Lucy - B-

Rated R, 89 minute

 Besson's "Lucy" a wild, preposterously entertaining ride

Scarlett Johansson

It's "The Matrix" mixed with "La Femme Nikita" with a little bit of Superman. That may not be the best description for Luc Besson's over-the-top, wildly uneven yet never dull new action thriller "Lucy," that proposes what would happen if a human ever gained 100% use of their brain. In a world run by the mob, street gangs, drug addicts, and corrupt cops, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a woman living in Taiwan who is forced to work as a drug mule for the mob. An artificial super-drug implanted in her body inadvertently leaks into her system, which allows her to use more than the normal 10% of her brain's capacity, turning her into a superhuman. Directed and written by Besson, who's ground some classic crime thrillers, including the aforementioned "Nikita," "The Professional" and "The Fifth Element," it's a wild mish-mash of violent crime, sci-fi and action. Thematically, it's a little all-over-the-place; realistically, it's preposterous; as entertainment, it's far from dull. "Lucy" is certainly a wild ride but filled with some of Besson's usual touches of stylistic, bloody violence and fast-paced action that keep it moving nicely. The film works great until the unnecessarily violent final act, when it really doesn't know what to do with Lucy's 100% brain usage and it essentially becomes a bloodbath. Johansson is inspired casting for the title role: she carries the film with the combination of her good looks, vulnerability and intelligence, though I wanted to see more scenes with Morgan Freeman, who also receives top billing but whose role is strictly supporting, he really has just a couple of brief scenes with Johansson at the end. "Lucy" is terrific fun in the right frame of mind (no pun intended), though for a movie about brain usage, it's fairly mindless. Like most of Besson's films, "Lucy" is flawed but enjoyable and worth seeing.

Wes's Grade: B-