Luc Besson, the French one-man action studio system, presents his latest gem, about a drug mule (Scarlett Johansson) moving an illegal and highly experimental concoction that accidently seeps into her bloodstream and transforms her into a matrix-level warrior with unlimited capacity for damage and a desire to get revenge on the people who trapped her in her former desperate life. Based on the trailers, Besson definitely seems to be mining similar territory as Limitless and The Matrix — with a reluctant hero accessing full human potential backed by a supportive mentor (here that would be Morgan Freeman), but Besson (La Femme Nikita) gets bonus points for providing us with another female warrior to add to his diverse roll call. Now in theaters. (R) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2014.
