Scarlett Johansson's 'Lucy' Is On A Power Trip

Scarlett Johansson is Lucy

By Darlene Donloe

Luc Besson’s Lucy got some splaining to do!

Universal's newest action-packed thriller, starring Scarlett Johansson in the title role, is a roller coaster ride of imagination, science and technology.

Lucy is the story of a young woman who is accidentally caught in a dark world and subsequently taken into captivity as a drug mule due to the unethical antics of her desperate boyfriend.

When she is initially abducted, the scenes are incredibly intense. Lucy doesn’t know if she’s going to die, be tortured or worse.  Strangely, she is allowed to call her mother. She tells her mother how much she loves and appreciates her. It’s a fabulous scene shot close-up.  It’s brilliant, although the dialogue is a bit hokey.

After a beating by one of her captors, the CPH4 sewn inside Lucy’s abdomen dislodge from the plastic bag and are absorbed in her body.

The result is nothing if not spectacular!

The drugs transform her into a merciless warrior and  enables superhuman capabilities and an unparalleled amount of brainpower.  Suddenly she is able to kick ass, take names, change her cells, control people and manipulate time.

What? Yep!

It’s been said that human beings barely use 10 percent of their brainpower. The drugs in Lucy’s body has her heading toward using 100 percent of her brainpower – and no one is quite sure what will occur when that happens.

Enter Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) a neuroscientist who is the foremost authority on the inner workings of the brain.

Lucy enlists his help so that she can not only beat the bad guys, but can also leave information behind that could help human kind in the future.

It’s fun watching Lucy flex her brainpower and girl power!  Her abilities are truly exceptional. However, it would have been more powerful to show Lucy spending her time to forward mankind than to thwart a drug lord (Choi Min Sik).

The movie starts off in one direction and veers to the left. Even though it misses in several areas, it’s a nice high-octane ride. One of the misses is a scene where she has the ability to kill the drug lord, but doesn’t only to be confronted by him later in the film. Really?

Still, it’s popcorn fun!

Lucy is written and directed by Besson. It stars Johannson, Freeman, Choi Min-Sik, Analeigh Tipton and Amr Waked.

Lucy (Universal), now open nationwide, is Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images and sexuality. It runs 1h. 29 m.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (OK) and E (excellent), Lucy gets an O (OK).