Rent Lucy (2014)
3.2 of 5 from 1164 ratings
1h 26min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Lucy (Scarlett Johansson), is tricked by her boyfriend into delivering a briefcase where she is grabbed and held hostage by the merciless Mr. Jang (Choi Min-Sik). His thugs surgically implant a package loaded with a powerful synthetic substance in her to smuggle it across the border. The package leaks and she develops superhuman traits. Lucy enlists the help of professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman), whose decades of research on the brain's potential makes him unparalleled in the field and the only person with the ability to see where this might lead. Relentlessly pursued by her former captors Lucy begins to turn the tables and transform into a warrior evolved beyond human logic.
- Actors:
- Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Pilou Asbæk, Analeigh Tipton, Nicolas Phongpheth, Jan Oliver Schroeder, Luca Angeletti, Loïc Brabant, Pierre Grammont, Pierre Poirot, Bertrand Quoniam, Pascal Loison, Pierre Gérard, Isabelle Cagnat, Frédéric Chau, Claire Tran, François Legrand
- Directors:
- Luc Besson
- Producers:
- Virginie Besson-Silla
- Voiced By:
- Laura D'Arista, Eunyul Hong
- Writers:
- Luc Besson
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 2015, A Brief History of Galleries and Museums in Film: Part 1, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Scarlett Johansson, A Brief History of Film...
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 12/01/2015
- Run Time:
- 89 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description Dolby Digital 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Hindi DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Japanese DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Arabic, Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, German, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- The Evolution of Lucy
- Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 26/09/2016
- Run Time:
- 89 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Atmos, German DTS 5.1, Japanese DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
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Reviews (10) of Lucy
Highly entertaining, pseudo-philosophical, Gallic sci-fi thriller - Lucy review by PV
I really enjoyed this film. Sure, it's full of pseudo-philosophical Frenchie twaddle (you really can tell this film is part-French just from that!); sure, it's heavily influenced by The Matrix and other Hollywood nonsense; and sure, it's full of set-piece chases and martial arts and car chase stuff, to appeal to the Chinese market (that is what has ruined the James Bond movies, which used to be fun and funny).
But I enjoyed this way more than the last James Bond film.
The special effects are wonderful. The film is trim and efficient, coming it at less than 90 minutes, and moves along at a cracking right-rollicking rate.
The acting is great, esp Scarlet J, who played another sci-fi role in 'Under the Skin'. Her character arc here is so utterly massive, but you believe the transformation, due to the magic of sci-fi and a Bond-like drug-dealer plot line.
This really is a cracking thriller, spoilt by some silly wildlife shots at the start and by over-intellectualising Frenchie philosophical waffle at the end.
I suspected it might connect with Lucy, the skeleton of the oldest human found in Africa, and it does, esp in a weird, perhaps unintentionally comic, time travel sequence.
But otherwise, just great Frenchie fun! 4 stars.
5 out of 5 members found this review helpful.
better than expected - Lucy review by CP Customer
I am usually not a fan of this type of movie, but Scarlett J was brilliant, good plot but maybe over violent. Good special effects and action sequences. At 87 mins it does not outstay its welcome
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Enjoyable stuff - Lucy review by PW
I found this a very enjoyable film, strong cast, well acted and well paced. The thought the plot became increasingly far fetched, but this didn't spoil my enjoyment. Scarlet J and Morgan freeman always worth a watch and don't disappoint.
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Lucy review by Michelle Sommerville - Cinema Paradiso
Scarlett Johansson is no longer an unknown name. She has risen to fame with her most notable role arguably as Black Widow in the Marvel series, and is the lead in the new science-fiction action film Lucy. It is clearly not the most scientifically accurate, but is an excellent choice for a purely entertaining film.
Lucy begins with the title character far short of what the trailer revealed her to be. She is not a genius and she does not have ‘special powers’. Instead, she is partying in a Taiwanese night-club, drinking and dancing with no abandon. Her life suddenly turns upside-down when she is kidnapped by an armed gang, and forced to work as a mule, transporting a package of drugs inside of her body. When the deal goes wrong, an attack causes the package to fracture, and the drugs flow into Lucy’s system. Lucy transforms into a warrior with an expanding mental capability (telekinesis, telepathy, superhuman strength, etc.) that rivals anything seen before.
The film is written and directed by Luc Beeson, who has a grand history with this genre. He is probably best known for his work on The Fifth Element (1997), the Transporter franchise (2002 to 2008), and the Taken series (2008 to 2014). He clearly has a firm grip on the genre, and he manages a tight balance between exposition, dialogue, and action.
There is always the annoying distinction between ‘actors’ and ‘sci-fi actors’. There is clearly nothing different about them, but, for some reason, actors are always lumped into one group or the other. Scarlett Johansson has been in many assorted films since she began in 1994, but it has only been in recent years that her popularity has skyrocketed. This is, in large part, due to her role as Black Widow in the Marvel series. She has proved to be more than a sci-fi actress. Morgan Freeman, too, is always an excellent actor who brings credibility to whatever role he plays, and is a wonderful compliment to Scarlett Johansson.
The fight scenes and car chases were believable, and it is cool to see how the film industry has accepted female leads. The rise of heroines instead of damsels in distress is refreshing, and Scarlett Johansson has been at the forefront of this movement.
The only negative thing about this film, would be the lack of scientific realism. It was in an interview that Luc Beeson described the beginning process of Lucy, and how it took ten years to become a reality once he heard about a scientific theory that humans only use ten percent of their brain. It is true that it is a good premise for a science-fiction film, but this theory has been widely debunked, now openly referred to as a myth.
Reviews from critics and audiences have been mixed, with both sides arguing the same above points.
Overall, this film is not very scientifically accurate (even in theory), but it is an entertaining sci-fi action film.