Tries To Be Smart but Embarrassingly Fails

Rating: 6/10 (30 July 2014)

Scarlett Johansson has been on quite the roll as an action star as of late, bouncing back and forth between her more expensive (Marvel) projects and more peculiar and experimental ones. Though Lucy might appear to be the former—a clichéd, loud extravaganza of mindless, fun action—from the trailers and the like, the truth is that it (somewhat) belongs to the category of the latter. A Taiwanese mob implants a mysterious drug called CPH4 into her stomach, and very soon, she discovers that access to her cerebral capacity has surpassed that of the normal human being. Apparently, that means that she can now wield ridiculous superpowers that allow her to tap into people's memories and extract any bit of information from whatever object/individual that existed within. It also means that she can levitate anything and anyone, as well as teleport to any location she so wishes.
Right from the get-go, you'll have to get used to the fact that the premise is incredibly unbelievable; the plot will get even more outlandish as it progresses, and don't worry: the movie will warn you with a continually increasing percentage (indicating just how much of the brain she can now utilize) every time events are about to become even more preposterously implausible. Once you get past the utter lack of realism and plethora of plot holes, what you experience is pretty badass. It's heavily stylized with its sci-fi components—it honestly reminded me of something like The Matrix, especially when considering the more twisted acts of violence. Complemented by beautiful cinematography (lavished with appealing colors and futuristic characteristics), this film is a blast—a lightning pace and intriguing set-up.
Everything, aside from the ending, offers an abundance of thrilling amusement, and part of it obviously is due to Johansson's fierce presence. Even though Marvel Studios' rendition of Black Widow is softer and more forgiving, Lucy can be ruthless and calculating just like the original Marvel comics portrayed the Russian spy, Black Widow, as. However, eventually, the narrative takes a turn for the insane as convolution and far-fetched absurdity floods the plot and the sheer power Lucy truly holds furthers into the realm of sheer impossibility. The focus on high-octane, compulsive action is therefore abandoned and substituted with a confusing climax that only makes you wonder about what the hell this film which started out with a gripping basis has transformed into.
So yes, the tale's unraveling heightens in ludicrousness, but at least, it's entertaining and cool. On the other hand, when it comes to the film's attempt to assess the themes and depth to which the idea of an increase in cerebral capacity goes, the arguable failure of this project certainly arises. First of all, this story is centered around a myth (humans only use 10% of their brains) that's already been debunked by guffawing scientists, creating irritation in the viewer as they continue to roll their eyes at the filmmakers' ignorance and clear unwillingness to properly research the subject. Secondly, as I've pointed out, this increase in intelligence—the ability to use more of your mind—does not mean that you'll suddenly turn into some terribly powerful superhero.
If Besson didn't concentrate on producing a Limitless rip-off and simply decided to produce an absorbing sci-fi action film instead, Lucy wouldn't have been as annoying of a film, but if we're incorporating serious topics that beg the audience to recognize intellect in the project, don't expect to hold that compelled audience when you begin betraying realism and truth (of the topic). At the end of the day, Lucy is mostly fun, but it's ironically stupid fun as much as it tries to be smart fun.