SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: LEE KAILYN

STUDENT ID NO: 0320273

FILMS SELECTED: LUCY AND LIMITLESS (SCIENCE FICTION)

WORD COUNT: 748 WORDS

ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: APRIL 3RD, 2015

PRE WRITING: LUCY AND LIMITLESS (SCIENCE FICTION)

Similarities

- Same genre movie and both are transhumanism movies.

- Both movies are having the same idea. The idea that average human only use 10 per cent of their brain capacity.

- Both main characters uses a drug to unlock this abilities in both movies

- Both of these movies shared a similar themes. Lucy and Limitless both movies own themes related to transhumanism and evolution.

- Shared similar plot-wise.

Differences

- The settings and characters of these two movies are very different.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY

Since the late1960s, major science fiction film has become increasingly popular. It have

succeeded in pulling in large audience shares, and films of this genre have become a regular

staple of the film industry. Science fiction films have led the way in special effects technology,

and have also been used as a vehicle social commentary. Science fiction can place humanity in

situations it cannot or has not encountered. One of the reason why people love to watch science

fiction film is it come to terms with human condition. The two science fiction movie I am

comparing in the essay are ‘LUCY’ and ‘LIMITLESS’. These two movies are definitely with a

same genre of film and both are transhumanism movies. Transhumanism is about humans

reaching another level of development through man-made technology and robotics.

First of all, the similarities of these two movies are having the same idea. The idea that

average human only use 10 per cent of their brain capacity. It's one of the most popular

misconceptions in biology. In the movie of ‘Lucy’, it said in the film that the idea behind the

drug named CPH4 enables Scarlett Johansson’s character as Lucy to use more than 10% of her

brain and that accounts for her special abilities while in 2011 thriller Limitless, Bradley Cooper’s

character Eddie Morra takes a pill that enables him to access 100 percent of his brain abilities,

and the struggling writer become a financial wizard.

Next, both main characters use a drug to unlock this abilities in both movies. In ‘Lucy’, the

drugs that leaked into Lucy’s system helped to unlock the other 90 per cent while in ‘Limitless’,

Eddie Morra takes a new brain-enhancing drug and is suddenly able to access every memory,

every word he's ever read and presumably see "50 steps ahead of everyone else." Besides that,

they both are hunted down by drug dealers. In ‘Lucy’, Lucy discovers that the briefcase contains

the synthetic drug CPH4 and she is forced to work to Mr. Jang as drug mule for a new and

powerful synthetic drug. In ‘Limitless’, Eddie being hunted down by Russian mobsters and a

relentless figure who isn't adverse to killing innocent by standers in his quest to get to Eddie's

miracle drugs.

Furthermore, these two movies shared a similar themes. Lucy and Limitless both movies

own themes related to transhumanism and evolution. In ‘Lucy’, as she gets roughed up by the

mobsters, Lucy wears a feline-print vest which tells us that Lucy is a regular, animalistic human

who has yet to reach a higher level of evolution. Lucy begins to evolve after some kind of drug

bursts inside of her.while in Limitless, Eddie despite evolving to be as crooked as his enemies

are, still comes off as much more sympathetic.

Aside from similarities, while these two movies are similar plot-wise, the settings and

characters are very different. Firstly, Lucy was set in Taipei 101 while Limitless was set in

United States. In addition, Lucy looks weak but she is one of the strongest characters she was

able to summon all of her celestial spirits at once when opening only two could kill some

wizards, her magic is incredibly rare and unlike everyone else she was kept in an

environment .Lucy has a more feminist, intellectual flair (Scarlett Johansson taking control of

and owning every situation she’s placed in without a man or anyone’s help, and Morgan

Freeman plays a neuroscientist), while Cooper’s Limitless is more spectacle and possibly easier

to follow. His characteristic smoothness has been abraded by an unwashed look worn with a

scraggy ponytail. His blue eyes are rimmed with pink. He also looks like a homeless guy and an

aspiring novelist or a desperate combination of the two.

Last but not least, the science fiction movie is alive and well in Hollywood but let’s face it,

mostly it’s kept alive by sequels and comic book adaptations.  While fresh science fiction ideas

thrive in print, they’re a uncommon thing in the film industry. Science fiction movies allow

people to open up their imaginations to all sorts of possibilities. Eddie Morra (of Limitless) and

Lucy’s lines are exceptionally similar, and this is no coincidence. Both films establish their

foundations on an interesting scientific myth, and the notion that humans are not fully realized

can be a wonderfully dynamic topic, giving authors and filmmakers a lot of space to generate a

multitude of unique hypotheses of their own. Both film also received high audience ratings.

REFERENCES

1) (About Entertainment, 2011)Murray, R. (2011, March 3rd). Retrieved from about entertainment:

http://movies.about.com/od/limitless/fr/limitless-movie-review.htm

2) ( Contain Moderate Peril, 2014)(2014, December 5th). Retrieved from Contain Moderate Peril:

http://www.containsmoderateperil.com/lucy-2014/

3) ( Carr, 2014)Carr, K. (2014, July 29). Retrieved from Films School Reject:

http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/lucy-movie-full-brain-potential.php

4) ( Counter Culture, 2014 )

(2014, September 5). Retrieved from Counter Culture: http://countercultureuk.com/2014/09/05/lucy/

5) (Limitless, 2011)(2011, March 19). Retrieved from Limitless: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/limitless-20110318-1bzdl.html