Power Ballad | Film Review

 

When wedding singer Rick (Paul Rudd) meets boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) the two bond over their fading careers. But when Rick discovers that Danny has stolen one of his songs, and it becomes a huge hit, he resolves to take back what's rightfully his at all costs.

I didn't know much about this film before it got released, and mostly just watched it on a whim because the premise had a lot of potential.

So I really didn't expect to love the film as much as I did!

For a start, the casting is absolutely perfect. Rudd and Jonas fit these characters so well and play the parts perfectly.

The whole cast has great chemistry and their relationships are believable.

But in addition to them working well together, they're all giving powerhouse performances. Rudd in particular is absolutely fantastic, and he and Jonas play off of each other so well.

If anything, something that I'd change is that I'd give them more time together. Due to the nature of the film and where it's set, a lot has to happen while the characters are apart. But I think them having more time together would have strengthened their relationship, and as such made the later betrayal hit that much harder.

The movie as a whole is really engaging. You're interested and invested in the characters and their stories from the very start and this interest stays with you long after the credits roll. Even now having seen the film a while ago, I'm still thinking about what I want to have happened next.

It moves really quickly, the pacing is great. But I actually feel like it could have done with some extra time. I could have watched at least another 30 minutes, and I really wanted to see what happened next.

And then there's the music - and in particular the central song of the film. I loved the song, I loved the different interpretations of it, but I also loved that it did sound like a song that an ex-boy-band member would go viral with. It just worked.

So overall, I absolutely loved this film and would definitely recommend it. It wasn't what I thought it would be at all, in the best possible way!

8/10