Project Power Review: The Super-Powered Team Up This Summer Needs

Any other summer and Project Power may have been forgotten amongst the big-budget Marvel films and flashy action sequels.

But this isn’t just any old summer and with no definitive blockbuster to clinch our attention during these warmer months, this gritty anti-superhero thriller could give moviegoers condemned to their couches something worth getting excited about.

Project Power centers around a groundbreaking pill that provides its takers with temporary superpowers. New Orleans is quickly overrun with criminals looking to take advantage of this new power and an unlikely trio finds themselves at the center of the chaos. When faced with the dark truth behind the pill’s origin, the former soldier, cop, and teen team up to find the source.

Jamie Foxx plays The Major, a former soldier with personal stakes in this super-drug war. In over his head, he enlists the help of street-smart teen Robin, played by Dominique Fishback, and resourceful law enforcement officer Frank, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Unfortunately for Project Power, this super-charged premise hardly feels as groundbreaking as the pills it’s pushing. An already saturated market of action projects featuring superheroes and magic pills has made sure of that.

Project Power has all the makings of a good movie, it’s just a movie we’ve already seen too much of in recent years.

But as the cast of this film quickly demonstrates, those projects never looked quite like this. This fresh group of actors aren’t just diverse in age and skin color, they’re also incredibly plucky — and plucky pays.

The premise itself may be underwhelming and it’s dialogue unmoving, but the presentation is new, flashy, and refreshingly simplistic. Those that can see Project Power doesn’t mean to take itself too seriously in the convoluted superhero underworld of its own creation will have no problem finding this fleeting entertainment enjoyable.

This thriller manages a fresh take on the superhero genre that has swept box offices for years. That individuality alone should be enough for praise in the age of reboots and remakes.

However, it is our three protagonists that ultimately save this film from its own overpowering premise.

Project Power is smart when it comes to giving us the parts of these characters that will establish the quickest empathy link between viewers and the story. We are attracted to their individuality and sincere bravery long before Foxx, Fishback, and Gordon-Levitt can come together onscreen.

The Major: Y’all hear that? That’s the sound of the most advanced tactical team in the world taking over your ship.
Robin: Frank, punch him in the nuts or something!

The three of them fit together effortlessly despite the glaring differences in how these characters interact with the world around them. The Major and Frank score points for their desire to be supportive father figures for Robin but they fail horribly at keeping her out of trouble — something we are immensely grateful for.

Robin is at her best when she’s defying the adult men around her to save the day in her own scrappy way, and she’s even better when she’s saving Frank and The Major from their own stupidity.

If you were looking for a good enough reason to check this film out, look no further than this dysfunctional trio of rogues you won’t be able to resist rooting for.

Frank quickly establishes himself as a law-skirting but good-hearted cop.

His connections to Robin are instantly endearing despite their friendship veering slightly into white-savior territory early on. However, this film quickly demolishes any assumptions by revealing that Frank and Robin have a close work relationship because she’s his dealer.

The film also establishes that while Frank is willing to go above and beyond for the sake of the job, his eagerness to jump headfirst into situations causes more trouble for those around him than it does good.

He may be bulletproof on the pill but his chivalry turns a simple hostage situation into a deadly shoot out spanning half of New Orleans. Despite this being an action movie that feeds off unnecessary escalations of violence, it’s hard to ignore Frank’s duty as anything but reckless abuse of the badge at times.

That being said, Gordon-Levitt’s tongue-in-cheek humor fits right in with this film’s darker tone. He’s not afraid to go full Clint Eastwood on his enemies, unleashing his ridiculous character work and quick thinking skills on anyone that crosses him.

He’s not afraid to stand before the faceless henchman of this film wearing nothing but a towel, and I have to respect that — if not admire it.

Foxx once again proves he can do it all. From chilling villainy to leading man material, he is a charming con artist of his craft as he shifts from cold-blooded killer to loving father with a single breath.

Most of this film’s heavier material lands on The Major’s shoulders and while his backstory is not exactly doing this plot any favors, Foxx takes the opportunity to run with it and make something of the desperation his character is fueled by at every turn.

It is that depth that makes it incredibly hard to choose a stand out amongst our three unlikely heroes — but Robin makes a strong case for herself.

She not only presents herself as an incredible rapper and a clever observer, but she’s the farthest thing from our typical damsel in distress. Just as her partner in crime is fueled by his love for his daughter, Robin is fueled by a love for her sick mother and her charisma makes it incredibly easy to connect with the girl on a stronger emotional level right off the bat.

Foxx and Gordon-Levitt give Project Power a fighting chance, but there’s no denying Fishback is the glue holding this entire project together. 

One could see where viewers would scrutinize Project Power for its lack of super-powered shenanigans in a film exploring the abuse of genetically mutated power. While a few more pill-popping villains would have been appropriate, I do believe this film makes a smart choice by reigning itself in.

This small scale superhero thriller isn’t here to show off. It’s in the business of subtly and one has to admire the refined lense for which this film uses to tell its story.

I also don’t particularly mind how little the story focuses on world-building. This film seems to thrive when it manages to stay grounded in its own humility. It keeps the audience in the dark and allows this powerful cast of characters plenty of room to play.

Project Power is not going to win any awards for its convoluted plot or surface-level social awareness. But as far as mindless action thrillers go, this one at least has a conscious.

What did you think of Project Power? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Project Power is streaming now on Netflix.

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