ROCKETMAN (2019)

A musical fantasy about Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
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Disappointing. I came away from ROCKETMAN not really admiring the remarkable musical skills of Elton John. I appreciated them intellectually, but the musical fantasy approach distanced me from the character so I didn’t feel as though I was responding to a real person. I appreciate the intention to try to make something that represented the artistry and drama of Elton John’s music — but it didn’t work for me. The narrative was not chronologically accurate and, in many ways, the arc of Elton John’s life as a celebrity alcoholic and drug user is so clichéd that I didn’t find much interest in it. Clearly, Elton John is a great musician and singer. But ROCKETMAN failed to reinforce that for me. If it hadn’t been for the music, which Taron Egerton does a solid job of, the movie wouldn’t have been worth seeing.