'Power Ballad' is a one-scene wonder with a terrific start and a sloppy second act

“Power Ballad” is simply a cynical, sloppy drama astir a wedding vocalist (Paul Rudd) and a popular titan (Nick Jonas) who drunkenly tinker with an unfinished song, past squabble implicit who gets custody erstwhile it becomes a hit.

Disharmony is simply a caller chord for filmmaker John Carney, who has specialized successful films astir collaboration since his 2007 creation location deed “Once.” From the snotty ’80s synth euphony of “Sing Street” to the acoustic heartbreak of “Begin Again,” Carney loves to perceive however a unsmooth thought evolves into a polished track. Lately, he’s been trying to find caller approaches to his formula. His 2023 “Flora and Son” was astir a surly azygous parent who picks up a guitar and discovers that her beingness doesn’t alteration that much. I loved that 1 due to the fact that it said we’re each entitled to noodle without having to marque overmuch fuss astir it.

The occupation with “Power Ballad” is that it’s each unsmooth ideas itself. Like an medium that kicks disconnected with its single, it starts with a jazzy series of opus instauration that’s 1 of the champion versions of the country Carney has ever done. A faded teen icon, Danny (Jonas, gamely sending up his past arsenic 1 of the platinum-selling Jonas Brothers), explains however to constitute a PG-rated deed to Paul Rudd’s screen set frontman Rick, who instantly tries to improvise lyrics with the connection “titties.” (Or arsenic helium warbles it, “tit-taaays!”). It’s cleanable casting — Rudd’s singing dependable keeps up with his comic chops.

Fifteen years ago, Rudd’s Rick fancied himself an up-and-coming American stone deity until his grunge enactment went connected a transatlantic circuit and helium fell successful emotion with an Irish girl, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), and had a girl named Aja, a feisty teen played by the scene-stealing Beth Fallon. Settling into a beingness of anonymity successful the Dublin suburbs, Rick present has his wedding set Bride & Groove, which allows him little flashes of chill — oregon astatine slightest the accidental to strut into gigs wearing choky achromatic jeans. His bandmates are beauteous comic but truthful underwritten that 1 adjacent gives a large code astir however he’s much than conscionable a spot subordinate successful Rick’s life.

Straight distant we’re suspicious that Carney and co-screenwriter Peter McDonald stashed this communicative successful a drawer ages agone and didn’t fuss to particulate it off. If Rick discontinue his superior radical during the Obama era, wherefore does helium see himself a adjacent of Eddie Vedder? The quality is written to beryllium successful his precocious 30s, but acts decades older than that, posturing similar he’s 1 of the past ambassadors of authentic stone and rotation portion ripping done a setlist that’s mostly Hall & Oates. (Shouldn’t helium astatine slightest beryllium jamming the Killers’ indie-sleaze wedding staple “Mr. Brightside” that sends bridesmaids shrieking onto the creation level similar a maenad cult?)

At 1 soiree, Rick is asked to walk the mic to Danny, a boy-band personage struggling to marque the leap to a solo artist. Rick has already mocked him earlier that time arsenic “the decease of the euphony industry,” but Danny proves to beryllium a existent performer with capable prima powerfulness to electrify Rick, who starts copying his gestures, clapping alongside him and having a blast. Their chemistry carries implicit into an all-night jam league successful which Danny and Rick stock spliffs, whiskey and scraps of songs that they haven’t managed to perfect.

For a thrilling moment, the movie is simply a platonic rom-com astir 2 dissatisfied artists coming unneurotic from other directions: Danny crumpling nether wide scrutiny, Rick weary of obscurity. Danny is hopeless to get backmost to playing Madison Square Garden; Rick has agelong since abandoned his imagination of playing determination adjacent once. Having seen a movie oregon 2 earlier successful my life, I assumed that “Power Ballad” would climax astatine that stadium with Danny and Rick harmonizing for a assemblage of 15,000. Corny, sure, but satisfying.

But this banger of a bonding league is simply a one-night stand. In a shallow bottommost turn, Danny poaches 1 of Rick’s unfinished songs and blows it up into a chart-topper. It’s a large betrayal for Rick and a bummer for the audience, who ne'er get to spot the 2 marque euphony unneurotic again. Instead, Jonas’ Danny becomes a callow Hollywood creep conscionable similar his manager, a menacing slickster named Mac Darling (Jack Reynor), who seems hep until helium tries to explicate an net meme and it becomes evident that Carney doesn’t recognize what a meme is.

Meanwhile, Rick suffers a meltdown, haunted by the deed helium can’t escape. The stolen way chases him everywhere: connected the radio, overheard astatine the mall, adjacent astatine his ain gigs wherever newlyweds cluelessly inquire him to play “their” peculiar song. We’re forced to perceive endless snippets of it, too, though the afloat lyrics are saved for the extremity erstwhile we observe that 1 of songwriters clumsily shoved successful the connection “albatross.”

“Power Ballad” nods toward a twelve absorbing themes, nary of which it bothers to explore. It could beryllium astir what turns a beauteous melody into a mega-smash, astir the worth of songwriting versus charisma, astir timid artists who hoard their champion worldly and showboats obligated to fulfill their promotional teams, oregon adjacent astir however a opus yet belongs little to its creator than its fans. It besides flirts with being astir however some men constitute for pistillate support — girls are Danny’s fanbase and Rick’s household is his full satellite — lone to person their women deliberation astir of their songs are pandering and dull.

“What are you funny in?” Rick yet huffs to his daughter.

“Revenge,” she says.

Well, Carney’s made a movie astir acheronian and it’s a full bummer. In a brutal small detail, helium contrasts Danny’s bikini groupies with the women successful Rick’s crowd, who clomp toward him with toilet insubstantial stuck to their shoes.

“Power Ballad” postures similar a sincere play but has the acceptable pieces of a elephantine slapstick farce. Rudd seems to person been told he’s successful one, playing Rick’s humiliation truthful ample that helium looks unhinged, his look covered successful cuts and bruises of his ain doing that, distractingly, ne'er look to heal.

The effect is punishing — and code deaf.