John Carney‘s Power Ballad (Lionsgate, 5.29) will get me back in the national swing of things. The 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating obviously sounds promising. Wait…a 74% rating from Metacritic?
Tim Grierson‘s Screen Daily review, however, gives me concern. “The showdown between Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas is not nearly as illuminating or cathartic as Carney assumes. The music industry is cutthroat, but Power Ballad’s insistence on emphasising the heartfelt and comforting undercuts the inherent hell of a man who watches his dream get to be lived out by someone else.”
Collider‘s Ross Bonaime: “Compared to his other recent work, Carney’s latest pulls back a bit on the music and leans more into the comedy side of things, yet Power Ballad maintains the heart and optimism that is brimming from all his films, and hopefully, it will get the attention it deserves.”