Humans equipped with great, unique psychic powers are victims of an organization known as the Division..a United States organization which desire to create the ultimate weapons against their opposing countries. It seems other countries have adopted their own breed of humans as we see in Hong Kong as Henry Carver(Djimon Hounsou), representing the US, and his right-hand man, Victor(Neil Jackson) are seeking a syringe containing a fluid that could perhaps create the most powerful psychic. He plans to use it on Kira(Camilla Belle), a "thinker"(..a psychic who can change the thoughts of others, forcing them to do her bidding, actually creating whole entire fictitious scenarios on the spot in their minds)who had survived an injection which has killed everyone else. The syringe, Carver believes, containing a powerful serum, could be the final stage in creating the superhuman his government has always desired. Escaping from the institution holding her, Kira is on the run. Meanwhile a "watcher", Cassie(Dakota Fanning, growing up before our eyes), the daughter of the most powerful clairvoyant of the Division, seeks the help of a "mover", Nick(Chris Evans), a young man with the ability to move objects..and people..with thought, and holds a vendetta with Carver for killing his father. Nick and Cassie will join forces, as they find other allies in Hong Kong, those who had been released by the Division and wish to see the organization end, hoping to find Kira and the case holding the serum. Cassie's determined to get the case for her mother's well being depends on it. A key aspect in the story that keeps the tension is Cassie's constant visions of their deaths. Meanwhile, our heroes will also have to contend with the Chinese government who have their own human psychics. Two of the Chinese(..called "bleeders") have the power to break glass and cause physical destruction to humans with their ferocious high-frequency screams. Cassie's main adversary is a fellow clairvoyant, working for her father of the Chinese government, who sees future actions as they happen(..the trick to stopping her to change their plans as she reads their minds, throwing her off track when necessary). We also have psychics with the power to heal, wipe out memory, manipulate others by changing the appearance of an object(..neat ability if you are playing cards), those who can mask people from being located for a short span, and those equipped with the ability to sniff objects(..their role to hunt their quarry down), reading the past activities of whatever item the person held during a small period of time.
Wirey premise and insanely convoluted. Exotic setting, slick production values, attractive cast, flashy camera-work, and some unusual Matrix-like special effects where men are ascended in mid air by telekinetic powers, thrown through windows and against walls. Dakota Fanning finally gets to swear(sh#t), but essentially remains a smart, quick-talking lass who stirs the action with her key role as the clairvoyant who trades quips with the adults(..hell, she's pretty much always been in this role, except we now realize that she's growing up)like a straight-shooter. I think it's imperative that you enter this film without paying too close attention to the plot because it's so screwy that you may soon find the whole ordeal tiresome. Lots of visual eye candy on display, which captured(..and kept) my attention, when the plot had me going around in circles, and plenty of unpredictable(..and contrived)twists and surprises. You barely catch a breath as our heroes move from one place to next, attempting to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. And, I was entertained by how many times the filmmakers save Evans' ass when it was almost assured he'd be a goner. A guilty pleasure movie, I will say, but not a flick that will remain with you. Popcorn fodder..was badly marketed and a terrible title didn't help. The violence in the film is strictly PG-13, and it seems the director uses old tricks rather than CGI, which I admire quite a bit. Good chemistry between Evans and Fanning, I think, help keep the less action-oriented scenes afloat. The nifty idea of Fanning's Cassie artistically rendering the future on a pad(..we always see her scribbling away when she isn't ordering Evans around)is an interesting addition to the crazy story-line shenanigans. How the gang are able to contend with their enemies at the very end will probably have you scratching your head in disbelief(..only a brilliant screenwriter could whip up such an incredibly deranged series of events using written commands on paper, hidden in concealed envelopes to be opened at an appropriate time).
Wirey premise and insanely convoluted. Exotic setting, slick production values, attractive cast, flashy camera-work, and some unusual Matrix-like special effects where men are ascended in mid air by telekinetic powers, thrown through windows and against walls. Dakota Fanning finally gets to swear(sh#t), but essentially remains a smart, quick-talking lass who stirs the action with her key role as the clairvoyant who trades quips with the adults(..hell, she's pretty much always been in this role, except we now realize that she's growing up)like a straight-shooter. I think it's imperative that you enter this film without paying too close attention to the plot because it's so screwy that you may soon find the whole ordeal tiresome. Lots of visual eye candy on display, which captured(..and kept) my attention, when the plot had me going around in circles, and plenty of unpredictable(..and contrived)twists and surprises. You barely catch a breath as our heroes move from one place to next, attempting to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. And, I was entertained by how many times the filmmakers save Evans' ass when it was almost assured he'd be a goner. A guilty pleasure movie, I will say, but not a flick that will remain with you. Popcorn fodder..was badly marketed and a terrible title didn't help. The violence in the film is strictly PG-13, and it seems the director uses old tricks rather than CGI, which I admire quite a bit. Good chemistry between Evans and Fanning, I think, help keep the less action-oriented scenes afloat. The nifty idea of Fanning's Cassie artistically rendering the future on a pad(..we always see her scribbling away when she isn't ordering Evans around)is an interesting addition to the crazy story-line shenanigans. How the gang are able to contend with their enemies at the very end will probably have you scratching your head in disbelief(..only a brilliant screenwriter could whip up such an incredibly deranged series of events using written commands on paper, hidden in concealed envelopes to be opened at an appropriate time).