Although the star power of Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt shines in Project Power, it’s young Dominique Fishback who sparkles the brightest in this exciting Netflix offering. Fishback (The Hate U Give) portrays Robin, a spunky teen trying to take charge of her own life until the characters played by Foxx and Gordon-Levitt interfere with her reluctant drug-dealing activities.

Foxx (Just Mercy) delivers the goods as The Major, a worried ex-soldier trying to find his kidnapped daughter. Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer) is excellent as Frank, an almost manic New Orleans cop who wants to find the people behind distribution of a new kind of pill that gives each user a different 5-minute super power which can be used for good or evil. When these three characters get together, all hell breaks loose.          

She wants to rap; Robin’s her name.

A teacher tried to cause her shame.

He called her out one day at school.

Now he’s the one who looks a fool.

Robin’s power? In words it lies.

She’s dealing drugs, a big surprise.

New pills she sells give power plus.

They’re bad business and dangerous.

Too bad she needs money from pills.

She has to pay mom’s doctor bills.

A cop and Major want her stuff.

Will Robin help? She’s tough enough!

PROJECT POWER, a unique movie,

includes a cast that’s super to me.

Fishback's Robin brings life to it

and ensures it will be a hit.

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Paranormal Activity 3 and 4) from a screenplay by Mattson Tomlin (Little Fish), Project Power highlights  a variety of super powers, which gives the special effects folks a chance to go wild at times. But each one only lasts for five minutes. We don’t get to know much about these characters, except that most of them do NOT use their new power to make the world a better place. That’s why Frank uses the pill (illegally) to fight crime. And The Major is no saint, so it’s no surprise when he indulges -- but all for a good cause.

Although action-packed with violence and amuck with dazzling images, Project Power is burdened with one fault. Some of the scenes are too dark for us to know what’s happening. However, that fault seems prevalent in many films nowadays. Perfection is not a superpower for filmmakers yet!    

I am a woman. What’s your superpower? -- Unknown

You don’t need superpowers to be someone’s hero. – Ricky Maye

(Released by Netflix and rated “R” by MPAA.)