Nick Jonas (left) stars as Danny and Paul Rudd (right) as Rick in “Power Ballad” (Photo Credit: David Cleary/Lionsgate).
(“Power Ballad” trailer courtesy of Lionsgate Movies)
A hit song can change a musician or songwriter’s life forever.
But trusting colleagues and not handling the business part of show business can leave the true creator destitute, while others reap the rewards of others’ genius.
Capturing that harsh reality, “Power Ballad” sings a cutthroat tune about dotting one’s I’s and crossing one’s T’s so that people with bad intentions cannot double-cross someone.
Fame can be very fleeting.
One minute, a creative can be on the verge of greatness, getting money and recognition at every turn.
But because of the fickle nature of the music business, today’s star can easily become tomorrow’s afterthought.
Although many stars of the past find it difficult to let go of their dream, Rick (Paul Rudd) has almost found peace outside of the limelight.
In “Power Ballad,” Rick fronts a cover band called The Bride and the Groove (great name, by the way) that makes a decent living performing at wedding receptions in Ireland.
But the key to being a great cover band is to stick to the newlyweds’ playlist and actually cover songs that people know and like.
Rick does that for the most part.
But every now and then, the former star wants to perform one of his original tunes.
If Rick sang more with his eyes open, he could read the room better.
But singing his songs with his eyes closed makes him oblivious to the emptying dance floors and the sound of crickets instead of cheers.
Nevertheless, the show must go on for The Bride and The Groove.
And when the wedding band takes an upscale wedding gig, Rick’s life changes forever, for better or worse.
One of the groom’s good friends is former boy band superstar Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas).
In “Power Ballad,” Danny’s career is at a crossroads.
Boy bands are great when the members are still young boys.
But as they mature, it is hard for many to be taken seriously as true artists.
Danny still has the fame.
He just does not have the credibility, and no guarantee of longevity in the music business.
However, stress from his career should not stop him from having a good time at his friend’s wedding.
And what good is it to have a famous singer as a good friend if they do not sing at the wedding or the reception?
In “Power Ballad,” Danny joins The Bride and The Groove for a cover of Stevie Wonder’s classic song, “I Wish.”
Their cover version becomes more of a duet between Danny and Rick, which eventually goes viral on social media, raising the profile of the wedding cover band.
But Rick and Danny develop more of a friendship after the reception, when they bond over writing songs and weed consumption.
Despite not having much fame anymore, Rick can still write a good song.
And despite fame, Danny is struggling to come up with decent material for his next album.
To make matters worse, Danny’s record label is giving him a hard time about the new album.
The night of the wedding, Rick and Danny kick around some ideas.
Rick shares some stuff he’s been working on, and Danny loves what he hears.
To thank him for those ideas, Danny gifts Rick an expensive guitar, which amazes his bandmates as they board their vehicle to return home.
When Rick returns home to his wife and daughter, he is proud of his moment with a superstar.
He is even amazed at how down-to-earth and genuine Danny really is.
It does not hurt that he can show his teenage daughter social media footage.
However, it does hurt when Ricky hears Danny singing one of his songs on the radio.
As the song begins racking up millions of social media views and climbing the charts, Rick is surprised that he is not included in the songwriting credits.
When his calls to Danny and his record companies go unreturned, and his family begins thinking he is crazy for believing he wrote a hit song, Rick decides to take it upon himself to prove his sanity and prove that he is the writer of an iconic song.
“Power Ballad” is funny.
It is melodic.
It is a cautionary tale about the entertainment business.
And it is a reminder that good people with good hearts do exist.
Obviously, Jonas was the perfect choice for the role of Danny because of his musical background, being from a boy band, The Jonas Brothers.
He knows what it feels like to go from child star to adult star.
And he knows what it is like to branch out as a solo artist.
Jonas knows that it becomes difficult to mature as an artist as their fan base also matures.
The topics and sounds that made him a child star are not what his fan base is looking for as adults.
But being vulnerable enough to find a voice as an adult with real-life concerns can be scary.
That is why collaboration is often sought.
But what happens when an artist finds their voice with a collaborator without cache in the music business?
It is not easy to mess over an established producer (i.e., Quincy Jones with Michael Jackson).
But who in the world would believe a hit song came from a washed-up wedding singer who fronts a cover band?
The bigger question is, what type of person would mess over a wedding singer when conducting ethical business, which could change his family’s life forever?
That question is answered in “Power Ballad.”
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
- Movie Review: ‘731’ Another Film That is a Warning - September 26, 2025
