Lucy is an English-language French science fiction action film written and directed by Luc Besson and produced by his wife, Virginie Besson-Silla. In addition to New York City, it was shot in Paris and Taipei. It stars several people, including Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-Sik, and Scarlett Johansson. The film stars Johansson as an ordinary woman who gains powers of mind over matter; when a nootropic, psychedelic drug is absorbed into a woman’s bloodstream, it can cause her to gain psychokinetic abilities.
The film made $463 million at the box office, more than eleven times the budget, and was released on July 25th, 2014. The reviews have been quite polarizing, although most were positive. Most people agree that the themes were praised, the visuals were great, and Scarlett Johansson was very convincing in her role. Critics, however, felt the plot was nonsensical and mainly focused on the ten percent of the brain myth and the resulting abilities.
Plot
Lucy is an American studying in Taipei, Taiwan. Her boyfriend Richard tricks her into working as a drug mule for a South Korean kkangpae and the drug lord. She delivered a briefcase filled with four packets of the highly valuable synthetic drug CPH4 to Mr. “Jang.”
After witnessing Richard’s execution by being shot in the head, they capture him and force her to carry a bag of drugs to Europe with his stomach sewn shut. She was kicked in the stomach while in captivity, breaking the bag and releasing many drugs into her system. Telepathy, telekinesis, mental time travel, and the ability to feel no pain are just a few of the enhanced physical and mental capabilities she acquires. She becomes ruthless and emotionless at the same time. She kills her abductor and escapes after using her new abilities.
Lucy goes to the nearby Tri-Service General Hospital to have the drugs removed from her body. The doctor told her that natural CPH4 is produced in tiny quantities by pregnant women during their sixth week of pregnancy to give the fetus the energy it needs to grow. Lucy returns to Mr. Jang’s with increased physical and mental capabilities. Jang’s hotel kills his bodyguards, assaults him, and can extract the location of the three remaining drug mules from his brain.
Lucy contacts Samuel Norman, a scientist who may be able to help her with her condition. Lucy flew to Paris to find the remaining three drug packets after she spoke with Norman and provided proof that she had developed her abilities. During the flight, she starts to lose her hair as her cells start to break down. Lucy takes more of the drug to stave off her demise. Lucy was able to recover the rest of the drugs with the assistance of Del Rio. She agreed to share everything she knew when she met Norman and his colleagues.
Lucy talks about time and life in the professor’s lab. She is injected with the last three bags of CPH4. Her body changes into a black substance that spreads over computers and other lab electronic objects, transforming them into one next-generation supercomputer. She begins a spacetime journey into the past to find Lucy, the oldest discovered Ancestor of mankind. She shared a quiet moment with Lucy, then went to the beginning of time and saw the Big bang. There is a gun at Lucy’s head. Lucy moves into the spacetime continuum after he shoots her, as she has reached 100% of her brain capacity. She left her clothes and computer behind.
Del Rio shot and killed Jang. Norman took a black flash drive that was offered by the computer. Lucy’s voice is heard saying, “life was given to us a billion years ago,” after Del Rio’s cell phone made a noise. You know what to do with that.
The movie Lucy received a 6.4 out of 10 rating on IMDb. Don’t be fooled by the ratings. If you are a fan of action movies as well as science fiction movies, you should watch Lucy.
