SPOILER ALERT: The following review contains some spoilers.
There is comfort in the familiar and the reliable, and Project Power is all of that. The plot is nothing new: super soldier gone rogue and there is never any doubt as to where the mysterious pill that gives “powers” comes from, so when it is revealed that the shadowy corporation in cahoots with the shady military scientist they need not have bothered to mention it. Nobody watching this would expect anything different. I’m not saying this is bad, just not exactly treading over a fresh trail.
Project Power is good enough. Only the likable and compelling performances by the three main characters matter anyway. Jamie Foxx is terrific as the unstoppable action hero called “The Major.” He’s on a mission, and along the way he collects the always charming Dominique Fishback and surprisingly badass Joseph Gordon-Levitt to aid in his quest.
That Project Power covers familiar territory is not an overly critical take, because what it does it accomplishes reasonably well. The fight scenes are frenetic and riveting, the CGI superpowers are rendered both stunning and terrifying, and the character moments are earnest, if not otherwise remarkable.
At the end of the day, anyone wanting to watch a show about superpowers that come in pill form have a certain level of expectations, and this will likely meet it.
The Bottom Line
Project Power is a perfectly adequate popcorn movie, and the lead actors do not disappoint. Cheer for the good guys, boo the bad, and be satisfied the regular folk win one for a change.
Score:
Title: Project Power Summary: “When a pill that gives its users unpredictable superpowers for five minutes hits the streets of New Orleans, a teenage dealer and a local cop must team with an ex-soldier to take down the group responsible for its creation.”
Network: Netflix
