Dexter Fletcher’s (Sunshine on Leith, Eddie the Eagle) Rocketman will be compared to 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. So, I will get that comparison out of the way early. And it’s pretty easy. There is no real comparison. Bohemian Rhapsody was a sound accomplishment in acting, directing, sound mixing, sound editing, cinematography, and more. It created a new audience of music lovers of the band Queen. It reacquainted fans of the band with the music and, for many, reminded them of why they loved the music, the band, and the man (Freddy Mercury) who provided the vocals for all of their songs.
Rocketman was an ambitious attempt at showcasing the rise of Elton John. It did nothing well and missed all the checkboxes that Bohemian Rhapsody could quickly check off. And I didn’t even love Bohemian Rhapsody. It was a technically sound film with an outstanding lead performance. But it failed to crack my Top 10 Movies of 2018 in a year that was less than average for the Top 10 or 15 movies. In the simplest of terms, I would grade Bohemian Rhapsody a solid B, whereas I would give Rocketman a score of D-. It was an excruciating experience trying to sit through this lackluster and difficult-to-follow movie.
There wasn’t much that stood out about this movie. It followed the cookie-cutter formula that has been around for years with biopics about singers. You’d do much better than Rocketman if you have yet to see Ray, Walk the Line, Great Balls of Fire, Straight Outta Compton, The Buddy Holly Story, 8 Mile, Selena, La Bamba, The Doors, What’s Love Got To Do With It, or just about any other biopic about a well-known singer/band. The fact that Rocketman cost $41 million to make is mindblowing to me. I have no idea where that money went, especially since the cast is a bunch of no-name actors.
The adult version of Elton John was played by Taron Egerton, most recognized for the Kingsman franchise. And Egerton was the highlight of this film. His portrayal of John was on point. He had the mannerisms, the looks, and the voice. And, yes, he does sing. The fact that he sings all of John’s songs is mightily impressive and may cause you to ask yourself if it’s better than Bohemian Rhapsody, a movie in which Rami Malek does not sing. And the answer to that is still a no. For all the good that Egerton did in his portrayal of John, Fletcher still left us with a script that didn’t explore John’s depths into drugs, sex, and depression, nor did he leave us with characters that we particularly cared about.
We start with the paint-by-number formula, where the talented but frumpy John (Reginald) is neglected by his too-busy mother Shelia (Bryce Dallas Howard – Gold, The Help) and uninvolved father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh – Memphis Belle, Underworld). Fortunately, he has grandma Ivy (Gemma Jones – Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones’s Diary) on his side, especially regarding music.
I should mention that this film is told as a flashback, even though it doesn’t come across that way. Also, unlike all the biopics I mentioned in my second paragraph, this one plays like a musical. We certainly have a tense drama scene (or just a scene in general) that quickly turns into a song and dance act that is clearly performed for the audience. It’s cheesy, and I don’t like that in my biopics. The flashback comes in the form of a support/therapy group for drug addicts. In one of his most flamboyant costumes of all, John tells the other members of the group that he’s a drug and sex addict. In addition, he has an alcohol addiction. And he’s there to get better before he gets worse. There are others in the room, and it’s to them (and to us) that John tells his story.
Something that I always feel the need to address in movies based on a true story is the fact versus the fiction part. And while there were many liberties with the movie, there wasn’t anything I’m going to ruse over. (as an aside, I CRUSHED Bohemian Rhapsody for adding fiction to a story that didn’t need it). With Rocketman, either the fictional parts didn’t impact the story significantly, or I needed to be more interested.
The music was good. Fletcher went through the catalog of hits. Nothing overwhelmed, though. And there was no song history. For the most part, they just started playing a song. It could have been more effective. The bar has been set so high with films like this that you’ve got to do something special to be memorable. Rocketman just wasn’t unique in anything that it did. We didn’t get to know any of these characters. In particular, we didn’t get to know Elton John. We learn of his dive into depression because of drugs, alcohol, and sex. But we don’t witness it. And the times when we do, it’s almost in comic form. Rocketman is a missed opportunity.
Plot 7/10
Character Development 6/10
Character Chemistry 5/10
Acting 7/10
Screenplay 5/10
Directing 5.5/10
Cinematography 7.5/10
Sound 8.5/10
Hook and Reel 6.5/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
67%
D-
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Blinded by the Light
- Straight Outta Compton
- Sid & Nancy
- The Doors