TARZANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! From the mind of Vincent J. Roth comes the fourth part of the Power boost Series about the world’s first gay superhero in Where there is smoke: where there is power.
Continuation of the events of Wave of DawnThe evil supervillains of the Council are about to put their next evil plan into action by helping Fallen Apple (Stephanie Ahn), a young girl the Council has groomed and trained to “avenge” her father’s death. The world’s brightest minds gather in Big City, and the Council has hatched a plan to plunge the world into chaos.
Meanwhile, the newly minted superhero Surge (Vincent J. Roth) realizes that he cannot stop the Council alone. With the help of his AI car Mavis (Shannon Farnon), Surge must gather a group of ragtag heroes to defeat Fallen Apple and the Council. His team consists of the technician Raymond Richards (Kevin Caliber), also known as Grok, The Smoke (Eric Moran) and Kid Dynamo (Chase Cortese).
After their first loss to Fallen Apple, Surge questions whether he is cut out for the job. His mentor Omen (Nichelle Nichols), the leader of an ancient race of superheroes known as the Sentries, helps him in his fight. But will Surge learn the right lessons to become the leader and hero the world needs?
For those who are not familiar with the Power boost The series originated in 2004 from the idea of Vincent J. Roth. Although our hero Surge is gay, the series is about the lessons we learn in life that make us heroes. This is definitely not the Ambiguously Gay Duo, but a serious attempt by Roth to tell a superhero story born out of his love of comic books.
“…Surge must assemble a ragtag group of heroes to defeat Fallen Apple and the Council.”
Power boost reminds me a bit of the old Adam West Batman, but with a lot of CG effects. The tone is cheesy, peppered with one-liners and dad jokes, and taps into what we loved about comics as kids… waking up one day and realizing we have superpowers. Now there’s a bit of Shazam and Isis lore thrown in, with the old Sentries guiding Surge and the evil organization, the Council, who have another plan for world domination.
Did I mention Power boost is packed with superheroes and sci-fi legends? The best is Nichelle Nichols as Surge’s mentor Omen. Sadly, Nichols passed away during production and was admirably replaced by Robert Picardo, who was then replaced in the story by Tim Russ. Other celebrities include Superfriends voice actress Shannon Farnon as AI Mavis and veteran comedian Bruce Vilanch as the living virus Janus.
Power boost is aimed at younger viewers. The humor is understated and it’s a straightforward superhero story for kids where Surge must believe in himself as the leader he’s meant to be in order to save the world from certain destruction. Yes, there are LGBT elements in this first gay superhero film, such as when Surge comes out as a teenager, but the film’s theme is ultimately about being a hero.
In the end, Where there is smoke: where there is power is the Avengers moment of the series, when our hero must assemble a team of superheroes to solve a problem bigger than himself. It’s cheesy, low-budget, and full of life lessons for the younger generation. The special effects are cheesy, but cheesy in a good way.
Where there is smoke: where there is power will be screened at the 2024 Tarzana International Film Festival.
