Plot: What’s it about?
If there’s one thing that’s most likely here to stay, it’s the superhero movie. Like the Westerns in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s there seems to be a never-ending supply of movies that feature people with extraordinary abilities. Naturally the successes of films like “X-Men”, “Spider-Man” and the “Batman” movies only encourage this genre. Most of these films have origins in comic books, though a few are written directly for the screen. I can also remember seeing previews for “Push” but didn’t think twice about it until it showed up at my doorstep. After a bit of research, I realized that Chris Evans (ironically enough who starred as Johnny Storm in “The Fantastic Four”) was in it as was Dakota Fanning. I’m a fan, pardon the pun, of Fanning as she might be one of the best actresses for her age working today. I think we’ll be seeing her in films for quite some time. Everything else aside, let’s see if “Push” is another potential franchise film or just a bad knock off.
We first meet Nick as he and his father (Joel Gretsch) are on the run. His father is killed by some unknown force but gives him a warning about the future. We then flash forward to modern day Hong Kong where Nick is trying to make a living gambling by using his abilities for financial gain. Unfortunately it’s not working out and he’s on the run from a faceless government organization known only as “Division”. Nick isn’t alone, he’s sought out by Cassie (Dakota Fanning) who’s known can predict the future (Nick is telekinetic meaning he can move things with his mind). Cassie and Nick go on the run and soon meet up with Kira (Camila Belle) who has the power to control people’s minds. Naturally every government agency has a couple of stooges doing the chasing and in this case we have Henry (Djimon Hounsou) as the main bad guy. Will Cassie and Nick manage to outwit the Division and change the gruesome future that Cassie sees or will the Division get what they’re looking for?
“Push” is a fairly enjoyable film that has a lot of potential. I’m not sure if it was successful enough to inspire a sequel, though that doesn’t seem to be much of a pre-requisite these days. While a little thin on the plot, the film does have some pretty cool special effects and some interesting (if not outright scary) cast of characters. What really keeps this movie going is Dakota Fanning,; she’s got the acting ability of someone twice her age and is so natural in her role that it brings the movie to a different level. That’s not to say that the cast is bad in their roles, but Fanning is the bright spot here. Fans of these types of movies will no doubt enjoy this film, but there are some better movies of the genre out there, for sure.
Video: How does it look?
“Push” comes to Blu-ray from relative newcomer Summit Entertainment. The transfer is nothing short of spectacular and the detail and landscape of Hong Kong looks like you could reach out and touch it. This is a very colorful movie, despite the theme of it. The 2.40:1 AVC HD transfer really shows off the beauty of Blu-ray. I’d watched a personal favorite movie of mine the other day “The Royal Tenenbaums” on DVD and noticed how much more dull and lifeless the picture is. Edge enhancement was everywhere. What’s that got to do with this? A sleek film like “Push” really expands the bounds of the new format and thank God it’s here to stay. A very nice transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
Just as impressive as the image is the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack that, quite simply, sounds amazing. This track is full of techno music with a huge, thumping bass that really seems to make the room shake. There are plenty of action sequences and I’d be lying if I said that your speakers won’t get a workout. Surrounds are used often and to great extent, but none more than the LFE which really seem to enhance the mood of the film. If you’re looking for a good-sounding disc, then this is it.
Supplements: What are the extras?
“Push” was brought to Blu-ray by a relatively new studio ? Summit Entertainment. That studio produced “Twilight” which obviously gave them the cast to foray into other films. Unfortunately the supplements are rather lacking as we get a dull and lifeless commentary by director Paul McGuigan and some of the cast. There are several deleted scenes with commentary and “The Science Behind the Fiction” which gives us a bit of insight into the making of the film. With all the special effects, I’d have been interested to see something on them, but no such luck here.
