A Sci-Fi Thriller That Explores the Limits of the Human Mind: LUCY Review

While I’m away in a small villa with little to no access to the internet, I’ve had the chance to watch a lot of movies. One of them is Lucy, which I’ll be reviewing in this post.

Lucy is very much my kind of movie; it’s a thriller with an interesting storyline and a good dose of sci-fi. It kept me entertained and thrilled from beginning to end.

About the Movie

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Lucy is a 2014 science fiction action thriller directed by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, and Amr Waked. The movie explores themes of human potential, evolution, knowledge, power, and what it really means to be human.

The Storyline

We’ve always heard that humans only use about 10% of their brains. Isn’t it surprising, looking at all the things we can already do with just that? Especially in the 21st century, where our brains are much more advanced than those of early humans. LUCY takes this idea and pushes it further by exploring what could happen if humans unlocked the full potential of their brains through a synthetic drug called C.P.H.4.

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The story begins with Lucy, an ordinary student who gets tricked by her new boyfriend into delivering a mysterious briefcase to a dangerous man named Mr. Jang. She has a bad feeling about the job, and her instincts are right. Instead of a simple delivery she is captured and forced to become a drug mule for the C.P.H.4. that was in the briefcase.

The drugs are surgically placed in her stomach, but after a brutal kick from one of the guards, the bag tears open and the drug leaks into her system. From there, Lucy begins to acquire superhuman physical and mental abilities such as telekinesis, instant learning, controlling matter and even manipulating time. She no longer feels pain or fear.

Then there's Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), a scientist who has spent years researching the brain. Lucy reads all of his research in minutes and contacts him for guidance. When she asks what she should do with her growing knowledge and power, he tells her the best thing is to pass it on.
At 60% brain capacity, she was already smarter than any existing technology and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what she would do at 100%.

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This movie wouldn't be complete without the great action scenes. The fights between Lucy and Mr. Jang’s crew add the excitement needed to balance the sci-fi elements.

As the movie reachess its climax, Lucy rushes to meet Professor Norman and his team before her brain reaches 100%. She sits in a lab as her body begins to transform spreading black matter and creating a massive, advanced supercomputer to store all her knowledge. While this is happening, Mr. Jang and his men storm the building in a desperate attempt to kill her and reclaim the drugs.

But by the time Jang reaches the lab and points his gun at Lucy’s head, it was already too late.She has already reached 100% brain capacity and transcends her human form disappearing completely into space. All that’s left behind is the supercomputer, which then condenses into a small flash drive for Prof. Norman.

My Thoughts

Lucy is a brilliant and thought-provoking movie that I would definitely watch again. The storyline is well developed, the action is thrilling, and the way her powers were explored felt unique and original compared to some superhero movies.

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What stood out most to me was how the movie explored the possibilities of the human brain. It reminded me of something my biology teacher always used to say: “You haven’t even used 1% of your brain.” He loved to remind us how big our brain is, how it can process information faster than any textbook we complain about, and how much potential lies untapped within us. Watching Lucy brought that memory back and made me think deeper about what humans could achieve and what the world would look like if more of our potential isunlocked.

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The only part I didn't like is the ending. I don’t know if there could have been a better one, but I personally wanted to see more of Lucy and how the computer she created would be used. Still, I was satisfied with how she achieved her purpose of leaving behind all the knowledge she had gained, stored in a form humans could access.

Recommendation

If you enjoy action mixed with sci-fi and a little philosophy about human potential, then Lucy is a must-watch. It’s thrilling, thought-provoking, and unique in its approach. I would give it 4.7 out of 5.