Spotlight REVIEW Review: ‘Power Ballad’ takes a slow hand to pop music BRUCE R. MILLER Lee Enterprises Jun 12, 2026 Jun 12, 2026 Updated Aug 31, 2026 Prefer us on Google Learn More Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save When you look at the list of writers on many pop songs, you wonder who DIDN’T get credit.kAm“!@H6C q2==25[” !2F= #F55’D ?6H 7:=>[ :? E962E6CD ?@H[ DF886DED :E 4@F=5 36 2 @?6\>2? @A6C2E:@?] pE =62DE E92E’D H92E A@A DE2C s2??J (:=D@? W}:4< y@?2DX @776CD H96? 96 6>6C86D H:E9 2 9:E E92E 8@E :ED DE2CE :? 2 =2E6\?:89E ;2> D6DD:@?]k^Am Nick Jonas, left, and Paul Rudd in "Power Ballad." Lionsgate kAm#F55 A=2JD E96 =625 D:?86C @7 2 H655:?8 32?5 W%96 qC:56 2?5 vC@@G6X H9@ >66ED (:=D@? 2E 2 7C:6?5’D H655:?8] %96 A@A DE2C D:?8D 2 D@?8 H:E9 E96 32?5[ E96? :?G:E6D #F55’D #:4< !@H6C E@ 9:D DF:E6 E@ E2=<] %96 EH@ >FD6 23@FE >FD:4 2?5 HC:E6] %96 ?6IE 52J[ (:=D@? 8:G6D 9:D ?6H 7C:6?5 2 8F:E2C 2?5 E96 EH@ 7:8FC6 E96J H@?’E D66 6249 @E96C]k^Am kAm(96? (:=D@? C6=62D6D E96 D@?8 E96J H@C<65 @? 2?5 =2?5D 2 9:E[ E96 H655:?8 D:?86C :D 8@3D>24<65i w6’D ?@E 4C65:E65] (:E9@FE AC@@7[ 96 92D ?@ C64@FCD6]k^Am People are also reading… Former Mount Horeb star sidelined for freshman season with Wisconsin men's basketball Mom says Wautoma player can't walk, talk after hit in football game 2 Wisconsin sheriff races test the future of local ICE cooperation MLB playoff heroes' stories teach us about value of low-cost youth sports Lake Geneva moves closer to purchasing land for public safety facility 3 things to know about Bucks' new signee, Johni Broome Dragon Days Fantasy Festival conducted in Lake Geneva Social Security COLA 2027: How much could your benefits increase? Mom says Wautoma player can't walk, talk after hit in football game Week 7 high school football scores Town of Delavan conducts annual Oktoberfest Lake Geneva artist to have works displayed during fall show Fact check: Could Tom Tiffany have ended the Iran War? Instant analysis from the Brewers' NLDS-clinching Game 4 win over the Padres New Bucks guard wing checks several boxes for rebuild Nick Jonas as Danny, left, and Paul Rudd as Rick in "Power Ballad." David Cleary, Lionsgate kAms:C64E@C y@9? r2C?6J D:56D H:E9 E96 8FJ D?F3365 2?5 D9@HD 9@H 96 EC:6D E@ 86E ;FDE:46[ 3FE E96 7:=> :D?’E 23@FE 9:EE:?8 E96 ;24<A@E] xE’D 23@FE 2446AE:?8 J@FC A=246 :? =:76]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack kAm#F55 5@6D 2 ?:46 ;@3 D9@H:?8 9@H H655:?8 8:8D 42? 36 >@C6 7F=7:==:?8 E92? A@A DE2C5@> 2?5 9@H 2 DEC@?8 9@>6 =:76 :D AC676C23=6 E@ H@C=5 E@FCD]k^Am kAmy@?2D[ 9@H6G6C[ :D =:EE=6 >@C6 E92? 2 AC@A] w6 92D 6IA6C:6?46 :? E9:D H@C=5 3FE “!@H6C q2==25” 4@?DE2?E=J D66>D =:<6 :E H2D >62?E 7@C D@>6@?6 H:E9 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 6586] w2CCJ $EJ=6D[ A6C92ADnk^Am Paul Rudd, right, with Peter McDonald, plays a washed-up rocker who now fronts a wedding band in the music comedy "Power Ballad." Lionsgate kAmr2C?6J DEF77D 9:D 7:=> H:E9 C64@8?:K23=6 D@?8D W2?5 =2?5D E96 9:EX 3FE ?6G6C 2?DH6CD E96 BF6DE:@?i w@H >F49 5@ J@F 92G6 E@ HC:E6 E@ 56D6CG6 4C65:Enk^Am kAm%96C6’D DE:== 2 8@@5 >@G:6 5:DD64E:?8 E96 :DDF6] %9:D :D ;FDE 2 766=\8@@5 3C@\4@> E92E 56>@?DEC2E6D #F55 42? D:?8 2?5 y@?2D 92D A@E6?E:2=]k^Am kAm(96? #F55 7:?5D 9:D >FD:42= 8C@@G6[ J@F H2?E 9:> E@ 3C:?8 324< “%96 (655:?8 $:?86C” 2?5 D2:= E9C@F89 E9@D6 ‘g_D 2?5 ‘h_D 9:ED] w:D E2<6 @? >FD:4 D4@C6D]k^Amk2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E E?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E\:?7@Qmk9cmU=DBF@j!@H6C q2==25UCDBF@jk^9cmkAmkDEC@?8m#2E65ik^DEC@?8m # 7@C AC@72?:EJ[ 25F=E D:EF2E:@?Dk^Am kAmkDEC@?8m$E2CDik^DEC@?8m a DE2CDk^Am kAmkDEC@?8mqCF46’D %2<6ik^DEC@?8m t?;@J E96 >FD:4]k^Amk^2D:56m Movies in a minute with film critic Bruce Miller Movies in a Minute: "The Bride!" Movies in a Minute: "Project Hail Mary" Movies in a Minute: "Hoppers" Movies in a Minute: "The Drama" Movies in a Minute: "Reminders of Him" Movies in a Minute: "Scream 7" Movies in a Minute: "Twinless" Movies in a Minute: "Wuthering Heights" Movies in a Minute: "Dracula" Movies in a Minute: "Send Help" Movies in a Minute: "Is This Thing On?" 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Paul Rudd gets a chance to realize his musical dreams in ‘Power Ballad’ When Paul Rudd signed on for "Power Ballad,” the film’s key song hadn’t been written. “It kind of has to work,” he remembers saying. “We’re hi…
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The celebrity game: ‘Gail Daughtry’ lets actors spoof the business and its spoils More than three decades in the entertainment industry helped David Wain and Ken Marino stuff their film, “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex …
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