Rocketman (2019) Review

There’s a promise in the magnificent spectacle of Rocketman. It’s as cool and quirky as the man who sparks the inspiration but there’s something hauntingly hollow in Dexter Fletcher’s exploration of the life and times of the legend, Sir Elton John.

Lee Hall is the mind behind some classics; Billy Elliot earned him his Oscar nomination. Handing his words over to BAFTA nominated Fletcher feels as though it has all the ingredients it needs for success… so what is missing?

Jukebox musicals have half the work done for them. The classic songs of Elton John are recognisable from their first note, so the script has no room for error. It is, of course, difficult to manoeuvre dialogue around such well-known pre-existing material but it does mean, however, if all else fails; at least we have a good song break for 3-4 minutes to fall back on.

Fletcher & Hall have created something that wouldn’t feel lost on stage. However, this theatricality feels ever so slightly too big for the cinematic experience. It captures the craziness of Elton John’s world perfectly but in doing so certain parts of his tragic story lose their heart. Secondary characters, with the exception of a few, are only there to serve the narrative instead of feeling as though they could exist outside the confines of the story being told and therefore Taron Egerton is left inside an incredibly self-indulgent narrative.

There’s no argument against Taron Egerton’s showstopping performance. He carries a heavy task on his shoulders for 121 minutes, exhibiting the good, the bad and the ugly of his subject matter. It is no mean feat to take on the role of an icon, let alone one that is still living, and he hits the theatricality out of the park while still serving the delicate moments with equal sensitivity.

Another strength of Rocketman lies within the bold visual choices that are reminiscent of Chazelle’s 2016 darling, La La Land. Choosing to use production design to aid parts of the narrative is always a risky decision, but for the most part it is pulled off with charm and style. Ironically, it’s the safer directorial choices that do the film a disservice; i.e. when choosing to have characters sing directly to each other or to camera as they would do on stage. There was a confusion, in areas, of what the songs were trying to be in relation to the narrative.

There’s no doubt that the cast and crew of Rocketman felt the weight of what they were making. Telling the story of a man who is so well loved by a generation is most certainly daunting, but it feels as though in the end, they knew they’d be alright. It easy to see something so grand and enjoyable and slap a five-star rating on it but it’s important to dig beneath the surface of the rise in popularity of the movie musical.

La La Land was so successful, and rightly so, for its complete and utter originality in a genre that felt as though it was slowly dying. However, now, there is an argument that the genre is starting to become over-saturated.  

Although something may be enjoyable, which Rocketman most certainly is, it doesn’t mean it deserves its hype. A lot of it felt incredibly safe which is ironic because a lot of it also felt incredibly bold. There’s a real slew of mixed emotions held as the middle bulk of the film is undoubtedly brilliant but there are just a few moments that threaten that and so, unfortunately, I’m opting for the age old “I liked it. I didn’t love it”.