Movie Review: Rocketman (on DVD)

Rocketman
[DVD Rocketman]

I’ll have to admit, I haven’t followed Elton John’s music all that closely — I’ve enjoyed many of his songs, and have his “greatest hits” collection, but have never really read much about his life.

Therefore, Rocketman was something of a revelation. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, the man who would become Elton John had a complicated life early on, and creatively seemed to become energized when he teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1967. Rocketman is a fairly faithful biopic, hitting the highlights and lowlights in Elton John’s life. From the awkward relationship with his parents, to his broken relationships with both men and women, this film weaves a tapestry of “moments” in Elton’s life, constantly overlapping with samples of his music. The filmmakers chose to include a great deal of fantasy or surreality in their storytelling, which I occasionally found a bit offputting.

But Taron Egerton’s performance as Elton is stunning, and he actually sings the songs throughout the film. The production design and costume design (including all of Elton’s outrageous stage costumes) are both incredible.

All in all, this was a fascinating film to watch, though I’ll have to admit that I enjoyed the Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody a bit more. But that’s mainly because I’m more of a Queen fan than an Elton fan. Fans of Elton John and his music should love Rocketman.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Me (Elton John’s recent autobiography), or any of the many CDs and DVDs of Elton John’s performances.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official UK Rocketman web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library – Public Service

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