Push (12A)
PUSHERS, Sniffers, Wipers and Bleeders.
No, not names of LA gangs but the different types of paranormal abilities in this sci-fi action thriller.
In this bleak vision of the near future, ordinary people have extraordinary powers. Pushers can put a thought in your head to force you to do something, Watchers can see the future, Wipers erase memories and Movers shift objects. Bleeders have the least fun – they just scream very loudly to make their victims bleed from their ears.
Nick (Chris Evans) is a Mover, on the run from a shady government Division led by Djimon Hounsou. They catch psychics and experiment on them in an attempt to turn them into weapons, and Nick has fled to Hong Kong to escape.
Then on his doorstep appears 13-year-old Cassie (Dakota Fanning), a Watcher who claims to know how he dies. She says that to save themselves they must find a special suitcase and Nick’s old flame Kira (Camilla Belle), a Pusher. The daft plot becomes more incoherent as it goes along.
Push’s few original ideas are poorly executed, while much of it is derivative.
It feels like a poor copy of the TV series Heroes. There are a couple of witty lines but the dialogue is mostly trite and repetitive, as the characters keep talking about how to change their futures.
The action scenes are dealt with fairly well, but the uninvolving storyline sags badly in the middle. Fanning and Hounsou are good actors who deserve better.
You won’t need to employ a Wiper afterwards to erase your memory of a wasted two hours, as Push is instantly forgettable.
Share
