Project Power (2020) - Where to Watch, Reviews, Trailers, Cast - Watchmode

Project Power (2020)

Ex-soldier, young hustler, and cop chase superpower-granting pills in New Orleans; perfect for fans of action-packed thrillers.

Genres: Action, Crime, Science Fiction

Cast

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Project Power(2020)

R
Movie1h 53mEnglishAction, Crime, Science Fiction
5.9
User Score
56%
Critic Score
IMDb

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Overview

An ex-soldier, a teen and a cop collide in New Orleans as they hunt for the source behind a dangerous new pill that grants users temporary superpowers.

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Featured Comments/Tips

Spoilers

Good movie with a major plot-hole: How you gunna have a main char who'#39;s power is [spoiler]lyricism, and a bad guy name Biggie, but they don'#39;t end up battle rapping.[/spoiler]. smh

'#34;Has anybody seen an invisible man?'#34;

It was nice to watch, but you can see there is much more of a story and they needed it to keep it short. It would have been better as a 10 episode mini serie. More backstories and showing different characters and there powers. The effects where nice, but has gone too quick to wrap it up.

Fucking garbage, a disjointed jumble of ideas loosely strung around a movie about super powers.

Spoilers

All in all, I enjoyed this movie. It had a good range of characters and some quite good (albeit short lived) action scenes. Too many questions have been left unanswered but I’m guessing this is for the sole purpose of sequels. Some good acting, some good writing. But why [spoiler]exactly 5 minutes[/spoiler]? Surely each consumer would be affected differently in the same way some have higher tolerance to alcohol. Oh well. I rated this 6/10 because, although I enjoyed it, it had so much potential to easily be an 8!

Spoilers

The powers are supposed to be random, yet almost everyone gets the exact power they need for the given situation... [spoiler]They didn'#39;t even include acid, venom, poison or other chemical attacks. What kind of animal self-ignites like a torch? Or turns into an icicle? Complete BS.[/spoiler]

It had lots of potential but the characters were very bland. VFX were ok and not exaggerated. I did expect more.

Take a movie with a really fun idea, not necessarily original, but fun. Fill it full of social signaling and ruin the entire thing. There you have this movie. Cheesy, badly put together and socially just. Basically a sad disaster. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of garbage like this in the near future.

Take a movie with a really fun idea, not necessarily original, but fun. Fill it full of social signaling and ruin the entire thing. There you have this movie. Cheesy, badly put together and socially just. Basically a sad disaster. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of garbage like this in the near future.

I mean, the movie has got some cool ideas in terms of this power drug and the superhero-like abilities it can have on you, but the overall execution was lacking, which made this so forgettable.

Take a movie with a really fun idea, not necessarily original, but fun. Fill it full of social signaling and ruin the entire thing. There you have this movie. Cheesy, badly put together and socially just. Basically a sad disaster. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of garbage like this in the near future.

Typical Netflix movie, a bit of this a bit of that, some action, some basic story and nothing more. The kid was a fresh breath, the rest was basic plot-line that we'#39;ve seen so many times

A pretty enjoyable movie that leaves you wishing there was more time to explore the concepts much more to make them even more solid than they were. The concepts and the ideas pretty well executed, but it leaves you with a sense that there'#39;s more to the story than what we were told. Plus, they could have explored each character'#39;s individual powers and origins a bit more if they had more time. Honestly this is one those movies that would have benefited from being a mini series or something, it has potential for that kind of treatment imo. Would have probably turned out better in that format. Still a solid movie worthy of being in anyone'#39;s Watchlist.

Another Netflix adoption that would have been better if it had been made for the cinema. The storyline isn'#39;t new (Limetless), but the implementation was great in the first half of the film. Great CGI (Burning Man) and a (as usual) good Jamie Fox. Unfortunately, one notices that Netflix wants to finish such productions quickly and that the company'#39;s policy is still on quantity rather than quality. The second half is so quick and unintentional. Hardly any good action and a totally screwed up finale, which is so banal that one wonders what the whole pre-skirmish was good for. Another film in the series (streaming service) can be watched, but it is not worth mentioning.

not as I expected it.

Featured User Reviews

I have a feeling this movie, when all is said and done, will be underrated. It would be easy to consider this movie less than it is: a good action sci-fi film, as good as anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe with performances on the strong side and deliberate, cool filmmaking on the part of directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. _Project Power_ (2020) is a worthy follow-up to 2016's _Nerve_, another high-concept thriller that seemed like it was adapted from a young adult novel. Joost and Schulman have certain tics. They like for their protagonists to ride motorcycles. They distinguish their films through blinding neons and high color saturation. And above all, they have a penchant for that saccharine sentimentality some might call “heart.” Without question, _Project Power_ has that in spades. Both Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are underutilized as leading men in these kinds of lightweight action thrillers. Gordon-Levitt seems to be doing his best imitation of his character from _Premium Rush_ (2012) and Foxx finds his groove somewhere between _Django Unchained_ (2012) and _Baby Driver_ (2017). Clearly these gentlemen are having a blast. But Dominique Fishback also delivers a compelling performance, showing the chops to break out from the unquestionably young adult trappings of this film into something that will put her substantial acting prowess to good use. Joost and Schulman have a phenomenal talent for stylish, kinetic action. Each of the film's fight scenes is creative, not just in how they are choreographed but also how they are filmed. This is every bit a step up from their prior work, but still comfortably in their lane. Overall, I find _Project Power_ to be an impressive film that is a cut above most Netflix exclusive offerings. It is a fine work of genre filmmaking and might have a little under the hood. I'd happily watch a Fishback, Foxx, and Gordon-Levitt led franchise, but it doesn't look like that's a certain outcome here. Nonetheless, this is a better class of modern B movie, the kind of pulp we deserve.

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Project Power is the most recent Netflix project featuring a great cast, but the attention-grabber for me is the screenplay debut for Mattson Tomlin (also co-writing The Batman with Matt Reeves). It's the closest to a superhero movie any viewer is going to get for the following months, but at the same time, it couldn't be more different than the usual flicks from said genre. I barely knew a thing about the film besides the synopsis and the cast, so I was open to everything Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman cooked up. The concept definitely intrigued me, the cast convinced me, and the movie itself... didn't reach half of its potential, unfortunately. Let's start with the positives. Even though Dominique Fishback had a part in The Hate U Give, this is her first big role in an also big film, and she's probably the best thing about it. She delivers a pretty good performance, especially for someone who has to share so much screentime with two experienced actors, but her rapping skills steal the show. Not only the improvised lines fit her character, Robin, but the way that she raps elevates every single rhyme. As expected, Jamie Foxx is remarkable as Art, as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Frank. Both incorporate their characters seamlessly, performing their dialogues and action sequences with ease. Character-wise, Robin and Art receive generic yet quite efficient arcs. Both are driven by cliche motivations connected to their own families, but the actors do a fantastic job making it all feel realistic and emotionally compelling. Mattson Tomlin's script for each character also helps with captivating conversations and memorable lines. However, both the story and the remaining characters lack depth. Frank doesn't have any sort of backstory or unique motives, being merely a cop who wants to protect his city. The "bad guys" (Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker) represent the most formulaic aspect of the whole movie: just the usual greedy, egocentric, power-driven drug dealers, version #271837 put to film. The movie's concept is fascinating, and its first half does an excellent job of exploring and expanding that premise. Sadly, the main focus eventually switches to the supposedly more entertaining, action-heavy plot. The "supposedly" wasn't written by chance because the action scenes are rather disappointing, to be honest. Sure, there are a couple of unquestionably eye-opening sequences, which contain decent visuals. Nevertheless, most are so filled with CGI and hard-to-follow, choppy editing (Jeff McEvoy) that I could rarely see an entire sequence clearly. Michael Simmonds' cinematography employs way too shaky camera movements as well. There's even what I think was supposed to look like a one-take action set piece, but due to the aspects referenced above, it just doesn't seem like it. In addition to this, the powers displayed could use a bit more creativity. Having in mind that everyone has a different power, superstrength, superspeed, or the ability to create fire aren't exactly groundbreaking skills. With so many superhero films released in the past few years, Project Power could have delivered something unique (granted, there's one underrated power taken from an animal that's pretty badass), but it stayed in the safe zone. Overall, the action and the editing are so inconsistent that I can't really fault them entirely. The most disappointing aspect of all is how little development the primary narrative gets. I firmly believe it's a fantastic premise to create a TV show out of it, but Joost and Schulman could have done a better job with Tomlin's screenplay, which could have taken a much more detailed approach with a more experienced writer. Taking everything into account... Project Power boasts a talented cast, featuring a badass Jamie Foxx and a remarkable Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but it's Dominique Fishback who steals the spotlight. Demonstrating not only her acting abilities but also her rapping skills, Fishback shines in her first significant role. Her character and Foxx's are the heart and soul of the movie, which possesses a genuinely intriguing take on the superhero concept, but that, unfortunately, fails to reach its potential. The remaining characters are extremely undeveloped, especially the cliche, power-thirsty villains who I even struggle to remember their names. Some action sequences might deliver what viewers are looking for, but most are packed with an incomprehensible amount of CGI, uncontrollably choppy editing, shaky camera movements, and a lack of imagination regarding the powers shown. If the focus stayed in telling a more detailed narrative instead of the disappointing action, maybe it would have been quite a nice surprise. As it is, it's far from being a bad film, so I recommend it to anyone who wants a generic yet remotely entertaining action-packed Netflix flick. Rating: C+

Ryan
Ryan
0/10

An interesting premise and some decent acting, but in the same year as The Old Guard and right on the heals of Synchronic, this is just way too similar. Also, on that same note, I'm sick of these same lame "everyday superhero" films. Come up with something new.

Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. This is a weird one to categorize as it's a "super power" movie, but not a "super hero" movie. This actually mimics a lot of "Black Lightning" with more of a Marvel's "mutant growth hormone" vibe without feeling ANYTHING like a Marvel movie. Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon Levitt are great and carry the movie well, but I honestly found everyone else in the movie a bit lacking, which is a shame as Dominique Fishback has a lot of potential, but I don't think we see it: she didn't do badly, but it wasn't great either. The story it self is interesting, and some of the characters are interesting, but this is definitely more of an action based movie where they can flash some effects and cool imagery to try to distract the audience until it gets more interesting. It's really more of a drug movie with the occasional "burst" of super powers as they only last a rather arbitrary 5 minutes, exactly. It's a gimmick movie, but it isn't bad. This is a good way to keep an action flick memorable and refreshing.

This movie had such promise. It could have spawned a new TV series akin to that of _Heroes_ or the more recent comic book adaptation _The Boys_. Instead it got trapped in a generic plot with a lot of unrealized potential. The story isn't bad. It's just not particularly unique, especially for a power-based fantasy like this one. A man trying to take the shadow corporation that is distributing the drug called **Power** and a local cop trying to maintain order in a corrupt neighbourhood. The two inevitably meet and their goals align. It's a pretty standard formula, that is quite frankly, in need of revision. The characters are interesting. Interesting enough to warrant their own movies. Jamie Foxx is pretty awesome as the rogue vigilante, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt holds his own as the good detective whose charisma is just as much of a power as the one he gets from the drug. But the standout performance is from Dominique Fishback, who connects with both characters almost equally. Fishback plays a young dealer of the aforementioned Power, as a way to make ends meet for herself and her mother. In the meantime, she desires to become a rapper, and the actress more than delivers on the talent. This is definitely a character that I would like to see more of... but maybe not in this find of movie. While she is a major character, she does not play a major role, which makes one question her place in this story. Is she meant to represent the viewer? The one who witnesses the insanity of super-humans in the streets of New-Orleans? Or was she supposed to be Robin to Foxx's Batman, something she herself, suggested? It doesn't really feel like she belongs. Despite handling Power for most of the movie, she never experiences it, and her dream of being a rapper is not truly touched upon. The rest of the cast are largely forgettable, except for Rodrigo Santoro, the main distributor of the drug. This is unfortunate, because he gets less screen time than he deserved. His personality is smooth and enjoyable. You want to get to know him better, as well as his power. But his story is quickly cut. Rather messily, I might add. Machine Gun Kelly is only notable because of his name more than anything else, and his sole purpose is to introduce us to the dangers of Power. Something that is never really brought up again. The location is dull, though the history is not. It is a pity that there isn't more detail of the effect that Hurricane Katrina had on the people of New Orleans. And although this movie is supposedly set in the not-so distant future, there is nothing that suggests it is, aside from the drug itself. Combat and special effects are perhaps the best part of this movie. Seeing each character's power unleashed, and how they use it, is done better than some major motion pictures. Each power not only represents a personality, but is derived from a specific animal. (I had no idea how crazy a pistol-shrimp really was, but you'll have to watch the movie to know what I mean). The action is well-executed, though Art sometimes feels too good, removing a sense of tension whenever he gets into a scrum. The downside is that very few powers are actually seen in this film, and the ones we do see are very typical in the superhero genre. The music is decent, if not a little on the nose. That's really all that can be said there. While Fishback's raps are catchy, and there is a great moment for her, they don't do anything to drive the plot. The conclusion is as predictable as they come. I won't spoil it, though I suppose I already have, in which case, I apologize. I find it strange, that despite not enjoying this movie, I want to see what happens next. Especially since there is nothing. On another note, I am now concerned for the upcoming Batman movie. Mattson Tomlin's writing is far from stellar, and while he has potential, I doubt it has improved in such a short span of time.

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