Intellectual pursuit

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2015)

Lucy (2014) Written and Directed by Luc Besson. I'll talk about the story so expect Spoilers ahead. Scarlet Johanson is Lucy. Some poor young thing who gets drawn into a dangerous situation, Against her will she is to carry an illicit substance. Fist fights, gun fights, massive shoot outs, auto chases. Mayhem and much destruction ensue. Besson can do this in his sleep. Some of the chases and fights veer toward self parody. excessive to the point of loosing credibility. By the time Lucy finds her telekinetic powers, you are either with it, or not. I was with it all the way.
In Lucy, we catch a hint at an intellectual query and speculation that the director liked exploring. The crux of the story; Morgan Freeman takes on the role of Professor Norman, a friendly sage who helps Lucy. Lucy was inadvertently transformed into the result of the next evolutionary leap in mankind's' development, when she was subjected to a drug that enables her to use one hundred percent of her brain power. This is where the movie rises above its action film format. What would one do with such knowledge?
At one point in the film, the enlightened Lucy proclaims that her partner should not be concerned with the body count in the course of a car chase. she said something like, People don't really die. or, Death isn't the end. I would have liked to have her elaborate on that one.
There is some truly mind blowing concepts presented here. Lucy invents a time and space machine that can take her to any place and time in the history of the world. the Times square backward time travel sequence was jaw dropping. Awesome sequence, worth the price of admission right there.
Besson scores again. Eight out of Ten stars.