Push

Push 2009
Director: Paul McGuigan
Writer: David Bourla
Starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Djimon Hounsou, Camilla Belle, Ming-Na and Maggie Siff

This film is yet another addition in the long line of super hero based films and thankfully, it is not another trite addition to this overflowing genre. I was worried at first, because this film seemed very similar to Jumper. But, this film did not make any of the missteps that film did. First and foremost, it did not try to overtly set up a sequel and actually had a solid ending to the story. It also had a much better lead hero than Jumper did, Evans is much more likeable and enjoyable to watch than Hayden Christianson could ever aspire to be. The action in the film is intense and nail biting, you never know which way the action is going to turn, if the good guys will prevail or the bad guys will pull a win out and I found that refreshing. This is one of the more pleasing and entertaining original super hero films I have seen of recent times.
The plot basics are this, there are people with certain telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities and many of these people are being used and controlled by a shadowy government agency called the Division. Nick (Evans) is living in Hong Kong hiding out from the agency when Cassie (Fanning) finds him enlisting him in helping her find Claire (Belle) who has something that the agency wants and is enlisting any cutthroats they can find to hunt her and the package down. Nick comes to find strength in his power and soon comes to realize that not everything is as it seems. He then comes up with a plan to defeat Division and it will only be through his ingenuity and wiles that he will remain intact.
This was a great action film. McGuigan's direction is tight, he really choreographs the action scenes superbly and he does well with the more dramatic scenes as well. The script is very good too, some of the things reminds me of films like The Fury and Firestarter but, This story is creative enough that you see everything in a fresh light. The characters are very well developed and you feel for all of them even the villains. The cast is great, Evans is a very likeable and adept hero with some great chemistry with Fanning. I definitely think this is her best role to date. Hounsou is a great villain who is very charismatic. I also really enjoyed the small part that Ming-Na played in the film, always a pleasure to see her and she is used well in this film. The SFX and the action sequences are pulled off well, especially liked the final showdown in the construction area, it really kept me glued to the screen to find out what the final outcome would be. The ending is pulled off well, it concludes the story arc while still setting it up for future adventures if need be. This was really a hell of a ride and one I will watch again.
This one gets 5 out of 5