THE generation one belongs to is now very much a factor when planning a trip to the cinema these days.
Are you young enough or old enough to understand the movie?
In the case of Push, are you smart enough to take in all the detail of a voice-over in the film’s opening moments?
If you have a 40-megabyte flash memory, you’ll be fully informed, but most of us don’t have one that big.
This is a film that will sell many DVDs. Being able to play the voice-over numerous times should tell you everything you missed first time round.
Writer and producer David Bourla has stretched his imagination to the extreme limit, delivering a film about people with special powers that allow some of them to be transformed into biological weapons.
Paul McGuigan’s direction gives it a high level of fast-paced excitement as we hurriedly traverse the people-clogged streets of Hong Kong.
This is more than a mystery for the audience – it’s a mind-contorting journey of transcendental confusion.
While various members of the cast have supernatural powers – Nick Gant is telekinetic and Dakota Fanning is a clairvoyant – they don’t seem to use them when they really need them.
Djimon Hounsou and Cliff Curtis are villainous and the pale-faced, insipid Camila Belle is uninspiringly treacherous.
In Hong Kong, “mover” Nick Gant ( Evans) is contacted by “watcher” Cassie Holmes (Fanning) to find “pusher” Kira Hollies ( Belle) who has escaped from Division, a secret government agency which wants them for their special powers.
Division is led by Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou) and his offsider Hook Waters (Cliff Curtis):“pushers” who want to transform people with special powers into biological weapons.
While most of the people they try to transform die, Kira manages to escape and she’s in Hong Kong with a suitcase containing the secret transformation serum which she nicked when she escaped.
Not only is Division after her, but so is a gang of Chinese heavies.
Confusion reigns and there’s a hint of a sequel, which would probably be just as confusing as this or perhaps even more so.
Push (M)
Directed by: Paul McGuigan
Starring: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou
Rating: Two and a half stars (111 mins)
Now showing