By Jason Ashcroft
Image courtesy provided by Netflix
This last weekend Netflix finally released their highly marketed/anticipated new movie "Project Power" starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and newcomer Dominique Fishback. The film was written by newcomer Mattson Tomlin and directed by directing duo Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman who most notably directed "Paranormal Activity 3" and "Nerve". The main synopsis of "Project Power" is
"A former solider teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers to those who take it."
I found "Project Power" very interesting as it provided a new opportunity to create a new and unique take on the superhero genre with no source material to refer to. Although the film does go against the norm when it comes to superhero films in a few instances, I found that it mostly held back on taking a full swing and doing something completely different when it comes to this genre. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the film, I just was hoping for "Project Power" to introduce new elements that would enhance the superhero genre. My other negative for the film is the main plot of the film. The plot isn't horrible but what I found most disappointing was how generic it was. I was hoping for "Project Power" to really go against the grain but sadly it was more or less the same of what we are use to.
With that said, I did thoroughly enjoy this movie. Jamie Foxx is terrific in this role and really sells the state of being his character is in. Every second he was on screen, I was very interested and cared about his character along with his mission. Another positive of the film is newcomer Dominique Fishback. Not only did she give a good performance in her role but I found her character compelling in the sense that she isn't just your average kid who gets swept up in a adventure. They gave her a reason to be there and added some interesting complexity to her character. You feel sympathy for her character while at the same time wondering why her character has made some of the dangerous decisions she has made.
While I was disappointed in the direction "Project Power" went in and the generic plot of the film I did enjoy the movie. The movie was well filmed, the action was unique and most of all the characters were well acted and Foxx especially created interest in his character. The movie isn't perfect, but it'll do.
Grade: B-