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A few weeks ago, critics received a press kit for Summit�s new thriller, Push�featuring several pages of detailed descriptions. Since I try not to read too much about a movie before I actually see it, I set the package aside�only to pick it up again when a colleague strongly encouraged me to read it. Now, after seeing the movie, I�m glad I did�and I wish you could, too.
Push is a head-spinning sci-fi adventure about people with psychic abilities�and the deadly government agency that�s trying to take advantage of them.
Ten years ago, Nick (Chris Evans) watched as Division agents kill his telekinetic father. Since then, he�s been on the run, trying to escape the same fate. He�s even managed to live a pretty normal life in Hong Kong. But then he meets Cassie (Dakota Fanning), a bold teenager who can see the future�and all that changes.
Cassie tells Nick that he�s supposed to help her find a girl who can lead them to some sort of a case�the contents of which will help them bring down Division and save Cassie�s mother from Division�s control.
Cassie�s visions lead them to Kira (Camilla Belle), a girl from Nick�s past�and the only one to survive Division�s experimental injections. She�s hidden the case�and she doesn�t remember where�so Nick and Cassie enlist the help of others in Hong Kong who can help them get to it before Division does.
At its core, Push is like a mix between Jumper and X-Men. But the world of Push is an extremely complex one�filled with �Pushers� and �Watchers� and �Movers� and the horrifying �Bleeders.� The characters have different kinds psychic powers�whether it�s moving things or seeing into the future or healing the wounded or controlling people�s memories�and they use all kinds of terminology that�s barely explained (except, of course, in the press kit). Fortunately, I already knew about the characters and their abilities and their terminology, so, for the most part, I managed to keep up; the average viewer, however, could easily get lost.
If you can overlook the complexities, though, Push is a pleasantly puzzling and often suspenseful film. Unless you�re a Watcher (like Cassie), you�ll rarely know what�s coming next�and you�ll never really know who�s telling the truth and who�s under the spell of a Pusher. Though the effects aren�t exactly stunning and the story has its share of holes, at least the high-energy fights and chase scenes make up for it.
But Push�s greatest fault�even greater than its complicated plot�is its disappointing ending. When the closing credits roll, very little (if anything) has been resolved. And while it may be perfectly acceptable to leave an opening for a possible sequel, it�s not okay to leave the first movie unfinished in the process�but that�s exactly what happens here.
So while Push may offer plenty of sci-fi thrills, I foresee that the intricate plot and the unsatisfying conclusion will leave you feeling slightly confused�and seriously cheated.
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