Tanya’s Score: Good-and-a-half*
Rated: 14A
Starring: Eddie the Eagle; Billy Elliot; Robb Stark
Plot: This imaginative musical follows the early years of the life and career of singing legend Elton John (Taron Egerton).
Tanya’s Verdict: There’s no denying the fact that Rocketman will be compared to Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). They are both about musical legends and Rocketman‘s director – Dexter Fletcher – had a hand finishing up Bohemian Rhapsody. But cinematically, that’s where the commonalities end.
While Bohemian Rhapsody served as a slightly sanitized biography of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, Rocketman is in fact a musical. Characters do occasionally break out in song. The movie gets creative, even fantastical at times in order to showcase events related to John’s life and career.
The first half of this movie is fantastic – I was compelled by the story and riveted by the cinematography. Not to mention the songs – I just had no idea how much I enjoyed Elton John’s music until I watched this movie. But at about the halfway mark, there was a noticeable lull. After that, the movie picks it up again . . . until the end.
Egerton is amazing – his voice, his look – he has Elton John down pat.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great