Mountain FogPUSH
December 5th 2009 08:11
Official poster copyrighted see below
Over the opening credits, the narrator, Dakota Fanning, informs us about the Nazi WW2 programme trying to develop psychic abilities in selected subjects, the idea being to develop a super race of secret agents. They failed. We are then told other governments took on the research after 1945 and eventually they succeeded.
The film opens impressively enough, with a father and son being pursued by agents through a building. Before the father is caught and violently dealt with, he tells his son that, sometime in the future a girl will give him a flower and that he must help this girl, as his future and others like him, depend on the boy assisting the girl, who is a “watcher”.
Ten years on, the USA agency in charge of the psychic programme, the Division, develops a highly toxic substance that will increase the particular ability of the subject it is administered to.
However, there are a few teething problems, the main one being, everyone dies after the injection.
Well, all except one; Kira, played by Camilla Belle, who after initially dying, like the rest of the test subjects, revives and overpowers the medico with her and escapes the secret facility with his security card and the syringe filled with the enhancer drug. We learn that is the only batch, so they must get the girl back with the drug intact.
And here the tangled web of intrigue expands to include other characters with various psychic abilities. For differing reasons, each has a vested interest in obtaining the drug, some for personal power, others to stop what the Division is doing to their fellow psychic beings.
Dakota Fanning, the narrator of the film, also co-stars, as a “watcher” psychic called Cassie Holmes, along with Chris Evans, who plays Nick Gant, the child in the opening scene who is now an adult and who is also the guy too many people, Asian Triad psychics included, want to kill.
So, Holmes and Gant join forces, with a few other odd bods and try to save the day.
There are numerous special effects in the film, quite well done technically, however, the director (Paul Guigan) and editor (Nicolas Trembasiewicz) do not create the thriller suspense, the 'what's happening next' environment that makes thrillers so… thrilling! The script (David Bourla ) obviously did not help, neither did Fanning’s unrelenting deadpan delivery, nor the ordinariness of the support roles.
Although the scenic backgrounds were attractive at times, as it was shot on location in Hong Kong, the ensemble performances in front of the scenery, I would go so far as to say, created a new theatrical device, psychic wallpaper.
The film quickly sinks into a continual series of chase sequences, with the admirable special effects in play, yet it becomes all too predictable and you care less and less about the shallow scripted characters involved and their fates.
Added to this, is the slightly puerile monikers given to various psychics because of their particular abilities, summarised as following;
Watchers
Can foresee the future.
Movers
Can manipulate inanimate objects at varying distances.
Pushers
They can implant memories, thoughts and emotions into the minds of other people.
Bleeders
They can emit destructive high-pitched sonic vibrations that can kill you by rupturing your blood vessels.
Sniffs
Psychic bloodhounds; who can track you, without leaving their room.
Shifters
They can change the light frequency of an object, temporarily, making it appear as something else, eg; turn $1- into looking like $100-.
Wipers
These dudes can wipe your memory, either permanently of temporarily.
Shadows
They can block another psychic's vision, in particular that of a sniff, rendering the space they are hiding in blacked out.
Stitches
Psychic surgeons; who can perform surgery on people, using only their hands.
In Closing:
Admittedly, I would love to have some of these abilities, who wouldn't? However, the terminology and dramatic shallowness of the script brings it all down to a kids' film level.
Overall, it is an okay film for a rainy day at home; it won't scare or confound you, but will help pass the time, if that is your objective.
AUSTRAILAN DISTRIBUTOR: ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION
Now available for purchase and hire.
Rating: (American release): PG13)
Directed by Paul McGuigan
Produced by Bruce Davey
William Vince
Glenn Williamson
Written by David Bourla
Narrated by Dakota Fanning
Starring Chris Evans
Dakota Fanning
Camilla Belle
Djimon Hounsou
Li Xiaolu
Cliff Curtis
Neil Jackson
Ming-Na
Maggie Siff
Music by Neil Davidge
Cinematography Peter Sova
Editing by Nicolas Trembasiewicz
Studio Icon Productions
Distributed by Summit Entertainment
Release date(s) February 6, 2009
Running time 111 min.
Country United States
Language English
Budget $38 million
Gross revenue $47,894,567
IMAGE CREDIT: All rights reserved Copyright 2007 Summit Entertainment.
FAIR USE RATIONALE: Image low resolution and not for reproduction. Image used for identifying film production for purposes of review only.
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
yes, I was brave....
and make sure it is a REALLY rainy day!
cheers
fog
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Dakota Fanning is growing up quickly too isn't she?
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
hehe!
I dunno about Fanning, I can't remember what I saw her in last, whatever it was it seems ages ago, it makes me feel she has morphed into an ancient homunculus or some such, being small and seemingly sage like, well in this film. Actually, her performance annoyed me a lot!
cheers
fog