Fun & fast paced but lacking heart

Rating: 6/10 (28 July 2014)

As the title of this review suggests this is a fun and fast paced flick. I had a good time watching it and time moved fairly quickly while I was watching it, I wouldn't have minded it being longer. The meat of the plot starts off fairly quickly and chugs along at a steady pace throughout the movie.
The idea behind this movie is powerful. The idea of someone unlocking the ability to control the 90% of our minds that we don't consciously use is fascinating and the speculation here is fun.
There are a lot of good action sequences and fun effects that enhance the story as well.
However, as the title of this review suggests, the film does lack heart. There are some moments that hint at heart, they hint at linking the characters in the movie with the audience and making the audience sympathetic. But these are only hints. Even though I was engaged in the story and along for the ride to see where it lead me, I never felt emotionally invested and I never felt connected to the plight of the character Lucy or any of the people she met. The most emotional character in the film was the big baddie Mr. Jang with Professor Norman coming in a close second. Given that these characters are played by Min-sik Choi and Morgan Freeman respectively, that wont be a big surprise. Some could argue that since Lucy was meant to be surpassing "humanity" that her emotionlessness could be excused, they forget that some of the great characters in film who inspired emotional response and engagement have not always been "human" (I leave it to you to think of them).
One last gripe from me - the plot was fun but there was a sense that Lucy's success and evolution was inevitable from the beginning. At no point after she gained her powers did she meet an adversary she could not best or a situation she could not overcome. I never felt that there was much at stake. So while I had fun watching this the plot was a little flat from beginning to end, couple that with the not so great character development and the emotionlessness of the story and well, it just fell short.
At the end of the day my review comes down to the fact that the characters could have been fleshed out more, their plights could have been more engaging, and the plot would have benefited from some emotion and conflict.
BUT it was new and interesting enough and fun enough that I had a good time watching it.