A film about a pill that gives you superpowers for five minutes starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a lot of promise and in certain areas, it does indeed deliver. However, it falls a little short of the mark due to a predictable ending and a few one-note characters. Project Power focuses on three main characters; Robin (Dominque Fishback), Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Art (Jamie Foxx), who are all involved in the world of power-enhancing pills.
Robin is a college kid who deals the pills and close friends with cop Frank, who also happens to be one of her regular customers. Art is a wanted criminal, who is trying to locate the head distributer of the pills, for reasons that will become clearer later on in the film. When Art kidnaps Robin to get information on her supplier, it sets into motion a series of events that will eventually see the pair team up, along with a none too happy Frank to take down the drug lords controlling the streets of New Orleans.
Project Power starts off strong. It has an interesting central concept, a slick style, and solid performances from the central leads. Superpowers as an illegal and addictive drug is a neat little idea and as with all good science fiction, the way it represents real issues such as drug abuse and criminal organisations gives it relatability and authenticity. The powers themselves when displayed are a mixture of very cool and very silly. Frank’s power for instance is subtle but effective and some of the enemies’ abilities look great. One particular enemy’s power serves for a fantastic fight sequence between him and Frank.
Others suffer from the decision to rely too heavily on CGI. The first power we see is when Art visits a squat, following up a lead. The sequence itself is nicely shot and well-choreographed but the power itself doesn’t look quite right, resulting in a slight dip in impact and tension. Furthermore, the power that one of the main villains Biggie (Rodrigo Santoro) uses later on in the film looks shockingly bad, the quality of the CGI reminiscent of an early 2000 film.
Unfortunately, as is the case with some other Netflix films, it feels like Project Power was slightly rushed, particularly in post-production. For the most part, the action scenes are nicely put together but many of them lack the necessary impact and wow factor, due to the sound levels being off. It is a crucial part of creating a good atmosphere and sense of immersion and without it, it does sadly affect the overall intensity of the accompanying scene.
This is a shame because most of Project Power is nicely shot. A handful of the scenes can be a little hard to follow when the action is particularly frenetic but for the most part, the camera work is steady and looks good. Having said that, there is one specific scene where the film tries to be a little too experimental and attempts a stylish, seemingly one-take shot. Although some individual elements of it look cool, as a whole it is confusing, messy and, in the end, it would have been better to opt for a simple but well shot and choreographed standard fight sequence.
The story is also problematic. The first half of Project Power is engaging and interesting. Robin and Art are investing characters, well written and with strong performances from both Fishback and Foxx respectively. Frank isn’t as well developed as a character and it is a shame that Levitt isn’t used more, considering how good an actor he is. However, he is likable and funny enough in the role for it to still be enjoyable.
The way they are all linked to the power pills but in different ways is nicely done and I was particularly impressed how their individual storylines crossed over into each other’s, as the film developed. There is also a nice rhythm and pace to three-quarters of the film with a sense of rolling momentum and building tension, as events spiral ever more out of control. Disappointingly that drops off at the tail end of Project Power, due to its generic and somewhat safe ending.
Amy Landlecker and Rodrigo Santoro, the two villains of the piece are underused, their talents as actors wasted due to their poorly written characters. Admittedly Robin and Art’s character arcs reach a satisfying conclusion but Frank doesn’t really develop or change throughout the film. Furthermore, the powered pills storyline fizzles out and takes a backseat during the last leg of Project Power. Although it is nice in a way that it is a film about people as opposed to powers, more time should have been dedicated to the power pills, considering it was the idea that was presented so heavily at the start.
Despite its shortcomings, there are some nice little touches in Project Power. Robin’s use of rap to express herself and her identity is a prime example. It is an aspect that is carried throughout the runtime of the film and reinforces her development and growth as a character. It also adds authenticity to Robin, making her feel like a well-rounded and realistic person. Robin also avoids the trap of becoming a whiny, petulant teenager by not overdoing it when she runs into Art. She does moan and complain, which is to be expected considering her circumstance but she is still a likable character. Fishback’s performance is key to this and she balances Robin’s vulnerability and cockiness just right.
There are also a handful of scenes where both Art and Frank use their respective skills in clever ways to get around problems they are faced with, both through the use of the pills and their own street smarts. Project Power also has a defined style and in a similar way to the film Bright, manages to effectively combine modern and urban with the fantastical. Some of the songs I really liked, others not so much but they all do successfully complement the tone of the film.
If you are looking for a mildly entertaining film then Project Power is a good way to kill a couple of hours. Its initial concept is strong and maintains interest up until the halfway point of the film where it, unfortunately, dips in terms of storytelling. The action for the most part is exciting and well-choreographed and shot with a number of nicely put together fight scenes. The handful of occasions it doesn’t quite work are due to slightly messy camerawork and incorrect sound mixing. The script isn’t anything special and the villains are underwhelming and underwritten. Fortunately, Robin and Art are well-penned characters and that provides a good level of investment. Where the film really shines is in terms of its cast with Fishback, Foxx, and Levitt giving engaging performances. Not a mind-blowing piece of filmmaking but a reasonably enjoyable one nonetheless.
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