Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Power: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

With great power comes...Power. Season One.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 30, 2015

The adult-oriented drama TV market seems teetering on a breaking point with, it seems, as many shows covering as many angles as there are junk reality programs scattered all over a bunch of networks nobody has ever heard of. In fact, it seems the "involved adult drama" is the new reality show, the latest craze from which everyone wants a piece, right on down to outlets that are firmly in the streaming business like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. Power is one of the latest entrants into the crowded, about-to-burst field. It's another show from Starz, the company behind some of the most ambitious and most wannabe trendy-come-lately shows alike. Examples of the network's handiwork include Spartacus, Black Sails, Da Vinci's Demons, and Turn. Like many of its contemporaries, Power offers a somewhat compelling, dark, and involved look into an otherwise inaccessible world of, well, power in modern day New York where legit business, secret dealings, illegal activity, and personal crises collide. In short, it's pretty much the same, thematically, as all of the other new slick and muscular shows out there, switching things up with a new setting and characters but keeping the core basics intact and never straying from the formula that's made these sorts of programs a success but also driven the type to the brink of overexposure and irrelevancy.

It's all ours.

James 'Ghost' St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) runs a successful New York Night Club called "Truth." He's also a top dog in New York's underground drug trade. He's made a fortune on both ends, and he'll do whatever it takes to succeed, be that pumping money into the club to make it the best in town or pumping bullets into the people who get in his way. He's not a complete monster, though; he has a conscience and wants nothing more than to leave his illegal activities behind him and go completely legit, focusing his attention on the club and his family. His wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton) is fully aware of his dealings behind the façade of a successful business man, and she's fine with his extracurriculars. His right-hand man Tommy (Joseph Sikora) doesn't share his boss' desire to go straight and, in fact, prefers to double down when things get tough. Matters are further complicated when James' old flame Angela (Lela Loren) shows back up after nearly twenty years away. The two hit it off again immediately, but little does James know that she's a government agent investigating the Mexican kingpin for whom he works, a man named Felipe Lobos (Enrique Murciano). Angela's reappearance not only tests the resolve of his marriage, but it could also bring his entire world -- including his dream to be free of the violence of the illegal drug trade -- crashing down around him.

Power's core plot specifics may not make it a bastion of drama originality, but the arcing plot and the specifics in it -- characters in particular -- are handled with care and commendable attention to detail. The program finds a nice blend of grit and smoothness, effortlessly depicting the contrasting worlds of James' legitimate business and his various dealings in the illegal drug trade. Power capably makes them feel unique but at the same time as two intertwined, inseparable entities both tugging on James' physical being as well as his deeper emotional soul and psyche. The influences of both can be seen, felt, and understood as the clashing dynamics take their toll on his life, compounded by the problem that is Angela, a temptation he cannot avoid and a growing complication from which he cannot easily escape. Still, for as well as the program handles these story specifics and the raw plot details that drive them, it fails to find much of a life of its own. Its slick veneer and quality performances mask, but don't completely remove, the elephant in the room that is the series' basic overreaching notes that have been explored in countless other films and programs, here given a makeover but little else to differentiate this story from any other. Add to that the show feels somewhat lost in the deluge of television shows on the market right now, and Power runs the risk to get buried in the avalanche with no real distinguishing features to set it apart from everything else piled up on top, underneath, and on either side of it.

Still, the show manages to align its stars just right and, even as it wades through the eerily familiar territory of largely predictable plot strings, it manages to maintain a good, edgy feel. Add in a handful of interesting, well-rounded, and nicely acted characters, and suddenly there's more positive to Power than there is negative. Omari Hardwick plays a large part in elevating the material out of the recycle bin, creating a believably dynamic individual with a clearly wounded conscience and a legitimate desire to set things right in his life, to escape and play things out on the straight and narrow. But with that comes the deluge of interferences getting in his way, both internal and external, both invited and uninvited, that don't necessarily cloud his vision or put blinders over his eyes but force him to make a number of planned and on-the-fly course corrections that force him to circle the wagons more often than lead them in a straight line away from trouble. Joseph Sikora brings a focused edge to his character, a man who can be at once a referencing compass for James and at other times can lead him astray to stay in the game. They share a believable bond, a deeply rooted chemistry and camaraderie that not only brings some welcome levity to some of their most intimate character moments but a burgeoning dynamic that becomes a larger problem as the series moves forward. Naturi Naughton is strong as the sexy, supportive wife who is more than a prop for James' arm but a real force in keeping the balance and keeping up appearances while living the lavish lifestyle her husband's dual occupations provide. Lastly, Lela Loren impresses as the returning flame who just so happens to be a government agent on the case. She handles that tired trope with class and passion, getting a good bit of mileage out of a tired dynamic.

Power: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Power's 1080p transfer impresses in every episode. While it's not perfect -- light noise is sprinkled throughout and blacks are occasionally a little too deep and crushing -- there's much here to like. The image is naturally sharp and very well defined. The HD vide source doesn't create a dull, flat image but instead a healthy, vibrant one, one that showcases complex, intimate skin textures with ease and consistency, not to mention the sharp, expensive clothes; pinpoint luxury appointments in James' home; little odds and ends around the house; or complex cityscape elements like brick and concrete. Colors are rich and pleasing with brighter, well-lit scenes offering a healthy, stable, and precise variety of colors. Even in the show's many lower-light moments there's an obvious balance and authenticity, particularly evident on bright city signage. Banding is never a problem, even in those many lower-light moments.

Power: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Power: The Complete First Season features a rich, detailed, and aggressive Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is the unquestioned highlight here, with deep, penetrating bass often the defining force. General beats and notes are detailed and electric in delivery, often spilling into the stage from every speaker for a fully immersive 360-degree surround experience. Club beats are particularly satisfying, but score and the opening title moments are equally potent. The track also produces a good number of lifelike ambient support effects, particularly at street level where sirens, passing traffic, and pedestrians all help to create a believably robust environment. Even small details, like buzzing fluorescent lights, impress in delivery. Gunfire is satisfactorily potent but not fully lifelike, particularly shots fired in enclosed spaced. Dialogue plays evenly and accurately from the center, the finishing touch on a top-end listen.

Power: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Power: The Complete First Season contains several brief extras on disc two. Optional episode recaps are included.

• The New Series (1080p, 2:02): A brief story overview.
• The Style of Power (1080p, 1:47): A look at the role wardrobe plays in defining the characters and the world they inhabit. Also briefly explored is the physical club design.
• NYC -- The City of Power (1080p, 2:02): A short discussion of how New York City influences the characters.
• The Music of Power (1080p, 2:02): A brief examination of the importance of music in Power.

Power: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Power isn't a powerhouse of television novelty, but it's a driven, well-crafted, strongly acted, and surprisingly rich and addictive show that, even as it only plows through familiar territory, takes audiences on a detailed, involved ride of dueling worlds of legitimacy and illegal activity. The show masks its shortcomings well and provides an entertaining escape into a dark but welcoming and familiar world. Power: The Complete First Season delivers first-class video and audio. Supplements are far too thin. Recommended.