Lucy: The Discussion Continues
Brent and Nick break down Luc Besson's latest.
This article is more than 2 years old
Gaps in the (Il)Logic
Brent: There is a random, haphazard feel to Lucy that I couldn’t shake. For me, as much fun as it was (despite giant, glaring flaws), there was never much in the way of a goal for the main character. She hurtles through this movie at breakneck speed, but for what? Everything is random. Like that big car chase through the streets of Paris. You can’t even really call it a car chase, because no one is chasing them. She’s just in a hurry. She wants to get the rest of the drugs so she can get to 100% of her brain capacity, but that’s really it. At least Choi Min-sik’s character, the main villain, I understand his motivation. He wants his drugs back so he can sell them and make money. What’s her motivation, what’s her end game? Or am I asking sensible questions about a nonsensical movie?
Nick: And why is this drug even on the street? Who is buying it? It turned that one guy into a giggling buffoon, yet Lucy gets an even bigger dose pumped into her bloodstream, and she becomes a super human. And still, I was perfectly happy going with that dumb plot to see what she would do, because she could do ANYTHING! That’s part of the joy in watching this over something like Godzilla, because we’re all perfectly aware of Godzilla’s limited power base. Even Batman’s utility belt runs out. But Lucy doesn’t bother with things like “limits” and “impracticalities.” Which is also what made that car non-chase scene so cool, because the only thing we really had to pay attention to was her making physics her bitch.
Brent: It’s like the logic of the movie is in its overall lack of logic. Like every time they ran into a road block, they have this magic, get out of jail free card. They hit a wall, flash another card on screen telling you how much more brainpower Lucy just acquired, and she can get leap over any hurdle. It’s like leveling up in a video game. They just invent their own way around anything that gets in front of them. That’s kind of genius
Nick: Which doesn’t make for a good movie in the least, but Lucy manages to bypass “good” and becomes a “great” movies at times.
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