Drugs + Science = Dangerous Intelligence

Rating: 5/10 (9 September 2014)

Luc Besson's new release takes us into a dystopian future where a common young woman (played by Johansson) becomes an extraordinary being due to drugs intake that exploded in her body, hence changing her completely and utterly.
The start of the movie is promising as the viewer expects the theme to be linked to drug mules/ gangsters, and reminds the audience of Maria Full of Grace (2004), although this time there are no huge grapes to swallow but the drugs are actually placed inside the young girls stomach! Technology obliges.
Audiences will rejoice to see Min-sik Choi from acclaimed Oldboy (2003) on screen again as the leader of a Korean drug mafia this time. Johansson plays her usual role (girl next door,a bit simple and lost in space). – Watch out for the broken nail polish throughout the film – One would think that highly intelligent beings would have adjusted that (although it could be something that was overlooked by Luc Besson).
In parallel to this, we have Morgan Freeman (science professor at the university of Paris) explaining how the brain uses a maximum of 20% of its capacity and preparing the audience for what's to come next. His theories reveal that if the brain uses 100% of its capacity one would die but at the same time would be able to read a book in a second and control the elements such as electricity, metal, air, therefore becoming a highly intelligent/supernatural being.
However, the problem of course is that with great power comes great responsibility. The film asks the fundamental questions such as: "Will technology destroy us"? "Will our world become emotionless and lonely, therefore non-human"?
The more Johansson's character gains artificial intelligence due to science, the more she's incapable of feeling pain, sadness, happiness, or any other emotions, but at the same time seeking it and wanting to keep her humanity.
The film is very entertaining to watch and could be interesting intellectually speaking as the concepts are original and open for discussion, but gets ruined by a few things such as endless car chases, fights, Matrix vs. X-men visual effects, and peculiar ending. However, the idea is there and worth a watch.