For anyone who considers themselves an action junkie, you have seen at least one of the French writer-director-producer Luc Besson's films including
Leon aka The Professional,
La Femme Nikita and his insane
Fifth Element.
Besson, like Danny Boyle of
Trainspotting, Millions and Slumdog Millionaire, knows how to create underrated cool films. Films that are cool without having to be flashy. Besson brings his shoot 'em up sensibilities to this low key sci-fi flick that masquerades as an action movie. Let's dig in.
Scarlett Johansson plays our damsel in distress who quickly becomes the first super-powered female due to drugs. Yes, drugs just like in
Limitless, but the difference is, here we have more Kiss Kiss Bang Bang than we did in the Bradley Cooper's cult classic.
If the drug theme is not enough, Besson also takes a page from Jason Bourne movies and has the movie dotting back and forth all over Europe and Taiwan - this adds to the cool factor. Plus it has Min-sik Choi from the original Old Boy as the Bad Guy ... how can I hate this movie?
Johansson has proven in the Avengers and the upcoming
Under the Skin that she can do action and tough very well. She delivers here as the new beta version of Angelina Jolie - pretty girl who looks convincing when shooting guns.
The only thing holding back Lucy is that it does not have heart. The sort of heart that makes La Femme Nikita or The Professional such classics. It's almost as if Besson was so invested in exploring ideas around consciousness, time and evolution that, like Data in Star Trek, it's a smart but cold film.
Besson has a long history of casting females in action films as leads - he even cast the very young Natalie Portman in The Professional so I'm surprised at how he missed giving Lucy some form of a heart and feelings.
Yet the ideas are smart, Besson commits to them from the first frame of the film and builds them to their logical conclusion. I say kudos to that. How many action films end up asking you questions about the meaning of life and help you visualize Einstein's relativity theory? Not a lot but Lucy does. I may not agree with all its science and what it has to say but I found it engaging.
So if all you want is a straight shoot 'em up, STAY AWAY but if you don't mind a bit of genre bending, some pyscho babble and thoughts around the meaning of life, then Lucy is for you.
Rating ***
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
index
* Junk **Almost bearable ***Now we cooking **** Almost perfect ***** Classic