Project Power

This anticipated Netflix new release is not as good as we all expected, yet I'm quite happy and grateful at the same time, since if it weren't for Netflix, we'd see almost nothing this year. A new drug starts to be distributed in New Orleans that gives people super powers for five minutes. The film has a nice comic book feel to it, and most importantly it's R-rated, with a few gore shots that pleasantly surprised me. Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt give decent performances, the mutations produced by the drug are delivered in a fun way and I was most impressed by the camouflage ability where the colours change according to the environment and also the ability to bend joints. The action is more in the second half and is filmed very decently, and the pacing suited me, so although more could certainly have been made with the concept, I still had an exceedingly good time. Plus also for the music. Story***, Action****, Humor***, Violence****, Entertainment****, Music****, Visuals****, Atmosphere***, Suspense***. 7/10. (08/15/2020)

If there was something done right by Netflix here it was its choice of actors. I quite missed Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and even though Project Power is quite dumb I was able to watch it because of them. Moreover the action scenes weren’t boring at all. The premise was really stupid and I could imagine these actors in something a lot better. But I would probably have to wait for it... (08/17/2020)

Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are fine actors, but when they have nothing to play, it's tough. Project Power is yet another generic Netflix movie where all the racial quotas were dutifully observed and where at least one scene contained a completely direct critique of racist white behavior. I'm getting tired of it. I'm naturally accepting that racial issues are all the rage these days and that Netflix needs to go with the times. But that contemporary paradigm can't obscure the fact that, from a filmmaking standpoint, this film is subpar in every way, and the appeal to #blacklivesmatter here feels terribly empty. (08/17/2020)

Project Power is sort of alternative, black version of Push (has it been 11 years already?), with a lot of rapping and talk about oppression. It moves along quite well, but you soon forget the generic storyline, even though the original idea and the world where it all takes place are interesting. Thanks to the great cast and the setting in New Orleans, Project Power is a really good watch. The action scenes are very convincing, but contain nothing new. All said, this is a good TV flick. (08/14/2020)

I have sympathy for it because, with its empowerment message, it gets on the nerves of the herd of local brownish bastards. It has balls and an idea, but unfortunately they can't replace the naivety, the cumbersome start and the chaotic editing. Similarly to Extraction, there is no clear villain, and as in the case of every Netflix original, the playwright went on vacation and never returned. (08/17/2020)