Suggestive of X-Men, The Matrix and the television show Heroes, Push is one of those time-mangling thrillers that manages to seem both complicated and superficial.
Push (2009)
Tomatometer
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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
One long mistake from start to finish, this is a film that never gets its rhythms or bearing right.
It's like watching an X-Men movie that doesn't feature the leather costumes and which doesn't have enough in the way of requisite thrills or action to keep anyone interested in it for very long.
It does the job it sets out to do: providing engaging entertainment centered around an interesting idea that it respects enough to think through properly.
Too much explanation, of the sort Cassie is inclined to provide, only slows down the nonsense Push is pushing.
With mediocre expectations going in, the flick's cleverness, great score and wicked fight scenes lead me to recommend this to anyone looking for a good time.
As a whole, Push feels unfinished, its ultimate destination accounting for nothing more than a shrug. There is a fair amount to like here, and just as much to resent for how much better it could have been.
You have to be clairvoyant to follow the particulars of this overly complicated, unconvincing thriller about folks with paranormal abilities.
[D]isappointingly generic shoot-'em-up dressed up with a few paranormal frills...
What really struck me more than the plot itself was McGuigan's amazing use of location and space; it feels as if this movie and these characters are really living in Hong Kong.
It's not great, but it's a perfectly fine version of psychics on the run versus the bad guys.
Push is supremely elegant, even beautiful; you can get lost in the visuals even as the narrative implodes. If ever there were a triumph of style over substance, this is it.
The scenes focused on lukewarm dialogue outnumber the action scenes ten to one, giving the film a listless, low-energy vibe.
Even with all its idiosyncratic elements, Push feels like something we've seen before. Unfortunately, said memory is of something far more fascinating and definitely more engaging.
Push falters not in trying to add its voice to the genre, it falters in not having anything compelling to say.
The ending left me scratching my head, unsure of what had happened, but certain of one thing: The giant pile of loose ends means somebody intends to make a sequel.
A trippy, nonstop action fest, with the feel of a really good episode of Heroes.
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August 27, 2009:
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