Here we go with Playstation TV’s (apparently that’s a thing) POWERS, an adaptation of Michael Avon Oeming and Brian Michael Bendis’ graphic novel of the same name, split up into ten episodes for its first season and now available from Sony on UK DVD.
We’re in a world pretty much like ours except that some people have superpowers, and they don’t always use them for good. Christian Walker (the always excellent Sharlto Copley from DISTRICT 9 and OPEN GRAVE) and Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward) are homicide detectives working as part of the Powers Division - that part of the LA police force that investigates crimes involving those with superhuman abilities.
When they are called in to the possible drug-and-blow-job related killing of Olympia (Adam Boyer) they meet wannabe superhuman teenager Calista (Oleysa Rulin) who is herself part of drug lord Noah Taylor’s evil plans. Meanwhile, naked Eddie Izzard is supervillain Wolf, banged up in a maximum security penitentiary and responsible for draining Mr Copley of his superpowers and changing him from superhero Diamond to ordinary gun and badge-toting Christian. Diamond used to have a complex relationship with moody-looking Retro Girl (Michelle ‘Ensign Ro’ Forbes in red latex).
That’s as far as the first two episodes will get you, and I have to admit I didn’t find the storytelling terribly clear. POWERS does get a bit better as the series goes on but with so much great TV to watch out there at the moment, this one does take a bit of getting into and the setup is rather hard going. Still, it’s worth watching if only for an impressive array of acting talent and for developing several interesting ideas from a graphic novel that predates the TV series HEROES (but does feel a bit like it).
Sony’s DVD set has all ten episodes of the first season over three discs. There’s one extra, which is the featurette ‘Policing the All Powerful: Envisioning and Filming POWERS’.
The first series of POWERS is out now on UK DVD from Sony
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