While the very premise of Lucy, that humans use only use 10% of their brains, has been proven to be a myth, it is a great story-telling hook when done correctly. The idea of unlocking the full potential of the human brain is very alluring and you need only to look to Limitless to see the fun you can have with this kind of framing device. Indeed, the trailers for Lucy showed the unlocking of the title character’s neurons in a refreshing new way that seemed to point to a great little movie. A Limitless 2.0 if you will.

So what did I think of the movie? Meh…

There was so much that could have been done with the central storyline that runs through the movie, but wonky dialogue, lacklustre framing of action sequences and a story that didn’t know what to do with itself derailed this flick, taking what could have been a fun action movie and making it run of the mill, almost to a point of boredom.

Luc Besson, does try some innovative techniques at the beginning of the flick, inter-cutting the action taking place on screen with scenes from nature, but this is quickly done away with, leaving only Scarlett Johansson (Lucy) to make the best of the script as she can. Her Lucy becomes an emotionless killer by the time 20% of her brain is unlocked, which is strange as you would think she would still retain a bit of her humanity, and even a scene where she tries to connect with her mother falls rather flat as the dialogue is just not believable.

Action sequences which should have been exhilarating and wowing audiences with their breath-taking pace seems rather ho-hum, which is puzzling as the director (Luc Besson) has proven previously that he can direct action heavy scenes.

At the end of the day Lucy doesn’t know whether it wants to be an action movie, or a journey into the metaphysical, exploring the true meaning behind human existence. If it had picked one route or the other it might have succeeded, but as it is, it meanders too much from one idea to another and fails at both.

Some of the effects were nicely done, but I would wait for this one to come out on DVD if you really feel the urge to watch it.

I give Lucy a rather generous 5 out of 10.