French director Luc Besson is famous for bringing fantastical and stylized action films to the screen, most notably in titles like The Fifth Element, Leon and La Femme Nikita. His latest, Lucy, shares several commonalities with those earlier movies (Nikita in particular). It’s an admirable attempt that certainly entertains but doesn’t quite reach the highs of his best work.
Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a woman who finds herself caught up in a drug deal after partying with the wrong guy. She’s soon kidnapped by a mob figure (Min-sik Choi) who has surgery performed on her. Upon awaking, the protagonist learns that a baggie full of a powerful new drug has been hidden in her stomach. When the bag leaks and the contents enter her system, Lucy finds her brain developing at an alarming rate and her intelligence multiplied several times beyond that of a normal human. Overwhelmed with new understandings of the universe, she decides to contact brain specialist Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) and pass on the knowledge she’s acquired. However, the drug lord behind this development is desperate to retrieve his product.
This high energy movie starts with phenomenal opening act as Lucy finds herself in a volatile and terrifying situation beyond her understanding and control. It’s tense, exciting and features gorgeous visuals and some fun editing tricks. Besson amusingly cuts between his protagonist and a lecture by Professor Norman. The speech uses visual aids from nature that mirror her predicament as well as help illustrate the story’s themes. It keeps the first 30 minutes humming along at dynamic pace.
There are also some fun moments as Lucy begins to gain abilities. However, as her mental power expands, the thrills begins to subside. Admittedly, there are striking images throughout (including signals from cell phones shooting up through the city and wild action that includes a car hurtling the wrong way through the streets of Paris). However, the level of palpable tension quickly subsides. Frankly, the character gains too much power too fast. It isn’t far into the second act before she’s past 20% of human brain capacity.
Since much of the movie’s plot and action revolves around a group of armed hit men attempting to assassinate her and retrieve their supply, Lucy’s intelligence, icy personality and seemingly invincible abilities counteract the well established tension. Initially, it’s entertaining to see Lucy emboldened and taking down foes. Yet after all emotion is drained from the character and she develops telekinetic abilities that can incapacitate anyone without even lifting a finger, the threat disappears and the level of suspense and excitement evaporate.
A French police detective (Amr Waked) is introduced to maintain a human element to the story, but he isn’t developed enough to give us a character to relate with. He spends his limited amount of time in the movie with his jaw agape and little to do. By the time of the gonzo finale that involve time travel and a trip to the beginning and end of the universe, the incredible visuals are the only thing keeping us engaged.
Ultimately, this is pretty silly stuff. It moves like a bullet and is certainly enjoyable as a hyper-kinetic, far-out, visual trip. Still, by the end any vested interest in the characters is lost and it becomes difficult to connect with the story. It’s a strange film that evokes little reaction as the credits roll. For the beautiful images and sheer brazen bizarreness of it all, Lucy is worth a mild recommendation. But in the end, it still feels like a missed opportunity.