car chase and some nice gun fights to get the adrenaline going.
Despite the earlier insert shots, come the second act the cinematography is creative and slick.
The performances are also solid considering the little scope they have to play.
There’s a nice little message about passing on learning, and the suggestion that God could essentially be ‘us’ at our full potential….though it also tells us if we take a tonne of drugs we could become really smart…so I suppose we should take anything this flick says with a pinch of salt!
I’m a little perplexed by LUCY. Whilst I admire any attempt at adding intellectual or philosophical flair to an action flick, this film almost seemed dumber for it. I swung between interested, to stupidly entertained, to puzzled and back again. I’m still trying to work out if the film is pure genius or utter tripe.
I guess the fact that I’m debating it gives me my answer. I award it 5 stars.
