Underhyped: Push Movie Review

Talk about a clunker. Push came out early in 2009, but I never heard about it. It was released on DVD rapidly, which means it didn't fare that well at the box office, and critics evidently hated it: the film garnered a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes (meaning that only 22% of listed critics actually thought it was good), and an aggregate rating of 36 at Metacritic. Put that in perspective, GI Joe has a 32 at Metacritic. So Push is better than GI Joe, which isn't saying much, but I have to say I took a shine to it, flaws and all. It's not a good movie, per se, but it's certainly one worth watching.

The plot is a bit of X-Men mixed with Heroes and a dash of anime pop, but there are many other moments in the film that seem like they were ripped out of other films. The premise is certainly not original: there are people born with special abilities, but both criminal organizations and governments alike want them as weapons. A fun part of Push is that rather than giving everyone the more comic book-derived powers (turning things to ice, firing beams from your eyes), those with powers fall into neat groups. There are "movers", who have powers of psychokinesis; "pushers", who can make someone believe anything just by making eye contact; "watchers", who can see the future; "bleeders", who make things explode via sonic vibrations; "sniffs" and "readers", who are keen trackers via their use of smell and touch; "shifters", who create illusions; "wipers", who erase memories; "shadows", who cloak objects and people from the sniffs; and "stitches", who can repair wounds. The protagonist is a second-generation mover named Nick (Chris Evans, of Human Torch/Fantastic Four movies) living in Hong Kong and trying (and failing pretty badly) to use his powers to win craps games. While trying to keep a low profile from the evil US government stooges (the "Division"), Nick meets a young Watcher named Cassie (Dakota Fanning) and learns that they have to protect Nick's old flame, a Pusher named Kira (Camilla Belle). In doing so they get caught between the Asian gangs, headed up by some bleeders, and the Division, featuring a powerful mover and a pusher named Carver (played by Djimon Hounsou).

The special effects aren't that great; the levitating weapons look rather goofy and pulled by strings rather than smoothly controlled or in any way real. The story is stock and derivative, and the breaks with logic shockingly frequent. The acting is competent for the most part, although the Triad gang members look and act like escaped anime characters, complete with the wack job hair. Fanning gets my nod for best character, as a wise by sardonic preteen who is way above her head, but trying hard not to show it (and seems to mask it with wry, Bogartesque gumshoe one-liners). The ending of the story is rather peculiar as it leaves a lot open, and I very much doubt they expected there would be a sequel (but hey, marketing hope springs eternal). One viewing is enough to get this film.

But amid all the poor execution and questionable elements, there are a couple of bright points. First up are the sets; I have no idea what Hong Kong looks like or if the production actually filmed there, but it's just plain cool. The scenes move from a nightclub to private residences to hotels to buffets to fish markets, and they all have an often foreign, vaguely fantastic air about them. Watching people trash everything in these environments is great fun.

The film also gets points for addressing some of the questions left by the everyone-with-powers storyline. The watchers are powerful, true, but they only see possibilities, which can change as soon as people make an action. Being tracked by the enemy watchers, Nick comes up with a way to nullify their advantage; they'll do everything without a plan. He writes down everything, gives everyone a note to follow, and then gets his memory erased, making sure that no one, even him, knows what they are going to do until the very last minute. The execution and logic of this sequence doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's a relatively novel idea and it makes for an engaging viewing experience. It's unfortunate that the setup falls apart in a stock gunfight on top of a Chinese skyscraper under construction, complete with a collapsing bamboo supports.

The ultimate feel of Push is of sleek urban machined filmmaking, which is surprising in that it's pulled off in a spectacular fashion. While there's plenty of handheld camera shots and grainy, bleached footage, it's generally pulled off effectively by spare usage and synergy with the wild visuals. Coupled with a soundtrack that for the most part is effective in heightening suspense and offering a different flavor on the usual run-and-gun audio fiesta, and there's certainly some production staples to enjoy. Not enough for a repeat viewing, perhaps, but all in all Push was definitely underhyped.

Previous film reviews: Blue Velvet, Star Trek, Harry Potter VI, Public Enemies, The President's Analyst, Runaways, Easy Rider, and The Hospital.