Film Review: Lucy.

 

So I finally went to see Lucy sometime last week and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it alot. This review is fairly late because I've been super busy and unable to blog, so I'm sorry for that!

Direction, written and edited by Luc Besson Lucy is a French, sci-fi, action film about a young American woman (Scarlett Johansson) who is living and studying in Taipei, Taiwan. Her boyfriend tricks her into delivering a briefcase to his employer who is a Korean mob boss and drug mule called Mr Jang. The briefcase contains a very valuable bag of an artificial drug called CPH4. The bag is forcibly sewn into Lucy's abdomen and three other drug mules. She is taken into captivity and after a beating from one of her captors, the bag breaks causing the substance to flow into her system resulting in her new abilities like telepathy, telekinesis, mental time travel and the power not to feel human emotions. Morgan Freeman also stars as Professor Norman who helps her.

I have to say Scarlett Johnasson is not a favourite actress of mine, infact she often annoys me in films for reasons I don't even know why. But I can still root for her and enjoy the characters she plays, like The Black Widow in Captain America or The Avengers. In this film however she blew me away with her acting and was totally badass as the hero. To ground Lucy in the beginning, she plays the scared, hysterical woman perfectly to the point where you believe in the character so much. As she begins unlocking the potential in her brain and the new abilities, she begins disassociating with humanity and their emotions. This transition is so smooth from Johansson that you are actually a bit fearful of her because of her fading facial expressions and monotone voice.

Lucy's special effects were both stunning and absurd. As she keeps gaining every ten percent of her new abilities, the effects of the films grow bigger and more spectacular as she restructures the world around her and takes out her enemies like they are nothing.

The only two criticisms I have of this film are that I don't think the directors gave much thought or effort to the supporting cast. I love Morgan Freeman but his scenes often left me bored and wanting more of Lucy. He is charming as Professor Norman but he is only used to explain the film's scientific theories along with clarifying what Lucy is actually doing in that moment. He doesn't really bring any weight to the film and you wouldn't really miss him if he wasn't in the film.

My second criticism is that I felt the ending was very anti-climatic. I won't spoil anything for anyone who wants to see it but the scene and music really build up the idea of an explosive ending but then just leaves you hanging completely. After the fast pacing of the film, it just abruptly stops and doesn't really give a clear explanation of what's just happened.

But other than that, I did enjoy the film and will probably most likely watch it again. As I say, I don't really like Scarlett Johansson as an actress but she did surprise me in this film.

Have you seen it? Did you like it?
Please leave any thoughts you have in the comments below.

Thankyou for reading.
Laura.

Film Review: Captain America, The Winter Soldier.

I realise this review is a bit late as this film came out almost two months ago but I just had to review it!

I haven't said this here before but I am a huge Marvel fan and will watch any film they make. I saw this back in Portugal and instantly fell in love with it. I saw it again when I was back home in the UK and found bits I had missed before which made it even more better. Unlike majority of Marvel fans, I did actually like the first Captain America which built up its storyline of how Steve Rogers came to be America's hero with super strength and a super jawline to go with it..

This sequel, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, saw Steve Rogers aka Captain America (Chris Evans trying to fit in this new modern world after the battle in New York with The Avengers by living in Washington D.C. However (without giving too much away!) there is a conspiracy going on in S.H.I.E.L.D so he enlists the help of Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie) to figure it all out while being faced with a mysterious, formidable assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

The film was another marvellous Marvel movie! See what I did there?

The plot was easy to follow and I can't say too much without giving away the whole thing. Let me just say, there are a few plot twists that are pretty shocking and leave you with so many questions.. and also who exactly is the Winter Soldier? Unfortunately Tumblr spoiled it for me before I saw it so I knew who it was going to be but the film hints along the way who it could be and it does seem pretty obvious before the big reveal but it's still an emotional, tense scene.

There were a few parts which brought tears to my eyes because of the incredible acting by Chris Evans and others. However I do have a love/hate relationship with the Black Widow/Scarlett Johansson purely because at times she's very cocky and just overall annoys me at times but some of her fight scenes are just too badass to ignore. Girl power!

The ending brings up so many questions which leaves you longing for the next film.. which is 2016, I believe.

So Marvel fans everywhere, if you haven't already, go and see it! Even if he's not your favourite superhero/avenger.. his storyline links up with so many things that are going to lead other avenger films on.

Oh and if you don't already know by now, as it is a Marvel movie.. there's two post-credit scenes! 

Enjoy!

Thankyou for reading.

Laura.