# Lucy: the movie with Scarlett Johansson - wow, what a dumb movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186 "2014-07-27T21:35:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/1 "2014-07-27T21:35:30Z")
Took my kids at their request. Wow - so, so dumb, on so, so many levels. Not even worth a more detailed overview - just so dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/2 "2014-07-27T21:38:04Z")
It looks very, very stupid bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/3 "2014-07-27T21:46:33Z")
The “we only use 10% of our brain” part pretty much killed my interest entirely. I love Luc Besson, but holy shit, that is just goddamned stupid. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/4 "2014-07-27T21:56:09Z")
It was pretty terrible. Luc is really losing his edge. _The Fifth Element_ is one of my favorite movies of all time. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/5 "2014-07-27T22:10:52Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > It was pretty terrible. Luc is really losing his edge. _The Fifth Element_ is one of my favorite movies of all time. Losing his edge? What was the last good film Luc directed since The Fifth Element and Leon? Don’t forget. Luc Besson the writer of Le Femme Nikita, The Transporter and Taken is also Luc Besson the writer of Taxi, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc and Transporter 3. I’m surprised it’s as bad as you people say. I normally enjoy these sort of “product of a government experiment in psychic powers escapes and goes on an Akira rampage” stories. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/6 "2014-07-27T22:17:20Z")
OK, we all know the ‘only use 10% of our brain’ is pure BS but I have to say that on the evidence of this movie in Besson’s case it may be true. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/7 "2014-07-27T22:22:59Z")
I fail to see how the “10% of our brain” myth has anything to do with the movie. It’s just a bit of technobabble and the movie would be no different if there were another explanation for her increase in intelligence (“the drug increases synaptic connections” or “it speeds up chemical reactions”). If the movie is bad, that particular thing has no bearing on the quality. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/8 "2014-07-27T23:06:29Z")
One review I saw said that Morgan Freedman was talking so long about the 10% thing that he just wanted him to shut up… and that when you want Morgan Freedman to stop talking, that’s a sign that a movie has gone _seriously_ wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/9 "2014-07-27T23:14:38Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Losing his edge? What was the last good film Luc directed since The Fifth Element and Leon? Just to clarify here in America \*Leon \*was simply called _The Professional_. It was Natalie Portman’s breakout role. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/10 "2014-07-27T23:20:44Z")
In the book discussion group I belong to, once a year instead of reading a book for one month we have an all-Saturday movie day. The group mostly reads science fiction and fantasy, so the movies we watch are mostly science fiction and fantasy. We try to have a theme for each year’s movie day. For instance, the following are some of the themes for our past movie days: Science fiction movies from the 1950’s Cult science fiction movies 1968 - 1988 Time travel movies I plan to propose that in the future we do this theme: Wha? - Science fiction movies that make no damn sense The movie that inspired me to do such a theme is this one: _Alphaville_ (1965, France, dir. Jean-Luc Godard) I saw this a couple of months ago and was astonished how it used major talent applied it to an incredibly ridiculous plot. I saw _Lucy_ yesterday and was similarly amazed. Can anyone suggest some other movies that would fit this theme? Note that I don’t want science fiction movies with just a few significant plot holes and don’t want ones on a shoestring budget. I want ones that make no sense but were made by major talent. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/11 "2014-07-27T23:21:53Z")
Thanks, Hail Ants. I wondered about that. I liked The Big Blue too in that artsey way that appeals to college kids. Thanks WordMan for saving me $8 times n. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/12 "2014-07-27T23:34:51Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Took my kids at their request. Wow - so, so dumb, on so, so many levels. Not even worth a more detailed overview - just so dumb. But is it allegorical? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/13 "2014-07-27T23:48:32Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > In the book discussion group I belong to, once a year instead of reading a book for one month we have an all-Saturday movie day. The group mostly reads science fiction and fantasy, so the movies we watch are mostly science fiction and fantasy. We try to have a theme for each year’s movie day. > For instance, the following are some of the themes for our past movie days: > > Science fiction movies from the 1950’s > Cult science fiction movies 1968 - 1988 > Time travel movies > > I plan to propose that in the future we do this theme: > Wha? - Science fiction movies that make no damn sense > The movie that inspired me to do such a theme is this one: > _Alphaville_ (1965, France, dir. Jean-Luc Godard) > I saw this a couple of months ago and was astonished how it used major talent applied it to an incredibly ridiculous plot. I saw _Lucy_ yesterday and was similarly amazed. Can anyone suggest some other movies that would fit this theme? Note that I don’t want science fiction movies with just a few significant plot holes and don’t want ones on a shoestring budget. I want ones that make no sense but were made by major talent. _Prometheus_ leaps immediately to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/14 "2014-07-28T00:11:43Z")
I went to see it because I liked _District 13_ (16 years after _The Fifth Element_), because the trailer was cool, and because _Limitless_, with a similar plot, was much better than I could have hoped. This is not a film. It’s a laser light show for a Pink Floyd soundtrack that inexplicably got left off. All you have to do is remove any of the scenes with Lucy and the stock footage and CGI are perfect Floydian faux profundity. The review at The Atlantic is titled [Lucy: The Dumbest Movie Ever Made About Brain Capacity](http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/life-is-futile-so-heres-what-to-do-with-it-according-to-lucy-a-spoilereview/375006/). It’s full of spoilers because it lists 26 dumb things the movie does. What’s astounding about that review is that those are mere minor flaws. I could probably come up with another 26 things that are even more gigantically dumb than those. Here’s the biggest: The fake drug is synthetic. Anybody can make more of it at any time. Lucy didn’t take it all; it’s already out there in the world. The scientists - who are useless appendages to the plot, since all they do is dissolve the drug in liquid, something anybody in the hospital could have done - might do so themselves. The whole movie turns out to be a countdown about defusing _a bomb that has already gone off_. I was thinking in the new _Inception_ thread how similar in structure these movies are. At base they are nothing more than comic books about people with superpowers. And all comic books about people with superpowers can be stripped down to two narratives: 1) the rules are made up; and 2) when the plot requires it, they suspend the rules. I contend the whole movie was filmed for no other reason than to do the car chase, which was spectacular and utterly idiotic. Wendell, \*The Matrix \*was bad but _Matrix Reloaded_ was F- quality. It’s _Lucy_ dumb. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/15 "2014-07-28T00:25:44Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > But is it allegorical? 😉 What is amazing is that _yes_, it most certainly tries to be, adding yet another layer to the stupidity. If you are in this thread and worried about spoilers, well then - shame on you 😉 But yeah, her going back and having a Michaelangelo Cistine Chapel moment with her Anthropological namesake was one of the unfortunately many points where I couldn’t hold back the sincere laughter. It was fuckin’ hilarious. Okay, okay - I have a phrase - I challenge you to come up with a better one to capture the tone of this movie: _arrogant vapidity_ ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/16 "2014-07-28T00:29:05Z")
It’s a shame for Scarlett Johansson’s career–it was (I think) her first chance to carry a movie. Looks as though she’ll be back to “the girl” roles. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/17 "2014-07-28T00:34:38Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > It’s a shame for Scarlett Johansson’s career–it was (I think) her first chance to carry a movie. Looks as though she’ll be back to “the girl” roles. Not a chance. With the money this movie is making I guarantee there’ll be a sequel: _Her vs. Lucy: Intelligence Squared_ ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/18 "2014-07-28T00:42:44Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Not a chance. With the money this movie is making I guarantee there’ll be a sequel: > > _Her vs. Lucy: Intelligence Squared_ 😃 Maybe if Scarlett agrees to make a personal visit to all ticket-buyers… ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/19 "2014-07-28T01:18:58Z")
Try to imagine Lucy as a Uwe Boll production. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186/20 "2014-07-28T01:41:19Z")
Oddly enough, the [Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lucy_2014/) rating is only 58%, as of this post. > [@Bill Goodykoontz](#): > > “Lucy” is insane, makes very little sense, doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, and is an absolute blast. :dubious: Maybe it could be, I suppose. But wow, does it look stupid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lucy-the-movie-with-scarlett-johansson-wow-what-a-dumb-movie/694186.md?page=2)