Peps' Movie Wrap-up: Lucy

image from Wikipedia
We were invited to a family gathering last weekend and, since I didn't want Marvin driving back and forth through hellish Manila traffic, decided to meet up with my brother Jan earlier in the day while the husband went to school.  We haven't seen each other in a few months, so we decided to watch a movie together.  I wasn't sure about whether I would like Into the Storm (didn't really feel like watching a disaster film), so I chose Lucy instead.

Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is the titular character, an American student in Taiwan.  Her latest boyfriend forces her into dropping off a suspicious briefcase.  The task leads to more trouble, when he gets shot and she is dragged to meet the recipient, Korean mob boss Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik).  The briefcase actually contains the synthesized drug CPH4, which Mr. Jang intends to distribute in Europe.  Lucy is then forced to become a drug mule, with a plastic bag of CPH4 inserted into her abdomen.  The bag eventually breaks and leaks the drug straight into her system.  Instead of a regular drug overdose, the CPH4 actually awakens the dormant parts of Lucy's brain, causing her to become a more physically and mentally powerful person as the hours pass.  She sets out to use her newfound prowess to stop the distribution of the lethal drug.

Lucy was released about a week earlier abroad, so I had a chance to check out the reviews on director Luc Besson's latest film outing.  The most common comments were that it was a great action film, but one that you shouldn't take seriously in order to get the most fun out of your viewing.  And if you're familiar with the work of the director, then you should know that this is the perfect state of mind when watching Lucy.  The Fifth Element will always be one of my favorite sci-fi films, even if it is chock full of cheesy lines, over the top characters, sketchy mythology and loud colors.  It's because it never takes itself too seriously and is just meant to be a fun viewing experience for audiences.

Lucy is undoubtedly a more serious film than The Fifth Element, with its focus on the thrills and action, and highlighted by the deadpan delivery of star Scarlett Johansson.  But there's an underlying current of humor throughout the film that reminds us that, despite the ultimate goal of stopping a drug syndicate from enacting their plans, all the science talk about human potential and exploring the rather confusing philosophy of our existence, we are actually watching a popcorn film.  At the end of the day, it's just fun to watch Scarlett Johansson kick ass, whether she's using her body or her mind to do so.  Never mind that there's a few minutes of footage that would make you scratch your head as she dissects the origin of the human race, which her less than gifted (or less drugged up) companions are oblivious to.  I advise that you just take it at face value and accept that it's a manifestation of Lucy's higher reasoning, consciousness, etc.  I mean, really, would any of us know what goes on in the mind of a human who's achieving 100% brain activity?

Director Luc Besson is an established director when it comes to action and sci-fi, however improbable the science involved is (though masterfully articulated by Morgan Freeman in Lucy).  But what makes the film work is its star.  Scarlett Johansson has done well to establish herself as an action star after her turn as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while you might argue that she's just as deadpan when it comes to both action and humor, her take on Lucy is a completely different creature.  It was interesting to see how she made a character that became less human as the film progressed become likable.  Instead of slowly losing empathy for Lucy, who became more powerful and evolved than her fellow humans, I felt myself rooting for her to fulfill her goal.  Her bombshell status in real life sometimes makes us forget that she's actually a very, very good actress.  And Lucy is a great reminder of that.

By the time this post is up (no thanks to my suddenly useless computer), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Expendables 3 would already be vying for the top action film in local cinemas.  But if Lucy is still showing in your area and you want something fun to watch, then you might want to give it a shot.

Happy viewing!!

Labels: , , , ,