Push

This little bit of cinematic junk food is moderately entertaining if you're not looking to exercise any brain cells. It's about a bunch of people -- some good, some bad -- with special powers in pursuit of a suitcase that contains something that everybody wants. I could go into what the suitcase actually contains, and why it's important, and why everyone wants it, but I don't have the energy, and it doesn't matter much anyway, because the film is more interested in its style than it is in its plot, which isn't in this case a criticism.

The film reminded me of a jacked up version of one of those 1940s crime thrillers, where everyone speaks in a hard-boiled patter and what happens isn't nearly as important as how it all looks happening. So what if this film's plot seems needlessly complicated, and so what if there are way too many narrative threads that don't ever get completely developed, and so what if the whole thing is edited to within an inch of its life? It's still pretty fun if you're in the mood for it.

Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning are the nominal stars, and Djimon Hounsou makes an appearance, proving yet again that what he really needs more than anything is a better dialect coach.

The crazy color palettes and art direction in this film reminded me as I was watching it of "Lucky Number Slevin," another bit of entertaining B pulp. How funny then that I look at this film's director's (Paul McGuigan) resume only to find that it includes....you guessed it....."Lucky Number Slevin." If nothing else, his films certainly have a visual style in common.

Grade: B

Push is a movie that shouldn't have been a movie. There are so many cool ideas and concepts here, a world I'd love to know more about and explore further but cramming it all into one movie was a mistake. This would work so much better as a (mini)series but we get what we get. As a movie, it's a mess of mixed ideas mashed together, characters rush through things and the world is a string of narration and clumsy storytelling. The acting and the cinematography are all a little off too leaving this feeling like it's got great potential but in reality it's a whiff on delivery.

I still feel like this is worth a background watch for science fiction fans, the ideas here are really interesting but the reality is that it's a clunky, awkward and underwhelming mess of a film.

Push offers a very interesting premise with its wide variety of psychics and the agency trying to keep it all under control and use them. Hong Kong offers an exotic background for the action to take place.

The movie makes an interesting attempt at being half action thriller, reminiscent of a Bourne movie, and half super-hero blockbuster, in the tradition of the X-Men. But director Paul McGuigan is never able to make us fully feel for the characters and their ordeal and the action sequences, while pleasant to watch, never instill emotional response. We're not scared for anyone, our blood does not pump during chases either.

The two stars of Push are an unlikely duo of actor which surprised me somewhat. Chris Evans has often been derided as being just another bland pretty face. Here, he is paired with young Dakota Fanning, who has been revered by many as a child prodigy actress. What's interesting to me is that, had I not seen previous films from these two, I wouldn't notice much difference in quality between the two. They both give a suitable performance. Neither Oscar-worthy nor garbage.

Unfortunately, the support cast is very weak. Camilla Belle is pretty but bland as usual. Cliff Curtis and Djimon Hounsou are both amazing actors but here they have very little to work with. I blame McGuigan and writer David Bourla for not providing them with opportunities to shine.

What makes this movie a 5 rather than a 6 is its confusing and botched conclusion. As if somehow the production ran out of time and needed to wrap things up on the spot. Perhaps hoping for a sequel? Push has an intriguing premise and more than enough basic material to be stretched into a trilogy or even a short TV series but as is the rule of thumb with those sort of things, it is doubtful things will get better should sequels be produced.

I wish the premise had been used to tell a better story, in a better way.

These days you can't throw a half-brick in the air without it landing on someone who can fly, or was bitten by a radioactive spider (and that's assuming that the 'half-brick' in question doesn't GIVE the person it lands on the power to fly or climb walls!). However, back in 2009, superhero movies (or those generally showing young, good-looking people with superpowers) weren't quite always guaranteed to make as much money as today's average Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Therefore, 'Push' sort of flew below radar at the time. I'd like to say that it's achieved a 'cult following' over time and it's a bit more of a 'sleeper hit,' however, it seems to have been completely forgotten. And, in my opinion, that's a shame - I really enjoyed it!

I guess to sum it up simply, it's a bit like the 'X-men.' There may not be a 'recognised' team of superheroes dedicated to saving the world here, but you do have a sub-group of human who are 'cursed' with special powers and so destined to either be hunted by shady Government agents before being studied in Top Secret laboratories , or simply working for the afore-mentioned shady Government agencies.

Chris Evans is one such 'person of power' - yes, THE Chris Evans who glossed over the 'Fantastic Four' to become one of the headliners of the Marvel universe, Captain America. However, rather than wielding a red, white and blue shield (or being able to burst into flames at will!) here he's a 'mover.' This is one of the many types of 'ability' these 'special' people exhibit and, in his case, basically means someone with telekinetic powers. He's currently on the run from the authorities in Hong Kong, but his life of hiding comes to a premature end when a young 'watcher' (someone who can see the future and played by Dakota Fanning) tracks him down in order to help her rescue more of their kind.

What follows is effectively a 'chase movie' where the 'gifted' youngsters are pursued by their evil equivalents. And, like I say, if you like superhero-type movies, it's all good sci-fi fun. The characters are likeable enough and there's good chemistry between the leads. Plus there's plenty of action and a few fight-scenes using special powers which are quite inventive and do stick in your mind once the credits have rolled.

If I had to mention a negative side (besides the kind of uninspiring title!) I'd say that the world which we find ourselves watching does need a lot of explaining so that you know all the rules of how it all works. Nowadays, we know what to expect in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but, back then, there was quite a lot of 'exposition' supplied in lengthy voice-overs of segments of dialogue. I'm not sure whether 'Push' was based on a comic, or book, but it felt like you'd certainly pick it up quicker if you'd read a great deal of backstory surrounding what's going on. And, it's because of this lack of knowledge as to what powers people possess, that our heroes seem to bounce from one scene after the next meeting a new person with the exact superpower required to either get them out of their current predicament, or move the story along.

However, I can forgive that and simply enjoy it for what it is - a harmless piece of superhero fun. Even if it never got the recognition that I felt it at least deserved, it's still fun. And, if you can find it on any of the popular modern streaming services, I'd recommend you watch it - even if it's just to see what Chris Evans did before life in the MCU.

"Push" is the best movie from a recent new genre of science fiction movies. This new genre of movies, which includes "Jumper" and "Wanted", generally involves characters with psychic or psionic abilities, a conspiratorial shadow group, and an unlikely anti-hero, set against a banal or dystopian realism. "Push" blows these other two admittedly weak offerings out of the cinematic water.

Both the visuals and the action in "Push" are quite good. "Push" is set in Hong-Kong. The city has enough exotic flavor to be interesting and enough grit to provide a realistic backdrop for the more fanciful elements of the film. The filmmakers captured the feeling of a William Gibson novel without having to set the film at night in the rain for the entire movie.

The action sequences are excellent. "Push" does not suffer from the hyper-kinetic, shake-the-camera-until-the-viewer-is-confused action sequences of "Bourne Ultimatum" or "Quantum of Solace". In "Push", you know who is punching whom and you can tell who is winning.

Visual effects? Here is what sold me on this film and on this filmmaker's vision: When a "mover" (a person with telekinetic powers) uses his ability to push something away or to enhance the power of a punch (yes, I said TK-enhanced fight sequences...don't drool on your keyboard) the visual effects people were smart enough to consider the effect on the nearby air. The air gets...crimped, and as a result the light refracts in a split second rainbow pattern at the moment of impact. That level of forethought and detail is what "Jumper" and "Wanted" lacked.

Another element that this movie possesses that "Jumper" and "Wanted" doesn't is a focus on the characters. Any movie or show about psychic powers or "superpowers" lives or dies on the relationships between the characters. The male lead and Dakota Fanning are excellent together and quickly establish a rapport that gives the film more depth. Honorable mention goes to the enemy "watcher"--she is genuinely threatening, lollipop notwithstanding. I also loved the tip of the hat to the anime genre exhibited in Cassie's (Fanning) wardrobe.

This movie is worth every bit of the matinée price I paid. And I will probably watch it again.

A few points: One, this is not a superhero movie. While people who like "Heroes" and some of the Marvel films might enjoy this movie, one should not go in expecting that kind of experience.

Two, I do wish that the producers had about 15 million extra dollars. The extra money would have allowed them to show more of the story and neatly tie a couple of loose ends, rather than telling the audience. I sincerely hope this film does well enough to garner a more expansively budgeted sequel.

Three, this movie has some minor plot issues, especially a small deux ex machina cum Toyota, that might bother some. But, if you choose to buy into the experience, "Push" will take you on a fantastic ride.

-Blindcurve