Rocketman

Last fall, Dexter Fletcher stepped in for Bryan Singer to finish Bohemian Rhapsody. His newest film, Rocketman, is another biopic of a glamorous 70s British rock star, namely Sir Elton John. Let's see the end result.

As a child, Reggie Dwight (Kit Connor/Matthew Illesley) was a musical prodigy raised by his loving grandma Ivy (Gemma Jones) and cold mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard). His father, Stanley (Steven Mackintosh), wasn't a real family man, to say the least. Ivy encourages him to study at the Royal Academy of Music. He soon goes from shy Reggie Dwight to showman Elton John (Taron Egerton).

Elton is teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). He also meets manager and lover John Reid (Richard Madden), who introduces him to sex, drugs and too-much rock'n'roll. Elton's excessive lifestyle threatens to wreck his personal relationships. Sheila, in particular, warns him he'll never find true love. Can Elton rebound?

Spoiler warning: He's still standing.

Lee Hall's screenplay is a jukebox musical with Elton's greatest hits. It starts with Elton rushing to AA in full devil costume, then tells us how he got there. That's like a lot of biopics. But most of them don't have fantastical musical numbers like Rocketman. The highly-stylized numbers show off editor Chris Dickens and the visual effects' team's technical prowess. My personal favorite is the wild Pinball Wizard, which Elton performed in Tommy. The real-fantastical blend makes me think of what Nine could've been if it was styled on 8 1/2 instead of Chicago.

The film's other top selling point is Egerton as Elton John. He's seamlessly both a confidant showman and self-loathing mess. His wild costumes (designed by Bohemian Rhapsody's Julian Day) mask his personal issues. During the title number, we see him running on fumes on-stage after a drug-induced suicide attempt. His personal drama drags the fun factor down, but his return to glory is crowd-pleasing. Egerton's renditions of Elton's songs are as dynamic as the real man.

The rest of the cast perfectly fit their roles. For instance, Madden's Reid is a ruthless svengali, while Howard and Mackintosh are capably cold and distant parents. Another highlight of the supporting cast is Tate Donovan as Doug Weston, the owner of the Troubadour nightclub, where Elton got his big break. Weston's laidback and funny persona were most welcome.

Rocketman is not exactly a cheerful musical biopic. Its intense drama might turn off some viewers, young and old. But they'll soar when things get musical. It's sure to get people interested in Elton John and, by proxy, Tommy. It's gotten me interested in a possible stage version. It feels like a stage musical. It might be a great one.