quietearth [Celluloid 01.12.09] movie review comedy



Year: 2008
Release date: Unknown
Directors: Ari Gold
Writers: Ari Gold
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: quietearth
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Starting with a fantastic introduction to the tune of some great 80s music complete with dancing, punky brewster style couture, and the promise of something extraordinary, Adventures of Power takes a dive after the tune ends and continues with rarely seen comedic brilliance the rest of the film. See, the comedy is just too few and far between and the movie plays out as a feelgood underdog-turned-hero, complete with Lenny (Michael McKean) from Laverne and Shirley as Power's father. Don't get me wrong, the idea was great, it just fell far short of it's potential.


This doesn't mean there weren't some good parts to the film like a great dance routine set to the backdrop of some more great 80s music through the ghettos of Newark. The whole situation was choreographed for maximum humor as Power's translucent skin was well juxtaposed against all the black folk he was dancing with. There was also a sexy strip tease from Power's Chinese friend/employer while his wife cheered him on. But, like I said, these moments were too few and far between.

Power got his name because his father wanted him to be strong. They're union workers for a big rich guy whose son (played by a really annoying Adrien Grenier) turns out to be Power's greatest adversary at the end. This greedy family is squeezing the workers so Power's father leads them on strike while Power heads off to Newark, NJ to learn from a great air drummer. From here the story follows with the usual cast of odd characters, falling in love, and finding your inner self.

The main character Power, played by Ari Gold (who also wrote and directed the film) did a fantastic job, and this guy could really be the next underdog hero turned comedic breakout but, sadly, I don't see him in anything since AOP. I will say his directing was good, the problems lie with the script. On another note, I think some others might enjoy this more than I do as this review only represents one man's opinions, and a 7.7 rating on IMDB with 830 votes ain't too shabby.

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