From Luc Besson, the director who gave us classics like Nikita, Taken and the outstanding Léon:The Professional, is a tale of a woman who is accidentally exposed to a new form of drug which allows her to use all of her brain functionality instead of the normal 10% that we mere pond life will do in our lifetime.

The problem with the film is that it strays from being a clever sci-fi thriller to an all out action movie to a moralistic tale and swings from serious to tongue in cheek and back again leaving you unsure how to take the dialogue at times. The one section of the movie which is memorable is a terrific car chase through the streets of Paris, it’s a bit Blues Brother like in parts, but there are some great near miss moments.

Scarlett Johansson does a good job in the lead role but, with the exception of the opening scenes where she is left like a lamb to the slaughter and the very early stage of her transformation where there’s an emotional phone call to her mother, her talent is not called upon to any real level. The 2011 movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper was a cleverer version of a similar tale without the need for the revenge tale and the psychedelic last ten minutes filled with flashback visions and wormholes however the ambiguous ending will either have you scratching your head wondering what is going on or will have you complimenting Bessons cleverness for leaving you with an ending with so many debatable possibilities. Not a bad movie but it’s just lacking the structure which may have made it a classic.

DJ Speaks Rating: 5.5 out of 10