Superpower

Name: Superpower
Genre: Documentary
Released: September 18, 2023
Duration: 115 min
Rating: 47
Cast: Sean Penn, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

2023

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Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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Superpower

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount+ | Release Date (Streaming): September 18, 2023 | Not Rated

Starring: Sean Penn, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Summary: Superpower tells the story of how Sean Penn heads to Ukraine to learn more about comedic-actor turned president, Volodymyr Zelensky. It was to be an amusing film – it has turned into a document of history. When Penn was brought into an undisclosed bunker in the Presidential Palace, the Russian invasion had begun. Penn talked to PresidentSuperpower tells the story of how Sean Penn heads to Ukraine to learn more about comedic-actor turned president, Volodymyr Zelensky. It was to be an amusing film – it has turned into a document of history. When Penn was brought into an undisclosed bunker in the Presidential Palace, the Russian invasion had begun. Penn talked to President Zelensky as explosions rocked the city. He became an inadvertent front-row witness to this historic ‘David and Goliath’ struggle. Through moments of levity, inspiration and on the ground storytelling, it becomes clear that Ukraine’s Superpower lies in the strength of its leader, its people, and ultimately, its heart.… Expand

Director: Aaron Kaufman and Sean Penn

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 115 min

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Critic Reviews

The Independent Geoffrey Macnab

Feb 25, 2023

Penn and Kaufman’s film about him is sprawling and uneven but also heartfelt and inspiring. It’s informative but has an immediacy which you rarely find in conventional news reports. The documentary leaves you with admiration not only for its subject, the comedian turned wartime leader, but for the doughty Hollywood star who put himself in the eye of the storm too. Read full review

G. Allen Johnson

Sep 18, 2023

Superpower, one of several documentaries about the war in Ukraine, doesn’t break any news, but Penn, a two-time Oscar-winning actor and director of several feature films, is a skilled storyteller. He and Kaufman do an excellent job of providing a contextual overview of the conflict, from its origins — the trajectory of both Russia and Ukraine in the post-Soviet era — to its political stakes, the mood of the Ukrainian people and the fascinating man who is leading them. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Sep 18, 2023

Penn scores a coup by getting an on-camera interview with Zelensky on the first day of Russia’s invasion, and he films him on two additional occasions, in a video interview and in person on a later visit. Read full review

Collider Marco Vito Oddo

Feb 25, 2023

The shocking images of Superpower can move us, but the movie ends up being nothing more than a piece of propaganda. Even worse, the documentary is a wasted opportunity to give a proper voice to the people who still live and fight in Ukraine. Instead, Superpower seems more concerned about contributing to the mystification of Zelensky and the image of Penn as a lonesome and brave hero. Read full review

The Guardian Lauren Mechling

Sep 19, 2023

Penn’s aim might be true, but his appetite for adrenaline appears to trump his ability to justify why he occupies a position in the red-hot center of a global crisis. Read full review

The Telegraph Tim Robey

Feb 25, 2023

When [Penn] steps aside, or simply lets Zelensky talk, the film hits home as a crudely earnest plea for more principled military aid, and you can’t really fault its message. The delivery, though, leaves a lot to be desired. Read full review

The Playlist Anna Bogutskaya

Feb 25, 2023

Penn’s admiration for Zelensky, the people of Ukraine, and their unified commitment to democracy is sincere, but Superpower is so stupid a film it’s galling to watch. Read full review

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