Based on critic reviews, Project Power makes the most of its $85 million budget. The Netflix superhero film was written by The Batman co-scribe Mattson Tomlin, and has a solid main cast; yet, the end product appears to be nothing more than mediocre, at least based on the mixed reviews it received thus far.
Project Power stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Frank Shaver. The police officer loves to fight crime, but also enjoys a street drug, “power,” that allows him to operate more efficiently at work. Dominique Fishback co-stars as a teenager dealer/student Robin, and Jamie Foxx rounds out the main cast as Art, a former U.S. Ranger who searches for his missing daughter. Project Power was directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, whom are best known for co-directing the original Catfish film (which inspired an MTV series), along with Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, and Nerve.
Project Power currently has a 65 percent Tomatometer score at Rotten Tomatoes, which is slightly higher than the 53 percent audience score. Based on the general consensus, it seems like both critics and average moviegoers alike don’t have any major complaints, but also don’t seem excited about the thematic material. Given the casting of both Foxx and Gordon-Levitt, the quality of acting should hopefully be above-average, and the filmmakers’ collective credentials imply that they’re incapable of making a complete disaster. So, Project Power has mostly resonated with audiences, certainly for the average Netflix streamer who is looking for quality entertainment. Here are some of the positive takes:
The Boston Globe:
“‘Project Power’ is the kind of action/sci-fi bone-cruncher where the cast is better than the material, the characters are more interesting than the premise, and the dialogue chugs along in the middle.’
Rolling Stone:
“A street drug that can kill you or give you super powers for five minutes sparks this sci-fi head trip, along with acting MVP Jamie Foxx. Whatever the movie lacks in plausibility, it makes up for in showing us a familiar world spinning off its axis.”
New York Post:
“[T]here is enough detail and psychological nuance in Mattson Tomlin’s clever script to make “Project Power” more intriguing than most of what Marvel and DC have to offer, even if it could barely match their catering budgets.”
Chicago Sun-Times:
“[A] vibrant and crazy and thought-provoking and immensely entertaining film that could have been even more resonant had it not settled for a relatively conventional final act we’ve seen in dozens of thrillers.”
Project Power may not be a horrible film, yet come critics have pointed out that it’s just not that exciting. Meaning, the filmmakers deliver an acceptable product, but there’s not much to grasp onto aside from a narrative that shines a light on New Orleans, along with an up-and-coming actress like Fishback. Audiences can certainly have a good time with Project Power, but the actual filmmaking, it seems, does little more than just cover the basics of a typical superhero film without actually exploring character backstories and such. In short, Project Power has plenty of substance and style, but doesn’t really commit to anything beyond that, even in the final moments. Here are some of the negative commentaries about the Netflix film.
The A.V. Club:
“A mishmash of familiar tropes presented with a lot of panache but not a lot of imagination.”
Vulture:
“The trouble with trying to push at the boundaries of the superhero genre isn’t that we’re out of material, it’s that imaginations are so limited…”
The Los Angeles Times:
“Will you become hopelessly addicted, or recoil and explode into a million fiery shards? The answer, at least with regard to “Project Power,” is likely to fall somewhere in between.”
The Globe and Mail:
“The drug is bad, you see? Power is bad. It’s very simple. And so is Project Power.”
It’s clear that Project Power will be another big hit for Netflix, as the mostly positive reviews imply that audiences generally enjoy the film. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this particular superhero tale, yet there’s nothing that’s purely original, or so it seems. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how the overall consensus changes over the following weeks and months.
