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I was fully ready to hate Push. Its PG-13 rating alone kept me away from this in theaters, which is a shame because it’s a solid flick. It’s kind of like a version of the X-Men movies… only not completely lame. There are no fruity looking outfits, no one looks like a little bitch like Cyclops, and the characters are actually interesting. Part of this success is due to the fact that Push isn’t actually based on any sort of source material, which allows the filmmakers to create characters without having to be tied to the lame backstories of a bunch of characters. This world is new and fresh, and unbound by any laws imposed upon it by fanboys and geeks… which is a good thing, because fanboys’ and geeks’ tastes are the reason why most superhero flicks come out shitty.

Push is the story of a group of people with special talents, not special like retarded, but special like superheroes. An evil government agency is created to develop the talents of these special people… it is known as Division. A ragtag band of people band together to try and take down Division, in ways that are fascinating and at times confusing. With the use of some future predicting and item pushing, this group must find a chick and help bring down the evil Division, so that the special people will be free to exploit the world.

Paul McGuigan’s Push is a visionary film that feels like equal parts The Matrix (just the first one) and Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch. Despite its PG-13 rating, the film is actually packed full of action, which is perfectly balanced with some solid character development. The only hiccup in the film is the crappy relationship between two of the film’s main characters. McGuigan takes full advantage of the special powers of the people in the film, exploding fish, pulling off levitating gun battles, and generally twisting around the mind of anyone trying to figure out the particulars of a world where things can be predicted. It helps that McGuigan chose to film Push in the film-friendly and fascinating environs of Hong Kong, because the city has a life all its own which adds to the depth of the film. While this film feels like a onetime deal, and not the birth of a directorial visionary, it is a nice film to hang your hat on.

The cast is excellent for the most part, and I’m glad they decided to choose Chris Evans (Sunshine, Street Kings) over Channing Tatum, who was originally cast to be the star of the movie. If that had happened, The Dancing Dude would have ruined this whole flick for sure. Thankfully Evans is the star and a pretty good one at that. His performance is enhanced by some quality chemistry with diminutive and slutty co-star Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds, Hounddog). Fanning appears to be the older of the two actors in the film, and her performance hints at great things for her future… but everyone’s known that for a while now. Djimon Hounsou (Never Back Down, Gladiator) plays a great foil for the two characters, and as a bad guy he does pretty well. The only casting mistake in this film is the character of Kira, played by Camilla Belle (10,000 B.C., When a Stranger Calls). Belle looks like a drugged up hooker for most of the film, and while some people may be able to pull off that role and look interesting, Belle is anything but.

The special effects in Push are definitely one of the highlights of the movie. There is so much good stuff to be found here. From exploding fish to people flying through the air, everything in Push looks perfect and it makes you wonder where all these other Hollywood flicks with cheesy CGI are getting their digital goods. It should probably be from the same visual effects company that did work on Push as the film is truly a treat for the eyes.

Push is surprisingly good, and while some people may be put off by its similarity to things that already exist, like The X-Men franchise or Heroes, Push is better because 1) It doesn’t stop every five minutes to bore the poop out of you. 2) There are no stupid subplots piled upon subplots. 3) The characters actually have a good time. 4) There are no fruity looking outfits. In short, everything that I hate about Heroes and X-Men is done right in Push.

Final Synopsis: I like this movie. It’s pretty good. Hell, I may even buy it. The least you can do is check it out.

Points Lost: -1 for Camilla Belle, -1 for a forced relationship bit

Lesson Learned: When you have superpowers, no one cares that you’re fourteen years old and drinking on the street.

Burning Question: Shouldn’t the bleeders be called screamers?

Burning Question #2: Doesn’t “bleeders” sound like a derogatory word for women?

Push
8/10

Tags: 2009, action, adventure, camilla belle, Chris Evans, cliff curtis, dakota fanning, djimon hounsou, exploding fish, latest movie reviews, paul mcguigan, recent3, sci-fi, science fiction, superheroes, superpowers