Smarter, Yet Dumber

Rating: 4/10 (6 February 2015)

The simplest way to put it is this: As Lucy got smarter, the movie itself got dumber.
The beginning of the movie was okay, although it could've done a better job at setting up the backstory of the characters and why they were where they were when they were introduced. Despite that, the first act of the movie wasn't bad and definitely holds your attention.
However, later on in the film (about the time that Lucy finally contacts Professor Norman), it begins to get just plain ridiculous - and not in a good way. For one, the inserted title screens dictating the percentage her brain usage has reached seem completely arbitrary in timing. While the movie's suddenly saying "70%" you may not even be seeing a chance in her abilities. It's just randomly put there to make you think there's been a change, when in reality the progression of her cerebral development is very unclear in the movie. Also, when there are noticeable changes, they don't even seem to have anything to do with the mind. The movie really stretches the boundaries of what the brain controls, and what's just straight using the Force or something.
Finally, the ending of the movie was just awful. The amount of effort put into the story continued to go downhill as the amount of money put into special effects continued to go up. It's hard to even call it a climax - more like a demo reel of special effects than anything. So in summary, as the movie goes on and Lucy gets smarter, the actual story gets dumber. If you're looking for a well thought out sci-fi thriller, this is not the movie. But if you're okay with a subpar storyline in favor of seeing cool special effects, Lucy's still worth a watch.