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Grove City Messenger - August 23rd, 2020

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PAGE 10 - GROVE CITY MESSENGER - <strong>August</strong> 23, <strong>2020</strong><br />

In the world of cinema, there is no<br />

greater sin than a good premise gone to<br />

waste. And while that does not mean the<br />

offending film cannot have merit — it can<br />

often be engaging or otherwise wholly<br />

entertaining — it does mean that it leaves<br />

behind that sad feeling of what could have<br />

been had its potential been fulfilled.<br />

The latest film to be stuffed into that<br />

thick and ever-expanding file is “Project<br />

Power,” a non-comic book adaptation about<br />

people with superpowers. In this world,<br />

however, humans are not born with powers<br />

— they choose them. Or rather, they choose<br />

to take a pill that gives them temporary<br />

powers but they do not know which boon<br />

they will receive.<br />

In the short amount of time the power<br />

drug has made its way through the streets<br />

of New Orleans, there have been reports of<br />

men lifting cars over their heads, people<br />

outpacing a fleet of police cars traveling at<br />

high speeds, and apparitions floating<br />

through the walls of banks.<br />

On the other side of these reports on<br />

superhuman feats are reports of more and<br />

more people dying from this mysterious<br />

new drug: some have overdosed after taking<br />

it once, while others have spontaneously<br />

combusted. “Results may vary,” one<br />

dealer says flippantly.<br />

To combat this problem, city detective<br />

Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has<br />

teamed up with local teen power dealer<br />

Robin (Dominique Fishback) in order to<br />

keep him abreast of the latest distribution<br />

news. And what she has to tell him is not<br />

the kind of news he wants to hear.<br />

According to sources, a man who calls<br />

himself The Major (Jamie Foxx) is now on<br />

the scene. As he is believed to be the prime<br />

suspect in creating this drug, federal officials<br />

have swarmed into town and thrown<br />

around their weight, stating that they will<br />

be the ones to capture this dangerous man<br />

before he takes his product international.<br />

Believing that they cannot do the job<br />

correctly as they do not have the city’s best<br />

interest at heart, Frank sets off to be the<br />

lone man to bring The Major to justice.<br />

What his quest brings him instead is the<br />

realization that things are not as they<br />

appear, and that fact has little to do with<br />

the side effects he experiences while taking<br />

the drug.<br />

Screenwriter Mattson Tomlin, who is<br />

also set to pen “The Batman” script, did a<br />

fantastic job at introducing a cool premise<br />

(taking a pill that allows the user to access<br />

five minutes of an unknown superpower)<br />

while also including the horrors of what<br />

has been done to others in the name of<br />

human advancement. But instead of<br />

expanding on those topics, the latter more<br />

serious as it is based in fact, it just skims<br />

the surface of each and refuses to delve<br />

deeper into those murky waters. In turn,<br />

this allowed directors Ariel Schulman and<br />

Henry Joost to focus more on the style of<br />

the film rather than the substance, making<br />

it an odd blend of shallow social commentary<br />

and generic big budget fare (with<br />

explosives).<br />

With good chemistry<br />

between the<br />

cast and welldesigned<br />

and choreographed<br />

action<br />

sequences sprinkled<br />

throughout, “Project<br />

Power” is a decent offering for those missing<br />

the summer blockbuster season. While<br />

it will leave you with that sad feeling of<br />

what could have been had its potential<br />

been reached, it won’t leave you with the<br />

feeling that it was a complete waste of your<br />

time.<br />

Grade: C+<br />

www.columbusmessenger.com<br />

In Entertainment<br />

“Project Power” fails to reach its potential<br />

The Reel Deal<br />

Dedra Cordle<br />

Dedra Cordle is a <strong>Messenger</strong> staff writer<br />

and columnist.<br />

Pet Corner<br />

Pets of the week<br />

These furry friends are available<br />

for adoption at local<br />

rescues and shelters<br />

Hamilton is a<br />

hunter. He will stalk<br />

your ankles from<br />

behind the furniture<br />

and pounce. He also<br />

loves laundry baskets<br />

to hide in.<br />

Hamilton is 3-<br />

months-old and<br />

neutered, microchipped,<br />

FL/FIV negative<br />

and up to date on vaccines. Hamilton is<br />

currently in a foster home and arrangements<br />

can be made for a meeting once you have<br />

submitted an application and been approved.<br />

For more information, contact Colony Cats.<br />

FYI: www.colonycats.org<br />

Bluegrass came in<br />

as a stray and you<br />

may notice his cauliflower<br />

ear from a previous<br />

injury which<br />

just adds to his<br />

sweet charm. He just<br />

adores attention.<br />

Bluegrass is FIV<br />

positive. Cats with<br />

FIV can lives normal lives. Come meet<br />

Bluegrass in the FIV room at the Colony Cats<br />

cage-free adoption center.<br />

FYI: www.colonycats.org<br />

Jonah is a 2-yearold<br />

mastiff who will<br />

be a great companion<br />

for someone who<br />

loves to stay active.<br />

Once he gets to<br />

know you, he will<br />

smooch and happily<br />

cuddle next to you.<br />

He is looking for a<br />

caring and compassionate<br />

home that will help build his confidence.<br />

He is a goofy bundle of enthusiasm.<br />

He will flourish with an experienced owner<br />

who can give him structure. Jonah is up for<br />

adoption at the Franklin County Dog Shelter.<br />

FYI: www.franklincountydogs.com<br />

Sylvester is a 5-<br />

year-old gentleman.<br />

He loves to be<br />

around his people<br />

and is generally quiet<br />

though he will alert<br />

you when a stranger<br />

is approaching. He<br />

loves his Nylabone,<br />

his Kong (with<br />

peanut butter) and<br />

his favorite blanket. He also enjoys running in<br />

the yard, followed by relaxing in the shade. He<br />

is eager to please and eager to find his forever<br />

home. Adopt Sylvester through the Franklin<br />

County Dog Shelter.<br />

FYI: www.franklincountydogs.com

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