Review: Lucy

Director - Luc Besson

Starring - Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-Sik

Luc Besson has always had the ability to write fascinating female characters. From Nikita to Mathilda (Leon), he has a way of getting the most from his leading ladies. And now he has returned with his latest female led offering, Lucy.

Lucy is a simple tale with a complex script and stunning visuals.Scarlett Johansson plays the titular young lady who unwittingly becomes a drug mule for a shady and vicious Korean businessman (Oldboy's Choi Min-Sik). When she is beaten by thugs, the bag of drugs she is carrying inside her bursts and the substance leaks into her system resulting in her being able to access more than ten percent of her brain. As her physical and mental abilities increase she needs help in the form of Morgan Freeman's Professor Norman.

In my opinion the trailers have been mis-leading. I was expecting an action film with Scarlett Johansson using the arse kicking skills she utilised as Black Widow. However viewers hoping to witness Ms Johansson fight an army of Korean gangsters will be disappointed. This is pure science fiction. I'm not saying it's a bad film, it's just not the film that people may have been led to believe it was.

The cast is solid; Johansson is stunning as always as she continues to star in films that are quite different to her recent Marvel stint. She is convincing as a terrified young woman who starts to morph into an all knowing being.
Morgan Freeman is like your favourite grandad; he never disappoints. Here he puts in another comfortable performance as he serves as a narrator for the film's more complex points.

The film promises so much but it never quite fulfils its potential.The plot is interesting enough even if the whole idea of only using ten percent of our brain has already been debunked as a myth. For the less science minded among us, it won't ruin the enjoyment of the movie.

Without giving away the ending, I walked away from the cinema feeling a little deflated. Sure, the film was entertaining and with a run time of 89 minutes, it didn't outstay its welcome. However, as the credits rolled there felt like something was still missing.

Lucy is one of those films that will have people talking in the pubs and restaurants well after it has ended. If that is a big plus when choosing a film then this is definitely for you. On the other hand, if you are more of a 'wham, bam, thank you mam' type of viewer, you may want to avoid (but make sure you give it a go on Blu-ray/DVD/Netflix/etc...).