Netflix Journal: Push

This movie is no good. I could take a screenplay like this and make it 5 times better in a very short period of time. Rather than waste a lot of my time explaining why, I think these bullet points will convey my disappointment.

 

ACTION

• In classic western fashion the use of powers and characterization are completely uncreative and shallow. Instead of developing characters that have powers as extensions of their own problems and ambitions, the abilities are treated more like parlor tricks, gimcracks, and pocket tools. Would it have been so hard to make Nick, our main character, the type of guy who "pushes" people away when they get too close? At the beginning of the movie several lines were made commenting on Nick's lack of ability and practice, yet he suddenly becomes a master just by willing it apparently. No practice and no inner revelation trivializes the abilities making the film less relatable. 
• I found it disappointing that with all the cool psychic powers, some fight scenes still boiled down to overly macho, fairly humdrum fist fights. Even Kira gets into a hand to hand altercation with one of her captors in the bathroom scene. Her ability to beat a grown man down is questionable. It would have been more believable and interesting if she used her push power on multiple people to create an escape. 
• Speaking of fights, a lot of people die as a result of them. I expected as much from the over zealous Henry Carver, his henchmen, and the Asian mafia group. But even our protagonists were surprisingly cold blooded. Who knows of Henry's henchmen were under his "mind" control. Apparently it's a non issue for everyone in the film. 
• The only thing easier than getting into a fight in Push is getting out of it. The writer(s) almost did a good job creating reasons for enemies to simply walk away from fights instead of delivering a killing blow. However, the strength of these escape scenarios is tied to the strength of the writing as a whole. If I'm barely with the plot, then even a decent escape scenario will be weakened somewhat. 
• There are way too many characters that sneak up on each other in this film. I expect no less from a writer who simply doesn't understand action, realistic scenarios, or how to convey ideas through a character instead of making a character do the idea. Just like when the main enemy in Iron Man sneaked up on Tony Stark in his home, the believability, consistency, and creativity suddenly drops. 

PLOT & SETTING

• The protagonists are terrible. Without morals or a scrap of a theme to make their plight more universal/relatable, I can hardly care about the unconvincing group of self-made, instant agents. Kira, the pusher girl, is quite a non character. Shrouded in mystery, her unknown past coupled with watchers predicting all kinds of things about her future makes Kira a tool of the bad plot instead of a character. Her romantic interests in Nick is a poorer relationship than the one from Jumper. Kira's excuse for shooting at Nick when they first meet in the film? He didn't find her when she was capture by a super powerful and secret organization. This reason is juvenile and apparently insignificant as they hook up shortly afterwards. 
• Great writers can bring the world into a single room by crafting dialog and using characters to communicate the bigger picture without actually zooming out to see it. Bad writers not only use a lot of spaces, but all of the the spaces are trivialized while failing to build the "big picture" at all. Push was written by bad writers. Sure the Asian setting brought a fresh look and feel to the locations in a movie industry that's over saturated with California and New York. But this setting serves little purpose when looking unique is all that it's used for. The characters in the film go up town, down town, to the fish market, through the back streets, across the water, and in tall buildings as if traveling is easy. The same sensibilities that gave the writer(s) confidence to have young Cassie traveling around the world to find Nick is present through all aspects of the film. This is just one more aspect that hurts the film's believability. 
• Intrigue and conspiracy isn't enough to sustain this movie. Because the characters are flat and the powers trivialized, the only thing left to keep me interested is the larger conspiracy plot. what kind of group does Henry really represent? Why did Cassie's mom, the greatest watcher in the world, get capture? Even these questions aren't enough. I doubt the big picture is even clear to the writers. And if it is, I dislike how I can't figure out what's going on because of the extreme lack of coherent details and information. 

THE POWERS 

• The only thing I liked about Push are the basic ideas behind the "core mechanics" of the psychic powers. The thing that makes all mechanics really interesting from movies to video games is interplay. Interplay in this case broadly refers to the limitations of an ability and ways it can be countered. 
  • Movers can move things with their mind. This is a classic psychic power. Like the Force Push from Star Wars, one push can counter another. Distance and weight are key factors in whether or not a mover can move an object. 
  • Pushers can put memories directly in your mind. Direct eye contact is needed to create the mental link. Though it isn't very clear from the film, I think the power is limited to only adding memories. 
  • Watchers can see a version of the future. Cassie and her Asian counterpart sketch the future. The future can change and their sight can be blocked by Shadowers. 
  • Bleeders can scream creating super sonic waves that cause you to bleed from within. Their strength is limited by proximity (I think) and the direction they're facing.  
  • Stichers can heal or break someone with a touch. 
  • Shadowers can hide themselves and others from watchers. Their powers have a limited range that's centered on their person. 
  • Sniffers are like watchers but can track people by smelling the history of objects they've touched. They can be countered by burning, hiding, or not touching objects they can get their hands on. 

It's as if the writers were designing a video game all along. 

The Karate Kid

This movie hit so many check boxes on my personal list of what makes a good movie. The following are some of those items...

• A variety of music that includes classical (Bach, Korsakov, Chopin). The Karate Kid uses a variety of music from Lady Gaga, Korsakov, to more traditional Chinese singing. I found that each selection fit their scene well.  Furthermore, aside from a few discrepancies, the on screen musical performances matched nicely with the music. Wenwen Han's vibrato and bowing in her violin performance is very convincing.
• Real Kung Fu. I've always had a soft spot for Eastern cultures and their martial arts. Now, I have a deep appreciation and understanding for how different Eastern cultures concept of discipline and action proliferate their way of life. To respect one's craft and to apply one's training and focus to all facets of life is "real" Kung Fu. In addition to studying the choreography and fancy martial arts moves, The Karate Kid very nicely shows the other side to fighting/Kung Fu. The action of Kung Fu is very well integrated into the characters and the conflicts of the film. 
• Training scenes. I love training scenes because I can relate to them so profoundly. To wish or dream is free. To achieve these things takes hard work. From the time one decides to take action to the time the goal is completed, most of the journey is spent practicing or training. Playing piano/violin, making art, writing, dancing, and competitive gaming are all areas that I've experience varying degrees of success. Practice is what makes it possible. As nice as it is to be able to sit down and bang out a Chopin Etude, I can distinctly remember working hard to learn every note. This is where true discipline and character is formed. Western stories like to gloss over this most important area. Training hard to Americans means giving it your best shot and wanting to win the most. From my experience, these things don't get you to the goal. In other words, you can want it all you want. But until you work for it, then you don't want it enough. The Karate Kid is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Lucky for me much of the movie is dedicated to training. 
• Jackie Chan. He's talented, silly, serious, and stars in some of the most creative fight scenes I've ever scene. No need for much magic, wires, or special effects for this guy. The way he moves alone is what's special. I've watched Jackie Chan movies all of my life including many of his Chinese films. I've watched his biography and studied his moves. Though he only has one fight scene in The Karate Kid, it's a good one. He may be old, but he still has it. 
• Taking time to develop settings, scenes, and characters. In the same way that The Karate Kid respects training, it also takes its time developing the story. Instead of rushing from America head long into a Kung Fu conflict, the film takes care to show Dre Parker's rough transition into his new home. Though the film sticks closely to a classic storytelling formula, the predictability doesn't detract from the impact of the storytelling, messages, or themes. So many elements are introduced gradually and, better yet, subtly. Scared looks, a strange car, a tense grip. All of these details help show the story rather than tell it. 

The camera is too shaky during some action scenes. This may have been done to obscure the kid on kid violence. Overall, the film is very enjoyable. If you're anything like me, you'll find many of the above elements enjoyable as well.