Scarlett Johansson carries the film effortlessly, bridging Besson's narrative and logical ellipses by fully embracing his crowd-pleasing intentions and convincingly depicting Lucy's psychological transformation.
– Chris Packham,
Village Voice,
25 Jul 2014
rotten:
Besson has made very, very bad films in the past, but this is the first time he has presented one so idiotic that the only way to properly convey its flaws is to enumerate them.
– Christopher Orr,
The Atlantic,
25 Jul 2014
rotten:
Part philosophical/scientific treatise, part action movie, a film that goes from mayhem to boredom in a heartbeat.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jul 2014
fresh:
No one has ever accused French action director Luc Besson of thinking too hard, and this frantic exercise in pseudoscience and goofball metaphysics is best enjoyed by following his lead.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
31 Jul 2014
fresh:
Lucy is not about to win any prizes from Mensa ... but this isn't quite like any other blockbuster you'll see this year.