Power to the People

Netflix's latest stab at offering blockbuster entertainment comes in the form of this rather predictable, yet serviceable superhero sendup

Screenwriter Mattson Tomlin's original spec script "Power" started a bidding war between studios and it's easy to see why. In the current landscape where superhero movies are all the rage, any fairly original idea that puts a spin on the mythology is bound to get some attention. The script was acquired by Netflix and was developed into "Project Power", featuring a premise that's teeming with potential; there's a pill (also called Power) that can endow people with superhuman abilities for five minutes at a time. Exactly what those abilities will be is unclear until the user takes it or they could take it and simply explode. Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (of "Catfish" and "Paranormal Activity" fame), "Project Power" is a fantastic high-concept that's ultimately held back by formulaic cliches.

New Orleans, world renowned for its flavor, is about to get a taste of something quite different. After shipments of Power hit the streets, superpowered crime begins to run rampant. In an effort to level the playing field, police officer Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes a user and develops a friendship with Robin (Dominique Fishback). She sells it as a means to provide for her sick mother (Andrene Ward-Hammond) and he keeps her out of trouble as much as he can. The ever-versatile Jamie Foxx portrays Art aka The Major, a vigilante and former soldier who uses any means necessary to track down Biggie (Rodrigo Santoro), Power's main distributor, and find his kidnapped daughter Tracy (Kiyanna Simone Simpson).

The main issue with "Project Power" is its inability to capitalize on its tremendous setup. There are several interesting themes at play, including the central villains using a post-Katrina Big Easy as their drug playground at the expense of city civilians. However, the film only dips a toe into its untapped thematic depth and instead, settles as a solid, but relatively uninspired action-thriller. It isn't bad by any means and the big brother and father-like relationships Gordon-Levitt and Foxx respectively share with Fishback work rather well. The film has some visual flair and the rapper subplot feels authentic, as the rhymes were written by burgeoning hip hip artist Chika (who camoes). Nonetheless, the story could have been more fleshed out and some of the action sequences suffer from lackluster choreography or confusing framing. Similarly to Netflix's "The Old Guard" and in spite of its weaknesses, "Project Power" may still help scratch the itch for those who are craving big-budget, effects-driven action vehicles. With COVID effectively putting the kibosh in Hollywood's typical summer offerings, this actually feels right at home as a mid-August release. B-