Push



A lot of PUSH, not a lot of pulling power

To start this review I would like to say that this movie is a PUSH in the right direction...

...Okay now thats out the way, time to review this thing.

Another movie, another world in which people with special powers are hunted down by shadowy organisations, we have seen this so many times that Push is almost in danger of being a cliché. But from what Push borrows from similar stories such as X-Men and Heroes it adds it's own little quirks that save it from the bargain bins.

For a start unlike Heroes and X-Men, Push nicknames the powers we have seen a thousand times before in the world of Sci-Fi, Movers can move objects with their minds, Watchers can see the future, Pushers can put thoughts into others heads, these are only a few examples of quite a vast range of special powers. Push also comes with a great cast, now they may not have the pulling power that X-Men has and acquire prestigious actors like Sir Ian McKellen but Chris Evans holds his own as the main protagonist, Dakota Fanning also gets to show the audience how great a young actress she really is by playing a very independent but scared 13 year old. The beautiful Camilla Belle plays the girl everyone is racing to find, she does a great job of changing between being a bad ass fighter to a very confused and scared victim.

The relationship between Evans and Fannings works really well as the film sends across a message about the importance of family, both characters still have mental scars about the loss of a family member so it is warming to see Fannings character go from being treated as a nuisance to her being almost like a little sister or daughter to Evans, exactly like Logan and Rogue have in X-Men.

Push does come with a few flaws though, it likes to try and build tension by having Fannings character constantly see a future in which they all die, but with Fannings seemingly omnipotent mother sending strangers to help our heroes, the tension never really gets a chance to fully form into genuine concern for the characters well being.

"My mother better hurry and send help
because I'm getting sick of drawing dead people"

Putting the flaws aside, Push does do a great job off balancing the powers, they still have great special effects and amazing fight scenes but half of Hong Kong isn't blown up like it would be in other Sci-Fi films, instead it shows the characters using their powers to make a bit of money and too cheat and con other people, they are shown to be quite sleazy, but when you find out how dangerous the Division is, you forgive the sleaziness and don't hold it against them. Push isn't all doom and gloom, it comes with moments of humour, particularly one scene in which a blind drunk Dakota Fanning stumbles about the apartment in a bid to add clarity to her visions of the future.

All in all Push is a very smart film with interesting characters, a very engaging premise, a unique take on special abilities we seen before and some great twists and turns, all that add up to make a very entertaining film that will keep you watching, without the help of a pusher.

Danny Baker

Danny@dragoose.co.uk