Push (2009)

Tagline: One push can change everything. [DO YOU GET IT?!]

Curiosity: I like Chris Evans. Dude needs to be in more good movies.

Plot: Spurred by Nazi research, the word’s super-powers have been cultivating psychic armies for decades. They have various abilities – telekinesis, mind-reading, some shit where you scream really loud and people’s brains explode – but when certain psychics prove too powerful to control, the U.S. government steps in and neutralizes them. What a bunch of dicks. This policy leads to the death of the father of Nick (Evans) and the abduction of the mother of Cassie (Dakota Fanning). The two meet by fate in China and begin a rebellion.

Thoughts: Push could be a great TV show. It has enough characters and plot points to sustain a couple of seasons. But as a movie, it hurts. The film tries to cram in as many plot points and rules as it can, but given that the film ends on an unsatisfying ending meant to set up a sequel that’ll probably never happen, that might not have been such a great. The movie bullshits it way through how psychics work, introduces more rules than it needs, and then peters out in the last 30 minutes.

Oh but I love the cast, sort of. I’ve been a supporter of Evans since Sunshine and Fantastic Four, flawed films bolstered by his acting. Fanning shows a talent beyond her years. But Djimon Hounsou can’t satisfy the demands of his role as the bad guy, and Camilla Belle’s character stops her from doing a whole lot.

The script itself is trash. The dialogue is cliché, the pacing is a bit too slow, and the story needs to be less obsessed with introducing superpowers. At the very least, the film needs to shave off 10, maybe 20 minutes, because there’s a certain point where I got sick of watching the filmmakers force and then violate a series of rules on how psychics work. Push has some neat effects and story ideas, but it doesn’t add up to anything consequential.

Reflection: For a movie about dudes throwing guns at each other, this sure was boring.