What Would You Risk for 5 Minutes of Pure Power?

Kaleidoscope's newest is on Netflix's & Screen Arcade's production of "Project Power".  Directed by Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, the movie stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Dominique Fishback, Rodrigo Santoro, Courtney B. Vance, & Machine Gun Kelly.  Rated 'R' it has a running time of 1 hr., 53 min.

The setting is in the near future in New Orleans.  A hooded drug dealer offers a group of drug dealers, including one called Newt (Kelly), a free supply of a new drug called 'Power'  that can provide the user unpredictable super powers for 5 minutes.  Transition to 6 weeks later when a young dealer Robin (Fishback) is attacked by customers looking for 'power'.  She is rescued by police officer Frank (Levitt), who happens to also be one of her regular customers.  Transition, again, to a man named Art (Foxx) who is trying to track down a dealer named Biggie (Santoro).  In his search, Art meets Newt because he thinks Newt knows where Biggie is.  They fight; Newt takes a 'power' pill, catches afire, & explodes (a negative consequence of ingesting 'power').  Transition to Frank who single-handedly stops a bank robbery by a thief who has taken 'power'.  Frank is then called over by his captain (Vance) who explains that there are people in the government who are applying pressure on him to stop the investigation into 'power'; he hands Frank a picture of the man that he believes is the source of the drug, Art.  So ends Act I as Art, using Newt's phone, finds & takes Robin, forcing her to take him to the 'safe house' of the drug cartel that controls 'power'.

Directed by Joost & Schulman, directors of "Paranormal Activity 3 & 4", the film is slightly above average once it gets past a rather tedious first act.  Acts 2 & 3 flow much better with several well-staged action sequences and a more lucid explanation for the existence of 'power'.  This is Mattson Tomlin's first full-length screenplay, & it is obvious that he struggled with how to tighten up his exposition & transitions.  The concept of a pill that, for 5 minutes, either gives a person a superpower or destroys him or her is a novel one; however, the focus & theme continually shifts between what are the ramifications of the use of this type of pill and a more standard theme of stopping a cartel from taking & abusing such a power.  Tomlin's potential is obvious, & his prowess should improve over time.  The acting of the principals is very good.  Foxx delivers a solid performance as one of the first test subjects who realizes the immense potential of harm & danger in 'power'; he will do his best to thwart the potential abusers.  Levitt continues to evolve past his persona in '3rd Rock' as he also delivers a solid performance as a cop/addict who is ambiguous, at first, with how he fits into the plot--is he a satisfied user or a dedicated cop.  Santoro is a bit of a caricature as the standard villain who must be stopped.  Kelly has almost a cameo role in the film's exposition, a part that could have been played by anyone.  Vance is sorely underused in a role as the police captain who is merely a plot device & nothing more.  Fishback is marvelous; she demonstrates the growth in her ability to give layered acting in a part that could have easily been mundane.  The potential that she demonstrated in 2018's "The Hate You Give" continues to expand.  Joseph Trapanese's score, Michael Simmonds's cinematography, & Jeff McAvoy's editing are pedestrian & neither detract from nor especially add to the film.

I give "Project Power 6 out of 10 nuggets.  In this time of quarantine, it is a suitable way to spend 2 hours of confinement.  Try it when you get a chance.