Director Paul McGuigan does his best, but this is just a slog that mistakes earnest detail for engaging narrative. Shove.
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.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking.
Runtime: 1 min 41 secs
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:Feb 6, 2009 Wide
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
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Reviews for Push
Why would a psychic 'tec need to sniff a toothbrush to locate its user? Does spearmint freshness have a spooky vibe?
A kick-ass soundtrack, sexy imagery, and the ghost of a narrative to string it all together.
... a rather bland and hard-to-follow knock off of the trendy Heroes/X-Men template.
Oh, to have my brain wiped of Push. The smell of desperation on the part of filmmakers to create their own superhero franchise is rancid.
This would be sci-fi action-thriller feels like a failed television pilot... or better yet, a demo version for something that could be much better with a lot more production value and polish.
Movers, pushers, shadowers - whatever! The script was insane and the characters were inane.
Paul McGuigan’s jittery editing and shaky cameras make the action confusing rather than thrilling, and nothing can save this movie from the screenplay’s nearly incomprehensible twists.
If you want to see a movie about mutants with superpowers, watch any of the X-Men movies or the "Hellboy" movies or "Wanted," any of those six movies is far superior to this.
It's the kind of film you wish had no sound - perhaps the studio should have eliminated the dialogue and replaced it cue cards every few minutes like the silent films of old.
Except for the cast, 'Push' reminds me a little bit of last year's 'Jumper.'
This is the kind of film where nothing makes sense, it's one huge plot hole. And if that wasn't negative enough, it's witless, boring, shallow and too talky.
'Push' suffers from a baffling script, but Dakota Fanning delivers a very watchable performance in this sci-fi thriller.
Long on style, short on substance and logic, it's baffling and frenetic, defeated by its own chaotic cleverness.
...your understanding of just what is happening will correspond to the amount of time you spend watching the Sci-Fi channel and TV shows such as Heroes.
It would take some pretty powerful mind control to convince audiences that Push is a winner.
Latest News for Push
August 27, 2009:
Win in-season tickets to see sci-fi thriller Push
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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:
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