Rocketman Review

Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast Headliners: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, others
Original Release Date: May 31, 2019

            Few musicians are as iconic as Sir Elton John. He's the master of flash and style along with piano and he's got too many great songs to count.  It's interesting to see that this was done by the (finishing) director of the other recent gay / 1970s glory rock legend biopic Bohemian Rhapsody Dexter Fletcher. However this one, for better or worse, packs so much more style .
The movie definitely doesn't proceed in chronological order as a framing device of a addict support group follows the adult Elton John / Reginald “Reggie” Dwight(Taron Egerton). He flashes back to a childhood through his youngest(by Matthew Illsey) and teenage(by Kit Connor) years. From his upbringing under hands-off Sheila(Bryce Dallas Howard) , uncaring strict Stanley(Steven Mackintosh), and kindly grandmother Ivy(Gemma Jones). Later phases of his life go through his friendship with lyricist Bernie Taupin(Jamie Bell), publisher Dick James(Stephen Graham), assistant producer Ray Williams(Charlie Rowe), and of course Elton's famed once boyfriend and manager John Reid(Richard Madden).
Before we speak of the rest of the cast or its star what surprised this review was how much of a musical this film was. It's elaborate, it's dream-like, it's fantastical with some sequences having background singers and dancers and the like singing Elton classics. The soundtrack is great with all the hits, and either story or fictional context, such as “Rocketman”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting”, “Honky Cat”, “I'm Still Standing”, “Crocodile Rock”, “Tiny Dancer” and more in many sequences. There's some neat remixing at times with orchestrations or little moments of difference for the very Broadway musical take in the plot. At times it can be cheesy but perhaps this whimsical touch is what director Fletcher is truly best at with some nice shots. There's also the singing talent of Egerton's John.
It's so important for  a biography to have a good star and Taron Egerton mostly lives up to that. His singing voice may just be spot off from the truth but it sure does hit the mark close and unlike some other stars he did it all himself. His acting has humor, sincerity, emotion, anger, flamboyance, inspiration and more as he appears very different from his take in the Kingsmen series. He is a bit of a scrawn at times next to the true Reginald but it's a very solid standout take.
The rest of the cast has some ups and downs but some may even outshine Egerton. Bell's Bernie is filled with great warmth and some charm in his hippie artist nature as he has some great stuff with Elton. So too is Madden's John who brings the suaveness every bit as much the betrayal although he may not sing quite as spot on. Howard's mother role has a fake British accent to her heritage but it's convincing enough and she has some of the films quips. So too do all of the other family and music industry members fit the part although it's nothing too amazing.
That's a note of this film is that it was very much involved with Elton himself. Whether from his bias or for the sake of narrative flow some altered perspectives or historical changes happen(such as the meaning for Elton's name or context of song creation) but it's forgiveable and also cool that he had his involvement. The time jumping method ends up wrapping up pretty well.
Rest assured that one should probably be a fan to see this film but to a fan it does well. It's a dreamy musical autobiography that doesn't do anything too deep aside some drug fueled drama but is a fun jamming look to the musician that recreates his many phases. That what's still standing in the end is the good aspects amidst the mundane.  7.85 out of 10