Lucy - 3 smiles

“Lucy,” starring Scarlett Johansson, is not  a kick-ass superhero movie, contrary to the previews. The action scenes depicted in the ads are in the movie, but the context differs. And, although Lucy develops superpowers, the most interesting thing about them is how they expand and where the journey ultimately takes her. And, since she’s terminally ill, her mission isn’t killing bad guys but finding a way to pass on the massive amounts of knowledge she has acquired. Although the movie eventually transforms into something odd, it begins in a traditional Luc Besson fashion. Lucy (Johansson) is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is tricked by her boyfriend into delivering a locked briefcase to a gangster, Mr. Jang (Min-sik Choi), who is not sympathetic to Lucy’s predicament. After forcing her to open the briefcase, which contains a new kind of experimental drug, Mr. Jang takes Lucy prisoner, inserts a bag of the drug into her stomach, and forces her to work as his mule. However, rough treatment at the hands of one of Mr. Jang’s thugs causes the bag to break and the drug leaks into Lucy’s system. There are two consequences: her brain capacity begins to increase and she becomes terminally ill. She seeks out brain expert Prof. Norman (Morgan Freeman), who spends much of the movie in teacher mode (an attempt to understand what’s happening). Meanwhile, Mr. Jang and his men track Lucy with the goal of killing her before she becomes too powerful.

Once Lucy starts to evolve, there’s no sense that she’s in danger. Besson doesn’t take the time to make Mr. Jang very menacing because he seems more interested in Lucy’s journey. He provides no answers although the ending seems to hint at a sequel. “Lucy” is not your typical Luc Besson action-shoot-em-up. Sure, there’s plenty of action, but that’s not the focus. And although the ending is frustrating in many ways, that’s more the fault of the marketers. Think of “Lucy” as being a quirky sci-fi thriller and you’ll be more satisfied with it. 7/30/14