Jamie Foxx-led Project Power is action packed and loads of fun

Project Power is the perfect action movie for the summer

In Netflix’s Project Power, Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt go toe-to-toe with humans who take a pill to become superpowered for five minutes.

We have been robbed of the theatrical summer blockbusters we had anticipated coming into the year, thanks to the coronavirus. However, Netflix has kept us from being completely devoid of action spectacle. Coming off of the very positive reception of the Charlize Theron led The Old Guard last month, Netflix releases action-thriller Project Power featuring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Project Power promised to give us a lot of action and flashed impressive visual effects in the teasers and trailers, but you had to wonder if the story would hold up.

Judging by early reviews (64% fresh from critics, and 57% fresh from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes) the answer to that question is mixed, so we’re here to help you decide which side of the consensus you’ll land in.

Does Project Power have great action sequences?

It most definitely does. Project Power does not hold back on the visual effects and each time someone takes the pill a new power is displayed. The anticipation of wondering what is going to happen every time a pill was taken only adds to the adrenaline rush when the question is answered.

While you see a lot of abilities and sequences displayed in the trailer, plenty was saved for the movie and you will be surprised by some of what you see. There are not many slow moments in the film. The only ability that was questionable was the “invisibility.” It was more like camouflage and was a bit tricky to understand at the moment. It makes more sense when you realize each ability is supposed to be tied to something that can be done by an animal in nature.

Is Project Power more than just an action movie?

Project Power does add some depth to its story through Dominique Fishback’s (The Hate U Give) character, Robin. Robin is a young girl in New Orleans who has started selling the Power pills to make enough money to pay for her mother’s diabetes medication. We are introduced to her character and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Frank at the start of the movie during a drug deal gone wrong.

It’s clear that Robin isn’t a bad kid immediately but she’s having to put herself into this bad situation because of the hand that she was dealt with. This is a story that is all too common in cities across America and it’s easy to like her character.

An added layer to her character is that she has dreams of being a rapper. Not just an average rapper though, she’s a lyricist and up and coming rapper Chika (who makes a cameo appearance as one of Robin’s classmates) provided the lyrics to make her character shine.

Fishback is getting a lot of love and attention for her role in this movie and deservedly so. It’s not easy to perform next to an Oscar winner and carry your weight but she did the job in Project Power.

So why are the reviews for Project Power mixed?

When it comes to action movies, horror movies, and comedies expectations are a huge part of your reception. If you are expecting a deep, layered story you aren’t going to get that. If you watched the trailer, you have a very strong idea of what Project Power is about.

Those who did not enjoy the movie likely wanted more from the story or for there to be a deeper meaning behind what was happening. At the end of the day, this was a movie about a new drug being tested on citizens by shady government operators. Their motive is to perfect the drug before they can sell it to wealthy buyers from other countries. That part of the story is not new or inventive so you have to lean into the powers for your nuance.

Project Power trailer

Why should I watch Project Power?

Project Power is a fun movie. All three of the lead characters add humor to the film in some ways. Jamie Foxx’s character, Art, is serious but even in his serious moments, there are several moments where you can’t help but laugh. There’s a scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character is dealing with some shady government figures and pulls out his phone to shame them for their harassing tactics. I won’t go into full detail as to why that scene was so funny because you have to experience it.

The film does a great job of adding context for the abilities that manifest in different people so you understand where they come from. They also don’t hold back on the detail or the extreme changes that occur within the people taking the pills.

Lastly, there are no movies out in theaters and this is the closest we’re going to be getting to an event movie for the time being. At the very least you’ll want to have something to add to the conversation if you’re a movie lover!

Project Power is currently streaming on Netflix.