Spring Break
'Push' is all style, no substance
2 out of 5 stars
Natalie Abreu
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Focus
"Push" has been called the first real action film of 2009, and with frantic camera moves, gravity defying stunts and understated but effective visual effects it certainly deserves the title but earns little else as the first notable film of this new year.
This film can be categorized as this year's "Jumper," a film also about people with extraordinary powers who are hunted down by a malevolent force. Like "Jumper," "Push" is filled with exotic locales, all of which are in the rather engaging city of Hong Kong. This fills the scenes with a sense of life, movement and excitement that is lacking somewhat from the actors.
Director Paul McGuigan ("Lucky Number Slevin") pulls audiences into this world of Hong Kong, filled with characters with abilities such as clairvoyance, telekinesis and screams that will make your ears bleed, all filmed using as little special effects as possible - a refreshing change from other films of the same sci-fi, super powers genre.
This is not a superhero film, even though it has a kind of "Heroes" vibe to it. Rather, the characters are simply people with special abilities, trying to survive in an unforgiving world filled with villains at every corner - villains like the government agency known as the Division (represented by a dapper yet bland Djimon Hounsou), who in a cliché plotline want to recruit people with powers to build an army. These special people include ex-patriots Nick and Cassie, who throughout the film follow a simple, yet dull, formula of run away, fight and run away again.
"Push" is a spectacle, filled with great visuals and sounds and should be experienced in the grandness of the big screen with surround sound, but visuals cannot always make up for bland acting or script.
This film can be categorized as this year's "Jumper," a film also about people with extraordinary powers who are hunted down by a malevolent force. Like "Jumper," "Push" is filled with exotic locales, all of which are in the rather engaging city of Hong Kong. This fills the scenes with a sense of life, movement and excitement that is lacking somewhat from the actors.
Director Paul McGuigan ("Lucky Number Slevin") pulls audiences into this world of Hong Kong, filled with characters with abilities such as clairvoyance, telekinesis and screams that will make your ears bleed, all filmed using as little special effects as possible - a refreshing change from other films of the same sci-fi, super powers genre.
This is not a superhero film, even though it has a kind of "Heroes" vibe to it. Rather, the characters are simply people with special abilities, trying to survive in an unforgiving world filled with villains at every corner - villains like the government agency known as the Division (represented by a dapper yet bland Djimon Hounsou), who in a cliché plotline want to recruit people with powers to build an army. These special people include ex-patriots Nick and Cassie, who throughout the film follow a simple, yet dull, formula of run away, fight and run away again.
"Push" is a spectacle, filled with great visuals and sounds and should be experienced in the grandness of the big screen with surround sound, but visuals cannot always make up for bland acting or script.
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