Lucy

Tl;Dr Version of this post: Lucy has gotten really mixed reviews, but I'd argue this is because of poor marketing decisions. It's a campy sci-fi action movie but it's pretty low on action - there is basically no face-kicking and I was primed by the trailers to see some face-kicking and way more "serious" sci-fi. Other than that let down, it was highly enjoyable and entertaining. This movie sort of kind of meets the Bechdel Test if you squint at it.

Now the long version - SPOILERS AHEAD

First off, it's important to note that Scarlett Johansson is super awesome. Like, I would watch this woman eat cereal on film (I think that may have been a plot point in Lost in Translation?) so I was probably going to enjoy Lucy no matter what.

The plot is pretty goofy and completely given to you by the trailer - ditzy American abroad gets caught by evil mobsters and used as a drug mule against her will, but the drugs accidentally leak into her system giving her super powers. She then contacts the scientist who has studied the implications of her super-power and goes around being badass. If that sounds like a fun time to you, then you will enjoy this movie.

There is an epic car chase in Paris, weird super-power use (she freezes people, makes them float around, puts them all to sleep with a look, etc), and Morgan Freeman talking in pseudo-science babble. There is also a bunch of nature documentary footage involved which actually worked but definitely added to the campy vibe.

The best and most interesting scene though is the one in which Lucy calls her mom, which also happens to be the only scene wherein two female characters speak to each other (does Lucy's Mom count as a named character? Does it count if we never see the Mom and just hear her voice? I'm not sure). This moment of humanity is just really cool and touching and made my pregnant-self get a little teary. Other than phone-mom and Lucy, there is a female doctor who has one line, a female student who has one line, and a female tattoo artist who doesn't speak and that's it for ladies in this film other than background props (arguably the tattoo artist lady is kind of a prop but she does things like tattoo mobsters and get the fuck out of Lucy's way, so...).

Some reviewers have bemoaned the fact that Lucy becomes more and more wooden as the film progresses and her super-powers develop, which is true but ScarJo keeps it interesting. She tells Morgan Freeman that she feels disconnected from humanity and you see a slow descent into computer-like thought. I kind of liked it though because it makes the ending work and gives her a much more powerful hook - she does not want revenge on the mobsters. We, the audience, want revenge on the mobsters (and don't worry, they are handled) but Lucy doesn't give any fucks about them. She only wants enough of the drug to be able to complete the experiment that they started so that she can unlock the secrets of human existence and share them with the world via Morgan Freeman. It's kind of deep for an otherwise campy film, but I like my campy sci-fi to at least try and speak to the human condition or at least offer up an easy thesis statement for my 9th Grade English papers.

There were a few things that I did not like - that sort of zapped out my ability to suspend my disbelief. In order of appearance:

First off, these evil Taiwanese Mobsters do not speak English - like, not even one of the henchmen (though the evil British Mobster who shows up in one scene does...). So since the mobsters don't speak English, they have a TELEPHONIC translator. These guys are so powerful that they are willy-nilly killing people and doing surgery in a fancy hotel suite and they can't keep an English speaking dude on hand? Wikipedia tells me that English education is compulsory at the elementary school level in Taiwan, so it's like... huh? Furthermore, Lucy herself who we are to assume is studying in Taiwan or maybe teaching English in a JET-like program (?) doesn't speak a word of Mandarin... To the point where when the mobsters catch her, she asks them "hablas español" - What? I mean, maybe these mobsters who cavort with an English dude speak Spanish, but... why doesn't Lucy speak even a word of Mandarin? It felt forced and weird. 

Second, we do not only use 10% of our brains. I loved the CPH4 conceit that this drug is all [science words and something about pregnancy] because I love pseudo-science-words in my sci-fi. Bring me a flux capacitor and a deflector shield for my hyper-sonic neuro-tachyons or whatever. But, seriously, the % of brain use thing was stupid and unnecessary. They could have science-wordsed at me about something else and it would have been better. 

Third, none of Morgan Freeman's neuroscientist buddies are women. This was weird to me mainly because I happen to personally know some neuroscientists and have worked with neurosurgeons and all, except for one who was old and retired, are women. When I picture a random neuroscientist I picture a woman in her 40s with frizzy hair. I get that my personal experience colors that and that most folks don't know neuroscientists, but for crying out loud, it's 2014. Women are scientists. Get with the program movie!

Other than those few moments, I found Lucy to be fun and silly and fully worth the date night expenses of a babysitter/tickets/dinner. BTW, all movie theaters should have recliners, assigned seating, and bring me crab rangoon dip and hamburgers. I have been spoiled by this and don't know if I can ever go back.