Fans of the X-MEN and HEROES will find nothing strikingly original about Paul McGuigan's sci-fi flick PUSH, however they'll probably enjoy it just the same. Written by David Bourla, the actioner creates a world were telekinetics, psychics and telepathics are referred to as Movers, Watchers and Pushers. Many are on the run from a U.S. government agency simply called the Division that wants to use them as weapons. Seems like standard stuff, but McGuigan and Bourla provide enough twists and turns with the familiar material to keep the viewer engaged.
Nick Gant (Chris Evans, FANTASTIC FOUR) is a second generation Mover. His father was murdered by the head of the Division, Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou, IN AMERICA). Before his death, Nick's father (Joel Gretsch, TV's THE 4400) warned him that a young girl would give him a flower and he should follow her, because it would help save the world. That girl turns out to be Watcher Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning, WAR OF THE WORLDS), who tells Nick that they need to hunt down a mysterious case and woman, whose name is Kira Hudson (Camilla Belle, 10,000 B.C.), a young female Pusher who has just escaped Division custody. She is also the first person to survive a power boaster injection, making her very important to Carver. But Nick and Cassie, and the Division aren't the only ones that want the case. Chinese gangsters with their own Watcher are willing to kill for it, and they have sonic screamers that can shatter glass and eardrums on their side.
PUSH gives us a host of characters with various powers, which also includes people who can smell an object and locate where the owner currently resides and those who can mask the abilities of Watchers just by standing in the vicinity of someone. With all these characters and powers, contrivances abound, but it never gets too convoluted. The film uses these powers in fun ways and the characters keep trying to think their way around the powers of others. Evans and Fanning provide central characters what we like watching. I've always felt Evans is an underrated actor with a good deal of wit. Fanning has screen presence to spare and makes this film a great deal better just by being in it. Just look at her compared to co-star Belle and you'll understand what they mean by the "it" factor.
So in the end, McGuigan, who directed the very underrated thriller THE RECKONING, and Bourla put enough twists in their people with powers premise to compel us to want to see how the story turns out. They keep us guessing just enough and tie their various plotlines together in a way that isn't completely lockstep with formula. And because they're working in sci-fi, just about anything can happen anyways. People will sure pick the plot apart for its holes, but none of them are big enough to make the plot locomotive to fall off the edge into a black abyss. It skirts right over them into the next thrill. That locomotive is given a big power boast by Fanning, who from now on needs to no longer be referred to as a great child actress and simply be called a great actress.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
