Push (2009) User Reviews

Don't Think Too Hard If You Want to Enjoy This Movie

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 1 October 2009]

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

Interesting premise...

[Siamois · 5/10 · 23 July 2009]

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.

Weak plot, OK action, confusing...a good rental don't see in theater

[goods116 · 5/10 · 9 February 2009]

***PROBABLE SPOILERS*** First, to be clear, I love action movies, I crave the latest superhero movie, I like Lost, Heroes, etc., what I am saying is that I can enjoy mindless action or sci-fi for what it is.

That being said, Push was a weak film on most levels. The Honk Kong setting was the only positive, but not enough to carry the film. The problems were multiple, and the movie ended up being incoherent. Some of the problems: (1) The origin of these people with powers makes no sense; (2) The intro scene with the hero as a boy tells us little; (3) How did all these people, and a 13 year old girl end up in Hong Kong?; (4) One minute he can't move dice and one day later he is all powerful?; (5) In general, how the powers work seem inconsistent; (6)The characters come in and out with little explanation to their connection to the story and why they are there or how they got there -- this is probably the biggest weakness; (7) the main plot line is muddled ; (8) many loose ends -- what happened to the mother?

Some of the fight scenes are OK, and as I said, Hong Kong, but the movie was nothing more than a sequence of scenes with characters that just show up randomly and confront or attack each other or hideout. This is probably OK to watch on HBO or on a plane, but don't spend 2 hrs in a theater.

Worth Watching (if Only For the Scenery Alone!)

[srvblooze · 19 November 2011]

All of the reviews I've read of this movie have savaged it and, personally, I didn't think it was nearly bad as bad as all that. There were some interesting characters (the guy they enlist to help them hide themselves from the bad guys comes to mind here), and it put a new and interesting spin on the whole "people with super powers" genre. BUT...what really makes me love this film is the depictions of Hong Kong. See, I have been living in Hong Kong for almost 5 years now and I've told all my friends and family that if they want to get a good look at the many sides of the city (other than the touristy facade is typically presented), watch this movie. The film makers really did a great job of capturing what it's like to wander around Hong Kong, and the cinematography is like eye candy.

Not too bad

[Sergiodave · 6/10 · 14 April 2022]

The fact I had heard next to nothing about this movie made my expectations low, but while it was light on characterisation and a back story it was an okay 'Super Power' movie. Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning were fine in the leads but I couldn't figure out whether Camilla Belle's performance was deliberate or an inability to act. I would say give the movie a try, it's better than 'Jumper'.

pretty entertaining film

[irtsoup · 7/10 · 7 May 2009]

i don't know what people are after when going to see a movie of the kind really, and then yawn about how poor it is or how wasted their time was. this kind of movie demands one certain approach. watch it for what it is and only for that, because if you are about to start comparing it and trying to find clichés, rip-offs, etc, you lose what is most important: to enjoy the film, which has nothing to say actually, but it is fun to watch anyway.

as for the film itself, i must say that i found it pretty entertaining, far from a classic, but quite good. i found the direction was great, Paul mcguigan did a great job, with odd angles and using different types of films during the takes, giving a different point of view in each scene. it gave to me a guyritchie-esquire feeling (in a good way) to be honest.

the acting was decent too. i found Evans, though i haven't watched any of his previous films, really cool. and by cool i mean the whole sense of the word. without doing much, he got me liking him from the start. Camilla belle acted just as she should: a little out of place, a little out of time. that was exactly what she had to be like in my opinion. Dakota fanning. that's an interesting one. can't exactly describe what i think of her acting, she is in a strange acting age, too old to be little, too little to be older. reminded me of Natalie portman in Leon, struggling to look older and more mature than she actually is. but the role was all about this struggle, so she coped with it very well. the villains was a minus, cause they were not so "villains" after all, especially in the beginning were the two brothers were screaming like primadonas, and i was like "what the hell? Evans can move stuff, Dakota can see the future, belle can f*** your mind and the bad guys, what? they're replicas of rob halford? what were the Nazis thinking?? 'we'll come to your house and break all your crystal, so surrender' ". anyway, the Chinese guys weren't so fearful after all, but they were the minor villains and i wonder why they didn't die earlier on the film. at least they did one thing right, they annoyed me, so i was happy they died at the end. hounsou and his blond assistant were good (bad) enough though! so i call it (almost) even.

anyway, i started writing a little comment on the movie and i ended up mumbling. so, to put an end on this all i'm saying is that push is a fun to watch film, with fair enough performances, great direction, nice plot and a nice, although suspected, twist n the end. it won't become your all time favorite, but it will sure entertain you.

"All substance, No sense"

[Simon_Says_Movies · 6/10 · 3 March 2009]

The old saying goes, "all style, no substance" but the same cannot be said for Push. If anything, this superheroesque sci-fi actionier is more like "all substance, no sense". I have found one of the carnal sins of movie making is trying to smarten up a movie that doesn't need to be bumped up a peg. In place of break-neck action, director Paul McGuigan (who helmed the 2006 cult hit Lucky Number Slevin) has opted to cram more information and back-story down our gullets then an unlucky turkey on thanksgiving, yet without ever really accomplishing anything but convolution.

To be fair, there is still a good lot to recommend about this film. Nobody could accuse Push of being unoriginal and to McGuigan's credit the characters are more fully realized then those in most films of a similar ilk (McGuigan himself said he was more concerned with the character element then the action). Yet from the confusing opening to the splurge of character introduction in the opening act, many will find themselves drifting off and losing interest. Thankfully, by the final act the mood has settled, the heroes and villains drift in and out enough to become familiar and the supernatural element becomes significantly less convoluted. (Although some post-film research helped further yet) Cementing the movie in the realm of watchability is a spectacular final battle, shot almost entirely with stunt-work and the gritty effect is quite enticing.

The world is not as it may seem. Psychics are very real and they are both a blessing and a curse to a shadowy and sinister organization known only The Division (oooh, scary). Heavily monitored, some of those with special gifts work for The Division, others are on the run, some in hiding, but some become part of secret experiments to harness their unique gifts as weapons. Among these unique individuals are varying varieties of skills; there are Bleeders who can emit high frequency screeches that cause death, Movers who can move objects with their mind, Pushers who can insert thoughts and memories into others and the list goes on to include Shadow's, Shifter's, Sniffer's, Stitcher's, Watcher's and Wiper's. (You can see where confusion could set in) The story begins with a young Mover named Nick Grant (Chris Evans) who is attempting to avoid the Division and its shady leader Carver (Djimon Hounsou) who wants to keep tabs on him. He crosses paths with a young but gifted Watcher named Cassie (Dakota Fanning) who unfortunately has the nasty propensity to predict their deaths. Leading them to a high value subject of The Division's (Kira, coincidently an old flame of Nick's) Cassie, Nick and Kira try to prevent the powerful agency from getting hold of dangerous and powerful drug. I won't go any further into the plot then that, because otherwise I'm fairly certain you would never read my reviews again.

Of the countless films in recent years, Push reminds me the most of Jumper in more ways then one. They both feature a small population of gifted individuals being hunted by a powerful and secretive organization, and with both securing the skills of a ruthless African American agent. (In Jumper's case it was Samuel L. Jackson) More similar yet is the clear indication that the films are intended to be the first in a series of many (I will say that Push does an infinitely better job of wrapping up its chapter then the shamelessly gaping ending of Jumper) and with both I feel that any subsequent instalments will be a large improvement over the set-up and confusion of the original. So when push comes to shove, here is hoping that studios feel this inventive but uneven chase adventure was enough of a success for a sequel.

6.5 / 10.0

Read all my reviews at: http://www.simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com

sums up slums of HongKong, some elements of Heroes, but falls short of common superhero sense.

[honorhorror · 6/10 · 15 February 2009]

Basically, "Push" itself is a puzzle for audiences, stirring up their curiosity about the mystery of a world "Push" can give us. The story is not a cliché, but neither a groundbreaking piece. A little boy with Telekinetic potential had to witness his father's murder and let the murderer go. He lately grew up to be a nobody, waiting for fate to unfold the next page of his life. Ended up in Hongkong slums, he encountered a fortune-telling little girl who claimed for help. In the process he found a possible way to avenge his father.

So what is the title "Push"? Does it represent Telekinesis the protagonist holds? Or is it something more? To prevent spoilers,it is left for you to discover. But "Push" the movie can be considered a post-modern narrative, a twisted version of "Heroes" set in HongKong. Again there is very few new elements in the movie except some good fighting scenes. The movie tried too hard to survive the tide of superhero movies in years, but finally falls short of common sense of superhero movies. Normally, a superhero should have more or less some character development, but "Push" just kept introducing new characters like throwing candies until everyone looks dull and flat. Satisfied? Normally, a superhero movie had a world logically explorable and full of surprises in a positive way. But "Push" pushed the audiences to swallow every piece of hard bone of the story, without any satisfying development regarding the connections of each character. An example could be the romance between the male and female lead. Well, it is arguably one of the elements of the movie, but it's neither exciting nor intriguing. The camera occasionally thrills the audiences, but more frequently distract them from the story. Sometimes you feel like you are watching a Kar Wai Wong movie, indicating "Push" takes notes from Wong's classics like Chung King Express. However, skimming grit and streets from Hong Kong does not fulfill the expectations of the audiences of--let's say--common sense.

This is the kind of movie you are gonna walk out saying,"well, I can live with that." and forget it in a few days.

6/10

Yes, it was awful!

[webmaster-3392 · 1/10 · 1 July 2009]

I did not know anything about this movie before I saw it. I saw the poster and realized it had to be about supernatural abilities. And I love a good superhero movie. I even saw Superhero Movie with a smile although I wouldn't praise that one in any way.

But this one. Damn, it's awful. Believe me.

Sure it has some good action scenes. I did enjoy the battle between Nick and the agent with the same telekinetic powers. That was an original way to make use of this particular power. At least I can't remember having seen something like that before.

But the story is a mess. And nothing will save a bad story. Not when it is this bad. Here are my problems (spoilers ahead).

The watchers. They predict the future. But how. Not even the writer knows. At one point Dakota explains that they read your intentions. Your thoughts as you are about to act. Hence they make a brilliant plan where Nick will write what everybody else has to do on some cards. This way nobody will know what to do until the moment they do it. Afterwards Nick will get his memory wiped and the future will be a mystery.

Sounds good? Well, here are some flaws.

a) Nick knows what everybody will do for 2 hours before his mind is wiped. That's a lot of time to read his mind considering that the watchers must have been able to do so within seconds based on what they have predicted previously in the movie.

b) There are lot's of other predictions that appear to have nothing to do with people's intentions or thoughts. At one point Dakota is wandering the streets trying not to think about where she's heading. At a crossroad she closes her eyes and spins around, but an evil watcher is able to detect what path she took even though she doesn't know herself. And she ends up exactly where she herself had predicted that she would die. There is no way that these predictions could have been based merely on intentions.

c) But somehow Nick knew exactly where she would be and was able to instruct the wiper to be there also in time to rescue her. But how? Nick isn't a watcher. And even if he was, none of these events was based on intentions.

This means that the ability to watch i.e. predict the future is inconsistent. The story tells you a fact, but doesn't stick to that fact. And I consider that to be sloppy writing.

It even stretches this fact to the point where Nick gets his memory wiped and at the exact same moment the evil watcher senses that the future has somehow disappeared. Whatever she was sensing up to that point without actually reading all the information in his mind, who knows? Maybe she had forgotten to tune in and was listening to some white noise.

d) Nick is also somehow able to predict that the agent boss will use his pushing powers to make Camilla believe that she and Nick have never been dating and never been to Long Island. That she is an agent also and has participated willingly. Hence he tells her in advance to read her instructions when she begins to doubt the truth and her instruction card is a picture of them both at Long Island with the message to "shoot him". Fortunately "him" at the time happened to be the agent boss.

I could go on. I honestly felt that a lot of the twists and turns of the story was made up to get out of a corner without considering if that particular twist or turn in any way could go against the continuity or the logic of the story as a whole.

And that might be alright if this was a Steven Seagal movie. Or something similar. But this one made the mistake of making the viewer expect something more.

Don't push this movie aside...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 5 April 2012]

From the cover of the DVD, I thought this was going to be another superhero movie, that and also because Chris Evans was in it. But still, I decided to give the movie a go. And I am quite glad that I did.

"Push" is actually a rather decent thriller and action movie. The movie is driven by a nice story that you get caught up in and you are quickly and easily introduced to the events and thrown right into the midst of the story. That worked out so well.

Initially what really thrilled me was that the movie took place in Hong Kong. That was a trip down memory lane for me, as I used to work and live there for four years. So it was nice to see places that I recognized, and I just love that constant buzz and bustle that there is in Hong Kong.

The ideas for the various powers that people possess was quite nice and interesting. However, I was not too keen on the screamers, with their eyes turning all reptilian and being able to blast things with ultrasonic sound. But in overall, the concept of the powers and how the skills worked was quite well.

"Push" have a good list of actors and actresses, and people do great jobs with their roles. However, I must say that the movie was initially carried by Chris Evans (playing Nick Gant), Dakota Fanning (playing Cassie Holmes) and Xiaolu Li (playing Pop Girl (the Asian Watcher)).

I thoroughly enjoyed "Push" and it was a rather nice surprise of a movie. It even have enough value for a second watching.

Great Concept, Shabby Execution

[stephs_sanctuary · 4/10 · 9 May 2009]

Just saw Push recently. The beginning of Push immediately grabbed my attention. I thought, "Wow! How could I dismiss this film all this time. It's really great." But as the movie progressed, it grew bland and dragging. I wasn't even paying attention to it at one point.

The cinematography was great and the way the concept has so much potential. The way these people with powers were divided immediately got me hooked. But the problem is, this was not utilized in the film too much.

There are also too much pointless exchange of words and not enough action to get the plot going, and after a while it gets irritating. I can't help but think that this could be a wonderful film if it was just executed well.

Ahead of its time?

[bowmanblue · 8/10 · 14 June 2018]

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 over

[dfranzen70 · 6/10 · 4 February 2009]

Push, a sci-fi thriller that's part X Men and part Incredible Hulk (not to mention part Jumper and part Heroes), is a coagulated mess, full of vim and vigor but unsure where it wants to go. It has a fine cast, but it often feels like a numbing video game, complete with quick cuts and slowed-down CGI effects. Its plot is often befuddling, as if it was scrawled by a hyperactive spider monkey who'd just had ten vials of crack explode in his stomach.

First up, the Incredible Hulk part - seems the ever-popular clandestine government agency is out to find people who have special powers (that'd be the X Men part). Powers, it should be noted, that the government itself gave to the people in the first place in an attempt to weaponize them. What sort of powers, you ask? Well, some can move objects with their minds. Some can push thoughts onto others. Some can see the future. Some can see an object's past through smell. Some can alter the shape of things for brief periods of time, some can heal, and some can wipe memories. So you can see why the always-nefarious government would want to get ahold of these powers.

Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning) is a Watcher, constantly drawing pictures of what she sees happening. Her mom is a prisoner of the Division, which is trying to track down another girl who's escaped from their clutches, the only person to survive injection of a new superdrug designed to enhance their abilities. Cassie believes that if she finds the girl and the hypodermic needle she's stolen, she'll be able to free her mother. She turns to Nick Gant (Chris Evans of Fantastic Four), a Mover on the run. In fact, everyone's on the run from the Division - in China, no less, a good setting for this kind of thing, what with a billion people living there. Head of the Division task force out to get this mysterious girl is Henry Carver (two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou, playing a bad guy for once), who's naturally extremely endowed himself with paranormal abilities.

And all of this sounds sort of intriguing, if somewhat predictable - you know that the evil government agency has nothing but malevolent intentions with those who have these cursed abilities, but the plot is convoluted, needlessly complicated by endless double crosses and feints. To compensate for the opaque storyline, we get choppy edits and fast camera-work. The special effects seem to have been lifted right out of an old copy of Mortal Kombat; were I not in a crowded theater, I'd have shouted "Finish him!" a few times. Sometimes these effects are slowed down; you know, to show you how awesomely powerful the impact must be. Ouch, sucks to be him, right? Chris Evans is rather generic as the hero guy; one wonders what would have happened if an actor with some charisma were in the lead. Dakota Fanning, on the other hand, seems to have gotten past her awkward years on screen. She's no longer the cute little moppet, but she's not the listless, sullen preteen of War of the Worlds. Her Cassie is precocious, dressing a little like a streetwalker, maybe Madonna circa 1985, but she lends gravitas to the role that you wouldn't think possible from such a youngster. She's outstanding as the vulnerable, but tough, Watcher.

In the end, it's Fanning's work plus some interesting fight scenes that save this from being a complete disaster. The dumb script (cmon, people who can kill by shouting?) is overcome by only the loud, ceaseless soundtrack full of bad-music-video songs. Push isn't nearly intriguing enough to warrant a theater ticket.

Pusher

[questl-18592 · 4/10 · 5 February 2021]

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.

Unwoven Potential

[tedg · 30 July 2009]

Here is one of the cleverest, most promising ideas I have ever encountered. The setup is this. Hong Kong is a refuge for mental mutants. Some can erase memories. Some can read minds and "see the future" by knowing your intent and others can hide the world from these folks. Some can place false memories, thus changing your behavior.

This is clearly designed to allow the story to be shuffled and obscured in some complex way. It is something that could have given the next "Memento" except ever so much more complex. Characters that can plant old stories, erase stories or see what happens in the story, all fighting one another. There are three teams, each with these skills, and plenty of free agents used by more than one team.

My gosh, it is an amazing idea. The title comes from the folks who can "push" a story into your mind. Cool, huh? One of the plot devices has the hero write bits of the story in letters to the characters as a script, to be read only at each last minute, and then he has his own knowledge of the script erased. This way, the "watchers" cannot anticipate. The watchers, by the way are indicated as us the audience in more than one way. The way they gather and report what they see is by drawing images.

But it fails because they did not rely on any of this. Instead, I can imagine the funders having three people somewhere. One says that for this to work it has to be a cute girl under the accidental wing of a stud hero, like "Leon." So we get Dakota Fanning and that sort of buddy movie.

Another bozo with influence says that, okay but whatever you do it has to have action like "X-men." So we get other sorts of mutants, who can through objects around, and shout loud enough to kill. The climax, of course, has all sorts of fights and massive effects along these lines.

A third impresario insists that the thing needs to be a thriller. So we have that McGuffin, the suitcase that everyone wants. Its importance and uniqueness is extreme. All the plot revolves around getting this.

With all this meddling, it is no wonder the thing is a mess. The three competing on-screen teams are rendered by three competing off-screen pushers.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Well-Crafted Concept and Idea... Could Have Used More

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 28 June 2009]

Starting in the 1940s, certain lucky individuals were chosen for experimentation in order to create or enhance their psychic abilities. Now, decades later, a variety of second-generation psychics are all after the same thing -- a case containing a secret -- and hope to find it before The Division does.

This film will likely be seen as comparable to other superhero movies, such as "X-Men" or "Watchmen". And, in all fairness, it would be hard to critique it without mentioning recent films of the genre. I saw a stronger parallel between this one and "Night Watch", as their are not only good and evil factions, but a limited amount of powers the superhumans can have. Although i liked "Night Watch" better, this film was enjoyable and never lost my interest.

Unknown to me during my viewing, this film was very indirectly based on reality. I joked to my friend that this film was "based on a true story", but compared to some "true stories", this one might have a case. The US government did in fact have a Cold War program called the Stargate Project. This program, which sought out people with psychic abilities, continued all the way until 1995.

The strength of "Push" comes in its character development. Critics have said the film is too flashy, and the plot convoluted. I would tend to agree or at least sympathize with this -- there was a bit too much action at times, and the story was more dense than two hours could properly cover. This is a film that needs to be three hours or a trilogy. But, as I said, character development was strong. Where we didn't always understand what "the Division" does, we were able to understand the protagonists well enough to care about them.

Dakota Fanning delivers a breakthrough performance here. I've spent years making jokes at her expense, calling her the white girl who gets called up to play the precocious child in the latest big budget film. But Fanning is escaping the "child actor" phase, and really comes into her own in "Push". She plays a watcher (one who sees the future) that deals with very adult problems -- looming death, alcoholism and growing up alone.

Despite the film's few flaws -- the flashiness and convoluted story, including an ending some may find unsatisfying -- I really did enjoy this one and would recommend it to those who like superhero movies or just good, well-written action. Summit Entertainment has a history of producing great films -- "Memento" and "Fear and Loathing", to name just two -- and they should be proud to have this in their collection.

Pretty good

[Kiamond · 7/10 · 24 June 2009]

When I first saw the preview, I waited months for the movie to come out where I live. As soon as I found it, I bought it, and then went home and read reviews. They were disappointing. Said the movie was bad, had lots of plot holes, the ending was terrible, etc. I doubtlessly watched the movie the next day and found myself glued to the screen.

The acting is pretty amazing from the very start. The visual effects, and the way the movie was filmed are a masterpiece. The powers are attractive and I found myself wishing to be some kind of a telekinetic later.

It's obviously not Slumdog Millionaire, The Godfather or any enlightened movie that has the best plot ever. Just watch and don't expect the best movie in your life.

It was really entertaining! I recommend it!

Push

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 25 July 2009]

Humans equipped with great, unique psychic powers are victims of an organization known as the Division..a United States organization which desire to create the ultimate weapons against their opposing countries. It seems other countries have adopted their own breed of humans as we see in Hong Kong as Henry Carver(Djimon Hounsou), representing the US, and his right-hand man, Victor(Neil Jackson) are seeking a syringe containing a fluid that could perhaps create the most powerful psychic. He plans to use it on Kira(Camilla Belle), a "thinker"(..a psychic who can change the thoughts of others, forcing them to do her bidding, actually creating whole entire fictitious scenarios on the spot in their minds)who had survived an injection which has killed everyone else. The syringe, Carver believes, containing a powerful serum, could be the final stage in creating the superhuman his government has always desired. Escaping from the institution holding her, Kira is on the run. Meanwhile a "watcher", Cassie(Dakota Fanning, growing up before our eyes), the daughter of the most powerful clairvoyant of the Division, seeks the help of a "mover", Nick(Chris Evans), a young man with the ability to move objects..and people..with thought, and holds a vendetta with Carver for killing his father. Nick and Cassie will join forces, as they find other allies in Hong Kong, those who had been released by the Division and wish to see the organization end, hoping to find Kira and the case holding the serum. Cassie's determined to get the case for her mother's well being depends on it. A key aspect in the story that keeps the tension is Cassie's constant visions of their deaths. Meanwhile, our heroes will also have to contend with the Chinese government who have their own human psychics. Two of the Chinese(..called "bleeders") have the power to break glass and cause physical destruction to humans with their ferocious high-frequency screams. Cassie's main adversary is a fellow clairvoyant, working for her father of the Chinese government, who sees future actions as they happen(..the trick to stopping her to change their plans as she reads their minds, throwing her off track when necessary). We also have psychics with the power to heal, wipe out memory, manipulate others by changing the appearance of an object(..neat ability if you are playing cards), those who can mask people from being located for a short span, and those equipped with the ability to sniff objects(..their role to hunt their quarry down), reading the past activities of whatever item the person held during a small period of time.

Wirey premise and insanely convoluted. Exotic setting, slick production values, attractive cast, flashy camera-work, and some unusual Matrix-like special effects where men are ascended in mid air by telekinetic powers, thrown through windows and against walls. Dakota Fanning finally gets to swear(sh#t), but essentially remains a smart, quick-talking lass who stirs the action with her key role as the clairvoyant who trades quips with the adults(..hell, she's pretty much always been in this role, except we now realize that she's growing up)like a straight-shooter. I think it's imperative that you enter this film without paying too close attention to the plot because it's so screwy that you may soon find the whole ordeal tiresome. Lots of visual eye candy on display, which captured(..and kept) my attention, when the plot had me going around in circles, and plenty of unpredictable(..and contrived)twists and surprises. You barely catch a breath as our heroes move from one place to next, attempting to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. And, I was entertained by how many times the filmmakers save Evans' ass when it was almost assured he'd be a goner. A guilty pleasure movie, I will say, but not a flick that will remain with you. Popcorn fodder..was badly marketed and a terrible title didn't help. The violence in the film is strictly PG-13, and it seems the director uses old tricks rather than CGI, which I admire quite a bit. Good chemistry between Evans and Fanning, I think, help keep the less action-oriented scenes afloat. The nifty idea of Fanning's Cassie artistically rendering the future on a pad(..we always see her scribbling away when she isn't ordering Evans around)is an interesting addition to the crazy story-line shenanigans. How the gang are able to contend with their enemies at the very end will probably have you scratching your head in disbelief(..only a brilliant screenwriter could whip up such an incredibly deranged series of events using written commands on paper, hidden in concealed envelopes to be opened at an appropriate time).

Nothing pulls PUSH up from nether reaches

[charlytully · 6/10 · 8 February 2009]

Hundreds of people were visibly shrugging emerging from the Palladium advance screening for this JUMPER wannabe. Who cares if there are a zillion fan-boys out somewhere who have an explanation for all the plot holes in this yawner? The fact is, you must judge a movie by what's on the screen, and what PUSH presents is little chemistry between the leads, little relevance of the portrayed mutant wars to the rest of the world, and little in the way of a story to keep minds engaged. Filming the whole thing in Hong Kong serves only to alienate the viewer further from anything with which to identify, as the locales are presented more as an alien nightmare realm (per AEON FLUX) than an actual tourist destination (per NORTH BY NORTHWEST). Like always, I attended with my 8 1/2 X 11-inch notepad. Normal movies of all genres generate anywhere from 8 to 20 pages of details, but this ill-thought mishmash produced just four (translation: PUSH might put you to sleep, but it won't make your brain cells fire).

Going To Need Psychic Powers To Figure This Out...

[dukevega · 4/10 · 7 February 2009]

Sometimes I don't get Asian action films, which is my favorite genre of foreign films. I'm not saying this to put them down, it's just that there are differences between Eastern and Western storytelling, and it is sometimes difficult for me to leave my Western way of thinking and getting into that Eastern perspective when watching a movie from there. That being said, this movie, written by a Westerner, makes less sense than any Asian action film I have ever seen. EVER.

The main idea of this film is a kind of shadow war being waged by those with psychic powers. There are "movers" (people with telekinetic powers), "watchers" (people who can see the future), and "pushers" (people who can mentally control others). Other powers featured are psychometry, psychic healing, memory wiping, hypersonic screaming, and psychic tracking, but they are minor players.

The first half is actually pretty coherent, but then the second half becomes impossibly convoluted as the protagonists try to outwit an enemy watcher, not to mention a few monkey wrenches thrown in by pushers. And they did a damn good job. I tried to ignore the particulars and stay focused on an object that everyone seemed to be fighting for, but I couldn't even do that.

It's a real shame too, because there were some elements that worked, namely Dakota Fanning. She put on a good performance, even though she was saddled with this mess of a plot. If an actor can do that, that means they're good, IMHO.

Anyway, unless you can disengage your brain and just enjoy this movie as a pure visual thrill ride, then you are better off not seeing it.

Make a sequel!!

[adamjohns-42575 · 7/10 · 14 September 2020]

I really liked the concept of this film, with the idea that some people could have psychic powers and the institutes that might try to take advantage of that and use them as weapons, although it has all obviously been done before (Star Trek's Khan Noonien Singh/Deadpool/Captain America/His Dark Materials and many more) and there are a lot of comparisons to be made, but it had its own stuff going on too. However, I personally felt that given twenty more minutes, this film could have had a better pace, more time to explain what was going on and a chance to see the relationships forming properly, which is where I think it lacked somewhat. I'd like to read a book version in the hope that it would give more information and I'd like to find out what happens after the end of this film as I was left hanging for answers.

My favourite Chris (Google his Twitter Pictures) was good in his role, but I thought Dakota stood out as the best performance. She's a very talented young lady. I also think the guy from Fear The Walking Dead, whose name I've forgotten, has a certain something that is appealing and I liked his character.

An enjoyable watch, but don't get too invested as there doesn't seem to be any additional information on this universe.

can't believe the average rating is 6+ (may have spoilers)

[sakatsu · 1/10 · 26 June 2009]

I watched the movie resulting from the above average user rating found here. I wasn't impressed by the trailer but IMDb's rating convinced me that it wouldn't be that bad. Boy, I was wrong. (Regardless of this comment, IMDb is still tops!) For this main reason, i was compelled to write a comment on this movie to warn others and drive down the over inflated rating. The whole movie is one big mess... from the ill defined characters, wooden acting, poor screenplay/script, terrible direction leading to poor editing... the list goes on. I watched this on DVD and had to fast forward most of it, not being able to endure the draggy pointless scenes but yet needed to know the ending. I particularly got annoyed with the screamers. Quite honestly, the protagonists could have just bought grade-A ear plugs. What a waste of talented Asian + western actors/actresses! I enjoy most of Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou movies but this movie has simply degraded their talented work done previously. They are not alone in this as surrounding them were equally well known Asian actors (in Asia). I list this as one of their worst projects. I have seen the director's other work which were OK. However, with this release, I will probably be very cautious on watching his next one.

Ignore the critics, good film

[sebbytong · 8/10 · 4 May 2009]

I was really surprised by how entertained I was by this. There were many negative reviews of this film and after watching the film I realised how many critics are actually quite lazy. They derided the plot as convoluted but actually I found it complex but understandable. To dismiss it as a heroes knock-off is also unfair. It's a sci-fi film but that doesn't mean all sci-fi films are the same. The film makes good use of its Hong Kong location more so than any recent film I've seen and the characters were memorable. The special effects were there for the story and not the other way around. I usually read film reviews but am glad, in this instance, I ignored them.

Cool concept with pretty good acting.

[nicolechan916 · 7/10 · 2 May 2015]

Evans fits well with his character and his chemistry with Fanning is charming. Both do a great job in keeping the film grounded and though there are supernatural elements to this, it feels very real and rugged. The rest of the cast too were good, though some lines feel like they were delivered quite monotonously. I really would have loved it if they had more of Ming-Na Wen though. She plays Emily, and appears in a few scenes then absolutely disappears in the ending.

The setting and the cultural input also really helped to bring some colour to the film. It also made it easier to have a kind of Mafia and guns going on thing since the Chinese are typically used as gangsters in films. Now that I think about it, the stereotypical roles in this regarding race is so very typical and horrible. Evans, Fanning and Belle who are all white, are also the good guys. Division is run by a black person, and the other group going against them are the Chinese gangsters. Wow.

On to other things, the visual effects were well done and kept to a minimal which made it more realistic. The cinematography, editing and directing was all well done and came together quite well.

The story was pretty intricate but not hard to follow and I really liked it. It seems unfair to end it the way it did, and I am expecting a sequel but seeing as there still isn't any, I'm a bit disappointed. This film does seem to be underrated and apart from the stereotypic racial roles, I quite like this film.

Read more movie reviews at: championangels.wordpress.com

A complex mutant universe, ill defined and difficult to follow

[bosporan · 5/10 · 8 April 2022]

Dakota Fanning leads off with a narrative exposition about Nazi beginnings of Division and the various mutant powers. There are a plethora of these: Watcher, Mover, Pusher, Shifter, Shadow, Bleeder. This is a complex array and they are dumped on the viewer en masse, which makes this highly complex magic system become formless and impenetrable.

Set in Hong Kong with an exceptionally capable cast roster there are some great scenes and the cinematography is beautiful. The plot consists of running around talking to a bewildering array of NPC quest givers in search for a MacGuffin that does something important - it is never quite clear what! Perhaps a smaller cast and more focus, with some abilities held back for a sequel, would have been better.

The star of the show is Fanning and her 'father/daughter' relationship with Chris Evans is effectively portrayed. Initially this was planned as the first movie in a trilogy, it is clear why no more were made; I gave up the will to live about halfway through!