"Power, power, speak a little louder."
— Robin
Project Power is a 2020 American superhero film directed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. It stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback, alongside Colson Baker, Rodrigo Santoro, Amy Landecker, and Courtney B. Vance. It follows a drug dealer, police officer, and former soldier who team up to stop the distribution of a pill that gives the user superpowers for five minutes.
Project Power provides examples of:
- Abandoned Area: There is a scene at Six Flags New Orleans, a popular shooting location that appears in multiple Nola-based films. In reality, the park flooded disastrously during Hurricane Katrina and has never reopened. Like DeGaulle Manor, it has become emblematic of New Orleans' state of decay and is often used for dramatic backdrops.
- Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: One of the Teleios henchman has this Power and uses it to effectively fight Frank in the climax.
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Knifebones, the Marrow-like henchman, seen in the climax of the film can grow his bones into sharp blades that protrude from his forearms, knees, and back. These are shown to be able to cut through metal easily.
- All There in the Script: A lot of the characters names are never stated throughout the film and only show up in the credits.
- Alliterative Name: In classic comic fashion, the film has Robin Reilly.
- An Arm and a Leg: The rubber, stretchy henchman has his arm pinned by a bulkhead door. It's still moving after the door is sealed, but given that he probably wasn't after his five minutes were up,
Fridge Horror sets in that he's probably lost that arm. - Artistic License – Pharmacology: The pills take near immediate effect when swallowed. In reality it takes time for a pill to dissolve and then get absorbed through the lining of the stomach, then about a minute to get around the body via the blood.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: The main characters Art and Frank, who are presented as the new guys, never seem to suffer any external damage when using their power, but most of the bad guys suffer physical damage that ranges from broken bones to grotesque body changes.
- The Big Easy: The film takes place in New Orleans and was even shot in location.
- Body Horror: There is not a lot throughout the film, but it does make an appearance with instances like Newt, Candy, Knifebones, and the Snake-based henchman.
- The Cameo: New Orleans radio DJ Wild Wayne makes a voice-only cameo as a broadcaster reporting on various incidents that may or may not involve Power.
- Chameleon Camouflage: Griff, the bank robber, can change his color to that of his background.
- Character Catchphrase: Art has a habit of saying "Am I lying?" so much that Frank even uses it as a Trust Password.
- The City Narrows: The post-apocalyptic-looking slum where Newt the drug dealer hides out is known as DeGaulle Manor, a locally notorious housing project where real-life crimes were once actually rampant, including countless murders. Although filled with props and extras to look alive for the movie, the real neighborhood was completely abandoned by 2012 and became a popular site for urban explorers, photographers, film makers and the local homeless. It still stands in Algiers on the West Bank.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Candy freezes solid very slowly, with one of her fingers breaking off first.
- Daydream Surprise: After being challenged by her teacher, Robin appears to school him with her rap skills only for it to be revealed she imagined the scenario and she actually froze up due to Performance Anxiety.
- Determinator: Art will find his daughter, even if he has to threaten you and your mother's life and blow up parts of New Orleans to do so. Frank is no slouch in this department either.
- Dramatic Irony: Robin is thoroughly confused when Frank gives back her mom's phone and refuses to explain why he has it.
- Extendable Arms: One of the Teleios henchman has this Power and uses it to effectively fight Frank in the climax.
- Fingore: Candy, the Frozen Woman, loses her finger when she can't control her Power. Biggie has two of his blasted off by Art.
- Harmless Freezing: Averted. Poor Candy's ice powers grow uncontrollable as her skin becomes frozen and turns solid as ice, killing her.
- Healing Factor: Cuello, the bad guy in the back of the Asian market, has this ability as seen when the wounds from his fight with Art heal over in seconds.
- Healing Hands: While the film never states what her power is, Tracy is shown having this ability when she heals her dad after using his Power.
- Hour of Power: Power is a pill that give people superpowers for only five minutes.
- An Ice Person: A young woman, Candy, gets this Power halfway through the film.
- Iron Lady: The film gives us two examples in the form of Gardner, leader of Teleios and the supplier of Power, and The Matriarch, the South American crime boss who comes to New Orleans to see a demonstration of Power.
- Invisibility: The bank robber seems to have this Power at first, but that doesn't make him truly invisible, but instead reflects his surroundings so it's more active camouflage. His name is Griff, the Camouflage Man if you were wondering.
- LEGO Genetics: All Powers are said to be based on animal traits that are part of "human genetic potential".
- The origins of several are confirmed by a presentation given by Biggie: the tough skin of a rhinoceros, the camouflage of a mimic octopus, the extended bones of a wolverine frog, the regenerative abilities of a salamander, and safe bone dislocations of a mouse.
- Notably Biggie mentions one ability that is not accompanied by the name or image of an animal: the power to turn water into plasma. We later find out that this refers to Art's Power to gain the speed of a pistol shrimp and harness the disastrous conflagration that occurs when using such speed at a human scale.
- It's unclear exactly where some of the Powers come from. Biggie mentions thermoregulation as an ability and two people are shown with this Power. However, no animals have the ability to set themselves on fire or freeze their surroundings. Biggie's own Power to become a hulking giant is also unexplained as is Tracy's ability to heal.
- Logical Weakness: The henchman who can bend his joints in any direction is impossible to defeat in a grapple because joint locks don't work on him, and he can maintain a lock in any position preventing escape. However, he is not superhumanly durable so punching him works fine to gain the upper hand.
- Made of Iron: Frank, considering he takes a couple of bullets for his troubles and keeps going.
- Painful Transformation:
- Newt literally catches on fire when using his power, and is not immune to the heat.
- Biggie is screaming in pain and rage as his muscles expand to a larger size, visibly stretching out his skin as seen after the transformation.
- Knifebones extrudes sharp bones through his flesh.
- Performance Anxiety: Robin is a talented rapper but has trouble showing it off in front of others.
- Person of Mass Destruction: Art kills an entire group of soldiers and causes heavy damage to a tanker.
- Power at a Price: The Power pill can give you superpowers for five minutes but sometimes, the powers have drawbacks as is discussed throughout the film. For example, Newt has the ability to be Wreathed in Flames, but it's clear that, even while hiding it, his body is has suffered heavy burns as a result. Biggie can turn into a raging monster a la Mr. Hyde via Van Helsing , but in scenes prior to this, you can see by the skin on his neck this has stretched his skin to horrible levels. In the finale, Art unleashes his extraordinary power, but if it weren't for his daughter's Healing Hands, it's very clear he would be dead.
- Power Incontinence: Once someone takes a pill, their power is on the entire five minutes they have it.
- Product Placement: Joseph Gordon Levitt rocks a Saints jersey most of the movie.
- Required Secondary Powers: Averted. Many people suffer heavy side effects from their Powers due to not having this trope in effect.
- Sequel Hook: The Matriarch gets away with an entire case of Powers and Frank going to say he's going to try and expose the truth of Power to people willing to listen.
- Superpower Lottery: Almost literally. Whenever a person takes a pill, they get a power ranging from useless to devastating for five minutes (or it might instantly kill you). However, a person always gets the same power so once they've taken a pill, they know what they can do. Taking additional pills within the five-minute limit seems to intensify the power rather than granting additional ones. From a combat point of view, the clear winner is Art, who takes out an entire combat team with his Power in a matter of a few seconds.
- Superpower Russian Roulette: As stated numerous times over the course of the film, the Power Pill can give you a superpower — the drawback is that you never know what you're going to get, and whatever you get could scar, maim, or even kill you.
- Super Serum: The Power drug gives people a random superpower for five minutes, or they simply explode. A given person gains the same superpower every time they use, and some of them clearly get intoxicated from the rush.
- Super-Toughness: Frank's main ability from Power is it thickens his skin, making him bulletproof.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: The bank robber with chameleon abilities is shirtless for his entire screen time to allow better use of his powers.
- Wreathed in Flames: Newt's main ability from Power make him covered in flames. However, Newt got scars as a result of the power.
