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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Luc Besson
USA 2014

 

From La Femme Nikita and The Professional to The Fifth Element, writer/director Luc Besson has created some of the toughest, most memorable female action heroes in cinematic history. Now, Besson directs Scarlett Johansson in Lucy, an action-thriller that tracks a woman accidentally caught in a dark deal who turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. Lucy also stars Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman.

***

Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson headline this EuropaCorp/TF1 Films co-production directed by Luc Besson, and released by Universal Pictures. The story centers on a woman Johansson who falls prey to sinister underworld forces, but who gains superhuman abilities that allow her to strike back at her oppressors.

***

Starting with the provocative premise – that human beings use only 10% of their brain capacity – this is strictly science fiction. Filmmaker Luc Besson knew that this percentage figure was inaccurate, yet plunged ahead with his inventive adventure, revolving around a naïve young American named Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) who gets tricked into delivering a mysterious metal briefcase to a Taiwanese crime boss, Mr. Jang (South Korean actor Choi Min Sik), and forced to become one of his drug mules. When she’s repeatedly kicked in the gut, there’s leakage from the bag of blue crystals, a narcotic known as CPH4, that’s been surgically inserted in her abdomen, and a metamorphosis occurs: Lucy becomes superhuman. Determined not only to wreak primal revenge on her captors but also to acquire more and more knowledge, employing her increasing array of powers and skills – she contacts Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), a neuroscientist who is lecturing about cerebral capacity at a university in Paris.

Excerpt from Susan Granger located HERE

Posters

 

Theatrical Release: July 25th, 2014

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Universal - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover

 

  

  

 

  

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray Universal - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 1:29:27.362         1:29:28.738
Video

2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,512,073,556 bytes

Feature: 27,171,016,704 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.26 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

2.35:1 2060P 4K Ultra HD
Disc Size: 62,628,934,363 bytes
Feature: 61,907,277,504 bytes
Video Bitrate: 79.99 Mbps
Codec:
HEVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Bitrate 4K UHD:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 4282 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4282 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit

Dolby TrueHD + Atmos English 5206 kbps 7.1 / 48 kHz / 5206 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 5.1-EX / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
DUBs:

Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB

Subtitles English, None English (SDH), Spanish, French, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Universal

 

2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,512,073,556 bytes

Feature: 27,171,016,704 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.26 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• • The Evolution of Lucy (16:14)
• Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy (10:04)
DVD - and code for downloadable


Blu-ray Release Date:
January 20th, 2015
Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboard sleeve

Chapters 20

Release Information:
Studio:
Universal

 

2.35:1 2060P 4K Ultra HD
Disc Size: 62,628,934,363 bytes
Feature: 61,907,277,504 bytes
Video Bitrate: 79.99 Mbps
Codec:
HEVC Video

 

Edition Details:

Blu-ray with:

• The Evolution of Lucy (16:14)
• Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy (10:04)
DVD - and code for downloadable


4K Ultra HD Release Date:
August 9th, 2016
Standard 4K Ultra HD Case inside cardboard slipcase

Chapters 20

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective disc.

ADDITION: Universal 4K UHD (July 2019): As stated in our review of Universal's 2015 Blu-ray HERELucy is one of the more incredible pieces of cinema eye-candy in recent years. With an fabulous array of cameras and lenses (Arri Alexa XT Plus, Cooke S4 and Fujinon Alura Lenses, Red Epic etc) and a 65 mm (horizontal) negative format producing 4K sources coupled with hypnotic science-fiction effects - this seemed destined for a 4K UHD home theatre release. We loved the 1080P but, predictably, the UHD resolution (3840 X 2160) via a 60 Gig file size and over double the bitrate of the Blu-ray has produced a near demo-image. The 4K image quality has richer and deeper black levels and colors. The resulting visuals are darker but have an increase in, overall, detail. As well as flesh tones warming, you can see every grain of skin in facial close-ups. Along with the jaw-dropping effects - this 4K UHD is a total visual feast.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (warmth of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this variance. 

NOTE: 44 more full resolution (3840 X 2160) captures for Patrons are available HERE.

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR) The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR),  A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR),  2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

The HDR on the 4K UHD is only one facet of this demo-worthy experience, and there is another reason that you may want to impress your guests. If you are fortunate enough to have a setup that allows for Dolby TrueHD 7.1, or Dolby Atmos in particular, this is quite an experience. The frequent gunplay aggression rises and fall like a rollercoaster ride and the lively score is by Eric Serra (Besson's The Fifth ElementLeon: The ProfessionalThe Big Blue) which adds intensity to the abundant action while Mozart's Mass No. 19 in D Minor, K.626 'Requiem': Introitus: 'Requiem Aeternam' adds wonderful serenity to the contemplative, often slow-motion, scenes with some included hints of Beck, Guillaume Bouchateau and others. This ratchets another notch above the robust DTS-HD Master surround of the Blu-ray. There are also lossy foreign-language DUBs and subtitles - plus English - and as with all 4K UHD discs, this is Region 'Free'. 

NOTE: For Atmos many non-compliant systems will recognizes it as TrueHD 7.1, but from Wikipedia: "Because of limited bandwidth and lack of processing power, Atmos in home theaters is not a real-time mix rendered the same way as in cinemas. The substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus. This substream only represents a losslessly encoded fully object-based mix. This substream does not include all 128 objects separated. This is not a matrix-encoded channel, but a spatially-encoded digital channel. Atmos in home theaters can support 24.1.10 channel, but it is not an object-based real-time rendering. Filmmakers need to remix and render the TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks with Dolby Media Producer."

There are no extras on the 4K UHD disc. The included second disc Blu-ray is the exact same one as the previously released BD - with the files on the disc (dated: September 10th, 2014) confirming that. It is reviewed HERE. We get a 16-minute production featurette with interview snippets from cast and crew - entitled The Evolution of Lucy. There is also a 10-minute piece linking the film's concept to actual science. It is called Cerebral Capacity: The True Science of Lucy. The package includes a Digital Copy of Lucy and also an UltraViolet (both subject to expiration).

As I stated about the Blu-ray: Lucy is Luc Besson returning to form - but in overdrive. My suggestion is to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride. Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman are perfect casting. It looks so impressive on my system and we strongly recommend Lucy for the digital library of 4K adopters.

Gary Tooze

 


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