The premise is promising all right, but it's a movie over-stuffed with talk and actors with a glazed look as though they too aren't sure of what they're doing.
Push (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:118
Fresh:27
Rotten:91
Average Rating:4.3/10
Consensus: The sci-fi thriller Push is visually flashy but hyperkinetic and convoluted.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Sep 10, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $31,730,682
Synopsis:
A riveting action-thriller, Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the...
A riveting action-thriller, Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the future, create new realities and kill without ever touching their victims. Against this setting, a young man and a teenage girl take on a clandestine agency in a race against time that will determine the future of civilization.
The Division, a shadowy government agency, is genetically transforming citizens into an army of psychic warriors—and brutally disposing of those unwilling to participate. Nick Gant (Chris Evans), a second-generation telekinetic or “mover,” has been in hiding since the Division murdered his father more than a decade earlier. He has found sanctuary in densely populated Hong Kong—the last safe place on earth for fugitive psychics like him—but only if he can keep his gift a secret.
Nick is forced out of hiding when Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), a 13-year-old clairvoyant or “watcher,” seeks his help in finding Kira, (Camilla Belle), an escaped “pusher” who may hold the key to ending the Division’s program. Pushers possess the most dangerous of all psychic powers: the ability to influence others’ actions by implanting thoughts in their minds. But Cassie’s presence soon attracts the attention of the Division’s human bloodhounds, forcing Nick and Cassie to flee for their lives.
With the help of a team of rogue psychics, the unlikely duo traverses the seedy underbelly of the city, trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities as they search for Kira. But they find themselves square in the crosshairs of Division Agent Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou), a pusher who will stop at nothing to keep them from achieving their goal.--© Summit
Starring: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou
Starring: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Neil Jackson, Ming-Na, Cliff Curtis, Nate Mooney, Lu Lu
Director: Paul McGuigan
Director: Paul McGuigan
Screenwriter: David Bourla
Producer: William Vince, Bruce Davey
Composer:
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Reviews for Push
McGuigan's saving grace is a willingness to slow down and savour his own images. At best, a moody inconsequence takes over and confusion feels like part of the plan.
Pushing ideas into other people's minds is what this sci-fi fantasy thriller is all about, and Paul McGuigan's film looks great. The cast is good too. But there's a problem. The story doesn't make sense
Push is a chase film dolled up with supernatural powers and chintzy retro design motifs.
The most amazing thing about this by this idiotic sci-fi thriller is that the actors do not crack up when delivering their lines.
I thought Hayden Christensen in last year's Jumper would be as bland a mutant as the screen would ever give us, but that was before I saw Chris Evans in Push.
...suffers from an uneven sensibility that essentially holds the viewer at arm's length virtually from start to finish.
A harrowing mindbender which successfully blends elements of X-Men, The Matrix and Memento while adding some of its own unique sci-fi flava.
Push is an empty calorie extravaganza and demands a crooked concentration it doesn't earn to sufficiently piece this mess together.
An unholy mixture of Heroes and Jumper...'What if nothing we did made any sense?' says the inept hero, apparently reciting the credo of the moviemakers.
There are many problems with Push, and most are the usual boring things: unnecessary plot loops; long, dumb musical interludes; a charmless script; and ostentatious action sequences in which the only person excited is the cameraman.
The violence is incessant, the portentousness constant, the opacity rarely penetrated.
Push has vibrant cinematography and decent acting, but I'm blasted if I know what it's about.
Director Paul McGuigan does his best, but this is just a slog that mistakes earnest detail for engaging narrative. Shove.
It’s fun teen stuff but wrecked by director Paul McGuigan’s confusing use of constant flashbacks.
The lack of any convincing over-arching plot, the muddled use of alternating futures and squashed-together gaggle of wafer-thin characters renders the project a near complete failure when it comes to thrills and entertainment.
Director Paul McGuigan serves this up with a flashy swagger but there is no disguising the fact that it is an incomprehensible mess.
Evans and 10,000 BC's Belle shuffle through a turgid romantic subplot, and though the two characters are very, very pretty, they've got the chemical spark of a banana.
Latest News for Push
August 27, 2009:
Win in-season tickets to see sci-fi thriller Push
More...
July 06, 2009:
RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
It's a genre lover's feast this week on DVD, but don't say we didn't warn you about those pesky rotten Tomatometers. First up? Alex Proyas's latest science fiction thriller,... More...
February 05, 2009:
Five Favorite Films with Djimon Hounsou
After giving critically-acclaimed performances in Oscar-nominated films like Amistad, In America, Gladiator, and Blood Diamond, Benin-born actor Djimon Hounsou finally gets to... More...
February 05, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Coraline Is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies, we've got dark whimsy (Coraline, with voice work by Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher); love mishaps (He's Just Not That Into You, starring Jennifer... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 85% 85% | Cloudy With a Chance o… |
| 28% 28% | The Final Destination |
| 86% 86% | Lorna's Silence |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!
Competitions

We're giving away copies of Judd Apatow's latest.



Top Critic

