Adventures of Power (2007)

28% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
42% of users liked it
(1,003 ratings)

A twentysomething misfit dedicates his life to giving the drummer some, even when the drums are only imaginary, in this comedy written and directed by comic Ari Gold. Power (Gold) grew up in a small mining town in New Mexico, where his father (Michael McKean) always imagined his son would one day… More A twentysomething misfit dedicates his life to giving the drummer some, even when the drums are only imaginary, in this comedy written and directed by comic Ari Gold. Power (Gold) grew up in a small mining town in New Mexico, where his father (Michael McKean) always imagined his son would one day join him in digging copper from the earth. But Power has a dream of playing the drums, and since he doesn't have a drum kit, he's become a master of "air drums," flailing his arms in the manner of Neil Peart or Keith Moon against a huge but nonexistent set of traps. Power's desire to become the world's greatest air drummer doesn't earn him much respect at home, so he travels to Mexico, where he learns of an air-drumming competition in Newark, NJ. Power hits the road for the garden state and meets Carlos (Steven Williams), a master air drummer who becomes his guide in the art of not really playing. Power also gets some much-needed encouragement from Annie (Shoshannah Stern), a sweet born-again girl living upstairs from him. But when Power learns that his father back home is leading a strike to save jobs for the employees at the local copper mine, winning the title becomes a matter of defending the honor of his family and his hometown, and he dedicates himself to defeating arrogant country music star Dallas Houston (Adrien Grenier), who is favored to win. Adventures of Power also stars Jane Lynch, Travis Johns, and Jimmy Jean-Louis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Directed By: Ari Gold
Written By: Ari Gold
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 23, 2009 Wide
Studio: Variance Films

Critic Reviews

Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader
It's such a fine line between clever and stupid, and this Spinal Tap-caliber cult item maintains a perfect balance.
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times
Gold places his fond comedy in the '80s with all the cinematic skill of early MTV.
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
The rhythm's off in this goofy tale of an air-drumming underdog.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
It's not the rough edges that bother here; it's the desperate attempt to capture Napoleon Dynamite's success by relying on oddball characters and off-the-wall scenarios.
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Your enjoyment of Adventures of Power will be proportional to your tolerance for the one-joke phenomenon of air drumming.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
So would-be hip it hurts, Adventures of Power is barely watchable, despite the presence of such pros as Michael McKean and Jane Lynch.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Not even the always reliable talents of McKean and Lynch can help pull this comedy out of its ironic slump.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Gold attempts to show Power as a "Napoleon Dynamite"-like charmer, but Gold's spastic performance induces more cringes than smiles.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The film's penchant for dorky nostalgia -- especially '70s and '80s-era music -- quickly becomes irritating. It deserves a real tongue-lashing for trying to re-introduce the inexplicable Mr. Mister hit "Kyrie" into the American consciousness.
Matthew Connolly, New York Press
For all the cheap shots in Gold's script, Adventures of Power views air-drumming with a surprising affection.
Matthew Nestel, Boxoffice Magazine
The playful plot with go-figure ending is bubbly, and the mechanics of the film are on-point for the most part.
James Rocchi, Common Sense Media
Underdog comedy is no Napoleon Dynamite.
Andrew Schenker, Slant Magazine
Gold's screenplay is a tad too ambitious for its thin comic premise.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Writer/director/actor Ari Gold has made a competent student film that would graduate him from any film school with flying colors--that's to say, here is an example of a filmmaker who hasn't yet begun to find his own voice.
Scott Weinberg, Cinematical
A pretty agonizing affair.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Well, this sure was silly...but I did find it kind of funny at times. Think of Spinal Tap meets Napolean Dynomite. Adrian Grenier is in this, too, which probably kept me from reaching for that eject button. eh. It had its moments. My teenage daughter sure got a kick out of it, though.… More
Well, this sure was silly...but I did find it kind of funny at times. Think of Spinal Tap meets Napolean Dynomite. Adrian Grenier is in this, too, which probably kept me from reaching for that eject button. eh. It had its moments. My teenage daughter sure got a kick out of it, though. Guess that tells ya sumpin..
Rico Z

Adventures of Power In Adventures of Power our protagonist, Power, teeters between silly Napoleo Dynamite-like impersonation and seriously comedic acting--the kind seen in a Wes Anderson project. The effect of it all is that the film is, at once, fun and funny but, on the other hand,… More
Adventures of Power In Adventures of Power our protagonist, Power, teeters between silly Napoleo Dynamite-like impersonation and seriously comedic acting--the kind seen in a Wes Anderson project. The effect of it all is that the film is, at once, fun and funny but, on the other hand, thoughtful and sweet. It marries the two worlds of silliness and poignancy effortlessly. Taking place in a small industrial town, the film centers around a lovable, albeit slovenly, loser with a heart of gold who refuses to grow up. His one and only goal, obsession and purpose in life is to play the drums. If you find that to be disheartening, here's the kicker: it's air drums! While the world is his cymbal, that instrument is rejecting his stick with a loud screech. Power is misunderstood and ignored by most of the people who surround him in his Texas hometown. After some exploratory roughing-up in a Mexican border town, he realizes his true calling is on the opposite end of the country--in glorious New Jersey. If the premise sounds like a gimmick, it is. There's nothing that Power won't do or any length he won't go to in order to show the world what he's made of. Adrien Grenier (of "Entourage" fame) makes a fun appearance as Power's boyhood nemesis who secretly shares Power passion for air-drumming despite his rich tycoon father having bought him his way into his very own "legitimate" Country-Emo band--where he plays the real drums. In the end, both men are forced to face off in a battle of the air drums on an implausibly televised national competiton. By that time, Power has united with a rag-tag set of misfit "drummers" and become friends with them; he's found a girl who sees him as more than just a pathetic loser and hear's his heart beat in more ways than one. Despite all this hokeyness and unabashed fluff, the movie ends up feeling like a triumph in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. It is unashamed of its sentimentality and never takes itself too seriously.

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Cast

Ari Gold
as Power
Michael McKean
as Harlan
Jane Lynch
as Joanie
Shoshannah Stern
as Annie
Adrian Grenier
as Dallas H.
Annie Golden
as Farrah
Steven Williams
as Carlos
Richard Fancy
as Houston
John Flanagan
as Frank
Mike Hamill
as Mean Cowboy
Wai Ching Ho
as Yolanda
Luis Accinelli
as Jalisco
Nina Gold
as Shelley
Rafael Rojas
as Ernesto
Harry Van Gorkum
as Foot McTeag
Neil Peart
as Himself
Tyrone Roy
as Bouncer
Samantha Maloney
as Roxie
Jimmy Jean-Louis
as Aubelin
Juan Diaz
as Last Drummer
Bruce Newbold
as Chambliss
Chiu Chi-ling
as Michael Fong
Tim Heidecker
as Fly
Eric Wareheim
as Money
Tuffy Questell
as Freddie
Jeff Holman
as Handler
Skyler Gisondo
as Sid
John Bianco
as Anthony
Scott Hanks
as Jeep Dude
Tod Huntington
as Bobby
Nick Kroll
as Versacio Sabian
Travis Johns
as Brain Dog
Kevin Rodriguez
as Sid
Roger Benally
as Indian Cowboy
Markie Dunn
as Samantha
Summer Rona
as Linda
Paul Boruff
as Old Hippie
Theresa Ellis
as Old Hippie's Wife
Albert Huerta
as Raul
Walter A. Carmona
as Mexican Referee
Jared Nielsen
as Young Power
Jothy Singh
as Lal
Riley Peterson
as Young Dallas
Mike Sophia
as Himself

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Adventures of Power (2007)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Rico Z

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