PLOT:
Nick Grant is a “mover”. He has the ability to move objects with his mind. But after seeing his father shot down because of it, he seems to focus his energy on street gambling and staying out of trouble (although street gambling certainly seems to be “trouble-ish”). That is until trouble comes for him. And that trouble is Cassie Holmes, a young girl that is looking for a briefcase. She tells him about the six-million dollars that is in the briefcase, and they must find it. And don’t you worry, Cassie is a “watcher” who can sense just about anything, yet she can‘t seem to control exactly what she sees. We soon find that if they locate a certain girl, she will be able to locate the moolah. But guess what, things are never so simple in PUSH…
REVIEW:
Some movies are just meant to entertain. Occasionally, they present an enjoyable little package that should make for a fun night at the movies. PUSH is one of those. This science fiction action thriller offers up a couple of charismatic leads and an intriguing story, albeit a convoluted one. This is kind of like X-MEN with men, women and children that have the power of telekinesis, clairvoyance and telepathy. It is stylish and clever, perhaps a little too clever. Director Paul McGuigan has crafted a film that surrounds itself with unstoppable foes and a really annoying Pop family that screams. But within all of it, he is able to come up with a fun thriller that has a couple of tricks up it’s sleeve.
The best thing about PUSH for me was the casting of Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. They are terrific together as they have to battle a host of enemies in order to locate a briefcase with six million dollars in it. And of course, there is a bunch more going on involving loved ones in trouble. Nick (Evans) is a second-generation “mover” and guess what that means? He can move things with his mind… the guy doesn’t even have to pick up a gun to have a gunfight. When he runs into a 13-year old girl named Cassie (Fanning), she tells him that he must stick with her, as they have much to accomplish before the end of a two hour flick. As for the rest of the casting, it was a pleasure to see Djimon Hounsou as a powerful Division Agent named Henry Carver. It seems everybody and their mother (well, at least Cassie’s mother) needs to find this missing briefcase.
Again, there is a lot going on and I am not going to delve too much into the plot here, just be warned that it wants to be smarter than it is. Yet while it may be a bit too much, I still had good times with it. McGuigan offers up some pretty impressive visuals as the telekinesis and telepathy are put to good use. But I really was surprised at the lack of action set pieces. I’m not saying that that is necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, the more time I spent with Evans and Fanning, the happier I was. The two have a wonderful connection that seems to feel very natural. It is such a pleasure to see something like that in a film such as this. And luckily, their relationship is really the backbone of the story. But of course, there are a handful of cool moments that include a chase through a Hong Kong market. With breaking glass and a couple of screaming Pops, it was fun times even if we know that are heroes are going to be a-okay.
The script by David Bourla is fine. While I think this is one of the rare times they could of simplified the plot a little, it certainly is better than JUMPER. While the film is not perfect, I did enjoy it. This is a true popcorn flick. While it borrows from other films like THE MATRIX and even seemingly FIRESTARTER, it still offers up enough thrills and chills to be worthy of checking out. I have to give props to a film of this sort that manages to make me care about it’s main characters as much as I did. While some of the other characters didn’t fare as well for me, I was really impressed with their story arc. Although I have to say, I didn’t really buy Camilla Belle as the character she played. She really didn’t fit, especially with where they take her. Still, I do recommend PUSH as a fun little movie that is better than you’d expect. While it is certainly not going to nail down any Oscar nods, it shouldn’t be in line for Razzies either. It is much more entertaining than I’d ever expected.
My rating 7/10 — JimmyO