3) PUSH

Director: Paul McGuigan
Stars: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Cliff Curtis, Neil Jackson, Ming-Na
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Convoluted to the point of being (at times) downright confusing, Push is still a feast for the eyes, with some decent performances and a killer soundtrack.

Chris Evans stars as Nick Gant, a "mover" (someone with the telekinetic ability to move objects with his mind, at will) living in Hong Kong forever under the watchful eye of The Division, a secret government agency who - years ago - conducted scientific experiments on Nick's father (as well as a slew of other people) to try and turn human beings into the ultimate weapon. Nick, a second-generation mover, watched his father killed by The Division, under direct orders from agent Henry Carver, over a decade before after Nick's dad tried to free him and young Nick from the Division's grip. Now living fairly peacefully in the highly-dense population of Hong Kong (which gives "sniffers" a harder time at finding you), Nick leads a relatively normal life, never practicing his talent for fear of being discovered - when, on one fateful day, a pair of "sniffers" (whose noses are so sensitive, they can smell your toothbrush and arouse images of their mind of when and how you last used it) show up at his door, demanding to know the whereabouts of a young woman named Kira (Camilla Belle), who escaped from The Division's headquarters with a suitcase containing something very dangerous The Division wants back.

Nick convinces The Division goons that he knows no such girl, but right after their departure he's visited by a 13-year-old second-generation "watcher" (those who can foretell the future, and must draw it out when they do so) named Cassie (Dakota Fanning), who is also seeking the case that Kira stole. Cassie's mother, a major-league watcher like Nick's dad was one of the best movers ever, is being held prisoner by The Division because she's too powerful to let loose on her own, and Cassie is determined to get her out ... by getting back whatever is in the case Kira stole, which Cassie is sure will take down The Division for good. She has seen, in the future, that Nick will help her to find Kira, while poor Nick still swears he doesn't even KNOW any Kira. But when a gang of Chinese "bleeders" (they can scream at such high decibels, glass shatters and the eardrums and eye sockets of those the scream is aimed at are eventually shattered, causing bleeding from the eyes and ears), Nick is almost killed and he ends up with no choice but to help Cassie ... and maybe, after over ten years, get revenge on Henry Carver - a powerful "mover" (someone who can manipulate another person's mind, making that person do anything they want) himself - for having his father killed. Enlisting the aids of a few other rogue watchers, sniffers and pushers, Cassie and Nick find Kira (also a powerful mover), learn what she's carrying ... and why she is so important to Carver and The Division.

Overall, I liked Push. The performances are uniformly good, with Dakota Fanning (as usual) standing out as Cassie. Even the supporting players show off their stuff, especially Cliff Curtis as roguish pusher Hook Waters, and Neil Jackson as the very evil, very loyal Victor, bodyguard for Henry Carver and a top-level mover himself that will defend his boss to the death. The special effects in the film are masterful, truly striking and a whole lot of fun to watch as they draw you into the action and story ... and after the film I even had the urge to get the soundtrack, the music in the film was so cool.

But overall, in plot and writing, the film comes up short. After awhile it's like, "Okay, so WHAT is going on here, again?" and you sort of lose track of what exactly is going on and why, even as you enjoy the stylized look and feel of the film. Even the ending is no real ending, of sorts, with certain major plot issues not even resolved.

Deserving of the extra half-reel I gave it simply for the special effects, this is good but not great entertainment; nice for a rainy day diversion, or if you're a Chris Evans or Dakota Fanning fan. Other than that, mixed results at best. *** - Reel Cool