Seven Years On, Rocketman Still Scores but Struggles to Make Elton John Feel Human

Rocketman is a musical biopic about Elton John, and it wants to be a spectacle. It mostly succeeds, even when the plot gets in its own way.

The film opens with John as a young man named Reginald Dwight, played by Taron Egerton, who grows up to become Elton John. The story follows him from his childhood in England through his rise to fame in the 1970s. It is a story about fame, addiction, and the cost of being a star.

Trailer, via Paramount Pictures.

Egerton’s Performance

Egerton carries the film. He plays John as a man who is both charming and broken, and he commits fully to the physical transformation required for the role. His singing is strong enough to hold the big musical numbers, and his acting is sharp enough to sell the quieter moments.

The film also stars Jamie Bell as John’s longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as John’s manager John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard in a supporting role. The supporting cast is solid, but Egerton is the engine that drives the whole machine.

The Music

The film leans heavily on John’s songs, and they are used to move the story forward. “Your Song,” “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting),” and “Tiny Dancer” all get full-scale renditions that are the film’s best stretches. These sequences are choreographed with energy and color, and they give the film a reason to exist beyond the talking scenes.

The film’s musical numbers are at their best when they advance the plot rather than fill space between scenes. The quieter, more intimate numbers tend to land harder than the ones built purely for spectacle.

The Problems

The film’s biggest flaw is its pacing. The middle section drags, with too much time spent on John’s relationship with Taupin and his early career struggles. The film also takes a heavy-handed approach to its themes of fame and addiction, treating them as simple moral lessons rather than complex character details.

The film also leans on a fantasy framing device, where John is trapped in a memory of his past and must relive it to break free. This device is meant to tie the musical numbers together, but it often feels forced. The film would be stronger without it.

The Verdict

Rocketman is a film that knows how to stage a show, but it is less sure about how to build a character arc. Egerton’s performance and the musical numbers are the film’s strengths, but the script and direction sometimes let him down.

The film is worth seeing for the music and the spectacle, but it is not a great biopic. It is a good one, with moments of greatness and moments of filler.

Key Facts
– Title: Rocketman
– Director: Dexter Fletcher
– Lead actor: Taron Egerton
– Score: 6.9/10
– Runtime: 130 minutes

The film is a mixed bag, but it is a fun one. If you are a fan of John’s music, you will likely enjoy it. If you are looking for a deep exploration of his life, you might find yourself disappointed.

Here is how the film ranks by its strongest elements:

1. Egerton’s performance
2. The musical numbers
3. The supporting cast

The weakest elements come last, and they are worth noting.

1. The pacing in the middle section
2. The heavy-handed themes of fame and addiction
3. The unnecessary fantasy framing device

Rocketman is a film that is best enjoyed as a spectacle, not a biography. It is a good time at the movies, even if it is not a great one.

biopic · Elton John · movie review · musical · Taron Egerton