Paul Rudd & Nick Jonas' Pop Music Dramedy Is Everything Michael Should Have Been
Recently, two movies exploring the highs and lows of musical stardom have been released: dramedy Power Ballad, which stars Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, and biopic Michael, which stars the actual nephew of the eponymous King of Pop, Jafar Jackson.
But that’s where the comparisons end. And honestly, thank goodness for that, because Power Ballad is miles better than Michael.
Power Ballad centres on Rick (Rudd), a somewhat washed-up music star turned wedding singer. After having an impromptu post-wedding jam session with struggling former boyband member Danny Wilson (Jonas), Danny ends up stealing one of Rick’s songs. He turns it into a massive hit, which leads to a kind of cat-and-mouse dynamic as Rick tries desperately to stake his claim.
Meanwhile, Michael takes us through from Michael Jackson’s humble beginnings in the Jackson 5 to 1988, the arguable peak of his career.
So, if you’re a music-lover, you have quite a choice for your next cinema trip. Here’s why Power Ballad hits all the right notes.
Power Ballad Ticks All The Movie Musical Boxes
Power Ballad completely exceeded my expectations. I didn’t even watch the trailer, so all I had to go off was the poster, which made the movie look like an obnoxious bromance/buddy film. But Power Ballad, like the song genre, actually had some depth in it. Not in the sense that it was sad or serious, but because its comedy was layered.
Part of that is down to Paul Rudd, who is in top funnyman form in this film. Rick is pathetic, but in a very charming and charismatic way, making it easy to root for him. In addition to this, Nick Jonas surprisingly holds his own as Danny. His character serves as the perfect foil in this film as he has everything that Rick thinks he wants: fame, fortune, and that cutthroat attitude that got him ahead in the first place.
Underpinning these characterisations and most of the film’s comedy is the way in which it satirises the music industry and modern fame as a whole, which helps the movie feel like it’s making some wider commentary and contributing something to public discourse about these topics.
Michael Has None of the Complexity of Power Ballad
Michael does none of this.
Sure, Jafar does a good impression of his uncle, and it can’t be denied that some of Michael Jackson’s songs are bops. But the movie as a whole feels extremely hollow.
Most musical biopics (like the infinitely superior Better Man) don’t shy away from showing the uglier sides of their subject’s lives, both in terms of their personalities and mistakes that they make. Michael, on the other hand, presents Jackson as this borderline holy figure without a single flaw. For a movie based on a real-life person, it couldn’t be further removed from reality. Although credit must be given to Michael for its portrayal of Joseph Jackson’s abusive nature, that is where the realism ends.
Michael has its fun moments, but most of these are derived from reenactments of performances which can easily be found on YouTube. Meanwhile, Power Ballad’s fun is derived not just from the performances and slapstick moments, but from its inherent wit. Beyond Jackson giving the occasional quip, there’s not a lot of room for wit in Michael, as it seems to rely on painful sincerity.
Every movie, no matter the genre, should have something to say. And it’s fair to say that Power Ballad has a lot to say about the flimsy nature of fame and the need to remember what’s truly important in life. But Michael doesn’t really say anything beyond: “Michael Jackson is great.” When all is said and done, Power Ballad is a feel-good movie, while Michael is more of a feel-nothing movie.
The former may be brimming with sincerity, humour, and meaning, Michael, for the most part, remains an unsubstantiated highlight reel of the musician’s career.
