Leslie Massey
Lucy is a 2014 science fiction action film written and directed by Luc Besson. The film stars Scarlett Johansson as the titular character, Lucy, a drug mule who transforms into a merciless warrior with psychokinetic abilities after a powerful chemical is absorbed into her bloodstream. The film was a box office success, grossing over $469 million worldwide. However, it received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its themes, visuals, and Johansson's performance, while others found the plot nonsensical and criticised its portrayal of violence. The film has been rated R in the US for strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2014 |
| Genre | Science fiction action film |
| Director | Luc Besson |
| Producer | Virginie Besson-Silla |
| Production company | EuropaCorp |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures |
| Writer | Luc Besson |
| Stars | Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, Amr Waked, Analeigh Tipton |
| Rating | R |
| Reason for rating | Strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality |
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Streaming platforms
The 2014 action-thriller film Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson, is available to stream on several platforms in Australia. The movie revolves around a young American in Taiwan who unwillingly becomes a drug mule, with the narcotics in her system activating superhuman powers.
Netflix users in Australia can stream Lucy as part of their subscription. The movie is also available to stream for Australians on YouTube, Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount+.
In addition to streaming options, Lucy can also be purchased or rented through various online platforms. Australians can buy the movie on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, or the Microsoft Store. Alternatively, it can be rented on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Microsoft Store, or Spectrum On Demand.
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Plot
The plot of *Lucy* revolves around the titular character, played by Scarlett Johansson, who is forced to become a drug mule by her boyfriend and some Chinese mobsters. They surgically implant a package of a powerful drug into her abdomen, but it leaks into her system, granting her superhuman abilities, including telekinesis, telepathy, and heightened intellect. As her brain capacity increases, she becomes more powerful and violent, eventually using 100% of her brain, which gives her almost god-like abilities.
With her former captors in pursuit, Lucy seeks help from a neurologist, Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), to understand and control her new abilities. She also wants to collect the rest of the drug to buy herself some time. However, the drug lord, Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik), is on her trail.
As Lucy's intellect and powers continue to grow, she begins to lose her humanity, including emotions such as fear, love, feelings, and compassion. She tortures and kills people indiscriminately, including a hospital patient. The plot explores themes of the meaning of life, the value of knowledge, and the impact of increased brain capacity on humanity.
The movie features graphic violence, with many characters being shot, killed, or tortured. It also includes car chases, shootouts, and brutal fight scenes. Despite criticism of the plot's focus on the "'ten percent of the brain' myth", the film was a massive box office success, grossing over $469 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews, with some praising the themes, visuals, and Johansson's performance, while others found the plot nonsensical and criticized the prioritization of style over substance.
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Critical reception
The 2014 science fiction action film Lucy received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 67% based on 240 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The critical consensus on the website describes the film as "enthusiastic and silly", with Scarlett Johansson's charm and the film's "cheesy thrills" making up for its logic gaps. Metacritic, another review aggregator, gives the film a score of 62 out of 100 based on 456 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
While some critics praised the film's themes, visuals, and Johansson's performance, others found the plot nonsensical and criticised its reliance on the "ten per cent of the brain" myth. The film's portrayal of Lucy as becoming less empathetic and more robotic as her brain capacity increases, her invincibility, and the use of animal imagery to convey "obvious points" were also criticised. Some reviewers also took issue with the film's attempt to portray Lucy as a strong female character, arguing that she conformed to stereotypes of female action heroes.
The trailer for the film, released on 2 April 2014, was described as promising "a wild ride" and "wonderfully insane". However, after the film's release, critics said that it was portrayed as more action-packed than it actually was.
The film's rating as R in Australia and elsewhere was due to its strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality.
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Box office performance
The 2014 science fiction action film Lucy, written and directed by Luc Besson, was a massive box office success. It grossed over $469 million worldwide, more than eleven times its budget of $40 million. The film earned $43,899,340 at the domestic box office for its opening weekend and debuted at the number one box office spot in all markets outside the US and Canada. In Taipei, where roughly half of the film was shot, it grossed NT$14.3 million (US$478,000) from 57,900 admissions. After two days, it made NT$25.6 million (US$854,000) in the capital, later earning over NT$38 million (US$1.27 million) from seventy-five locations nationwide. This made it the fourth-best opening day in Taiwan, after Transformers: Age of Extinction, Iron Man 3, and The Avengers. It also achieved the best opening day for United International Pictures (UIP) and the best August opening day of all time in Taiwan.
Lucy was a surprise hit, earning more than $40 million on its opening weekend and $120 million domestically, in addition to over $450 million worldwide. It opened in second place in South Korea with $7 million and remained in first place in the UK with $1.96 million on 506 screens over the weekend, totalling $17.26 million after three weeks. The film also dominated the box office in China with $45.13 million, contributing to its international total of $408 million and worldwide total of $613.3 million.
Lucy's box office success can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the movie had an intriguing premise that piqued audience interest. Secondly, it starred Scarlett Johansson, whose presence likely drew audiences. Johansson's performance as the title character was praised, and her ability to lead a successful blockbuster was highlighted. Other factors contributing to the film's success include its visual effects, high-profile actors, and unique shooting locations.
Despite its box office triumph, Lucy received mixed critical reviews. While some praised its themes, visuals, and Johansson's performance, others found the plot nonsensical, particularly its focus on the ten per cent of the brain myth and the resulting superhuman abilities. Some critics characterised the film as "mindless and mixed up, but propulsive and fun," while others found it "ridiculously vague and just plain dumb."
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Rating
The 2014 science fiction action film Lucy, written and directed by Luc Besson, has received a range of ratings and reviews. While the film has been criticised for its nonsensical plot, particularly its focus on the ten per cent of the brain myth, it has also been praised for its themes, visuals, and Scarlett Johansson's performance.
In the United States and Canada, Lucy received an R rating from the MPA and MPAA due to strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality. The film contains frequent explicit violence, with acts shown in a realistic manner, including blood and tissue damage. It also features frequent portrayals of gun, weapon, and hand-to-hand violence.
Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "mindless and mixed up, but propulsive and fun". He praised Scarlett Johansson's performance, stating that she "shines in this pseudo-intellectual action flick". Justin Chang of Variety described the film as "a slickly engineered showcase for a kickass heroine" and an enjoyable speculative narrative.
However, other reviewers have been more critical. One reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes called the film "absurdly silly and sometimes aggressively stupid", while another reviewer on the same platform criticised the film for prioritising "coolness" over plausible sci-fi. Similarly, a review on Reddit described the film as "the worst movie I have seen in many years", citing the pseudoscience presented in the movie as a major flaw.
Overall, Lucy has received mixed ratings and reviews, with some praising its entertainment value and Scarlett Johansson's performance, while others have criticised the film's plot, character development, and scientific accuracy.
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Frequently asked questions
Lucy is a science fiction action film about a woman who gains psychokinetic abilities when a nootropic, psychedelic drug is absorbed into her bloodstream.
The MPA rated Lucy R for strong violence, disturbing images, and sexuality.
The film Lucy is written and directed by Luc Besson for his company EuropaCorp.
The cast of the film Lucy includes Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, and Amr Waked.
The film Lucy has received generally positive, but also polarized, critical reviews. While praise was given for its themes, visuals, and Johansson's performance, many critics found the plot nonsensical, especially its focus on the ten percent of the brain myth and resulting abilities.
