Formulaic but soothingly engaging, Project Power is one of those movies for one use. And we shouldn’t judge because they serve a purpose too. Sometimes you need a movie like this to unwind after a hard day or just to take your mind off things. The story is predictable and characters stereotypical but that’s, strangely enough, a plus when it comes to this subgenre of forgettable movies. Just take the main elements of the story like drugs, superpowers, and corporations and you know that this is going to be another sleek looking commercial milker. However, all these elements make a pretty appealing mix. And since there are so few movies being released nowadays, we lowered our bar significantly.
I think that Project Power is best viewed at the beginning of a supernatural movie night. You’ll probably remember it as that superpowers movie with James Foxx. Which is a shame because it does feature some cool concepts. Like the pill that gives you random superpowers. On this thing alone you could make a drama, thriller, and a fucking horror movie without expanding its potential. On the other hand, we have the classic story of a kid from the hood selling dope and dreaming of becoming a rap star. Luckily, the movie isn’t too cringy as it flows above the usual traps and remains firmly focused on action and the clunky plot.
Welcome to the world of tomorrow! It features all the same problems we have today, only amplified. For example, there’s this new drug called Power that swiftly started taking over. It gives its users superhuman powers for a short period of time. So it’s no wonder the demand soon started skyrocketing. We follow Robin, a young girl from New Orleans who started dealing Power to earn some money and escape her already written destiny…
Considering that Project Power is a Netflix R-rated movie, I was expecting more blood, gore, and generally nasty things from it. What we got is just one notch above your classic clean superhero movie action. This contributed greatly to its status as just an average sci-fi flick despite its whopping $85 million budget. Sheesh, just imagine what a bunch of creative filmmakers could do with that much money. I’m guessing that most of that money went towards the two big names, Foxx and Gordon-Levitt, and visuals that turned out pretty good. Special effects are nice and juicy and the cinematography tight. In the end, the decision is yours. If you’re up for some time-wasting, check it out. It won’t blow you away but it also won’t make you turn off the tv in disgust.
If you’re looking for similar movies to Project Power, you should take a look at Bright, Code 8, and Spectral. All three are relatively better movies and feature a story that’s not so forgettable. If, however, that’s exactly what you’re looking for then go for The Old Guard and Bloodshot.
Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Writer: Mattson Tomlin
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Rodrigo Santoro, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Landecker, Machine Gun Kelly
Fun Facts: Dominique Fishback who plays Robin, a high school kid, was twenty-nine years old during filming.
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7550000/
