You would think an inside look documentary about the war in Ukraine, told from Zelenskyy and Sean Penn’s perspectives, would have critics drooling with raves, but no.
Penn, who co-directed “Superpower” with Aaron Kaufman, is getting embarrassing pan after pan of his film at the Berlin Film Festival. In fact, his film isn’t doing very well on Rotten Tomatoes.
Collider’s Marco Vito Oddo is actually calling “Superpower” a “piece of propaganda.” What?! Screen’s Jonathan Romney claims it’s an “awkwardly narcissistic piece.” Meanwhile, Variety’s Guy Lodge slams it as “muddled with needless vanity sequences of the actor-director as an on-the-ground trailblazer.”
How bad can this doc be? It tackles a war that, if you read the reviews, critics are firmly planted on the Ukraine side, but Penn’s presence seems to have riled them up. I doubt Penn is happy about the labels of narcissism, vanity and propaganda being thrown around at him.
A few more amusing review headlines come to us from media outlets DW and The Playlist.
“Superpower” profiles Zelenskyy's atypical career path, from actor to politician, through the eyes of Penn as he seeks to understand Ukraine's recent history. Beginning in late 2021, Penn began to visit Ukraine several times during the film's production. The film is produced by Vice Studios.