BLAST OFF! Movie Review Monday!

Welcome readers to a Movie Review Monday! This week we are blasting off as we review the Sir Elton John pic, "Rocketman!" This movie is by no means a "Bohemian Rhapsody" but also, it is VERY Elton John. Seriously, definitely expect a wild ride with this one, ladies. So let's blast off and check it out!


"Rocketman" (Director: Dexter Fletcher)

via GIPHY

Alright, after the experience that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was, pretty much EVERYONE has high expectations for ANY bio type pic that features a musician. And seriously, WHY should Sir Elton be an exception?  I mean, when has this man done anything subtly? I can remember rocking out to "Crocodile Rock" when I was a kid on a CD player (that's compact disc for anyone who doesn't know), as well as trying to learn "Pinball Wizard." I might not have followed the man, but EVERYONE knew who he was. And just like in "Bohemian Rhapsody," that's what we were shown: a man who wanted his cake and was eating it too. That is, until he got sick and realized you shouldn't do what Marie Antoinette said and "Eat Cake" all the time. Even if you DO try and imitate The Queen herself in your acts. 

I was GENUINELY surprised to learn that Taron David Egerton (who plays the man himself) was singing quite a few of the songs. And the two younger versions of Elton should be given awards, because they were FABULOUS, for the little time that they were on the screen. And Taron himself was stepping out of roles that pretty much everyone knows him for, which was a refreshing change of pace. But to be honest, I could have done with a lot of the singing. SOME of it was fine, but I feel like it was trying to merge two movies into one, when it should have tried to be it's own thing.

One thing I sometimes try and compare to is "Ray." BEFORE "Bohemian Rhapsody," there was "Ray" and in all seriousness, THAT movie is what I wish music bio-pics would strive for again. A balance of song with story. And yet, at the same time, why should I expect anything else than what I saw from Sir Elton John? His way of doing things over the top was his platform for his entire career, his undoing, and his return from the ashes. Sir Elton is quite literally a phoenix rising: he was born, rose up to beauty, took a dive until he burst into flames, then rose up again, a whole new man.   

To sum it up, while this was not a BAD movie, it was very much "Bohemian Rhapsody" meets "The Greatest Showman" with "Mama Mia" in the sense that it's only his songs thrown in. Decent, but I'm not running back to seeing it again.