To describe the new Elton John "Rocket Man" movie as a biopic is a bit of a misnomer ...
In reality it is more of a two hour fantasy, providing the vehicle to air at least two dozen of Elton's best known hits against what almost feels like a dream sequence backdrop.
If you're looking for the back story of Elton's life and meteoric rise to fame and want to come away with any sense of reality in this regard, you'll have to wait as that movie hasn't been made yet.
Instead we get completely out of sequence events delivered in total disregard of any timeline, rhyme or reason, simply to showcase the music.
Taron Egerton does a creditable job of portraying the superstar ... but I think Elton postponing the New Zealand leg of his farewell tour so that he would be free to attend next year's Academy Awards Ceremony in the hopes of experiencing another "Bohemian Rhapsody" coup are both a bit premature ... and unnecessary. (Even in some of the sub-categories, I cannot help but wonder how, for example, this film might be up for Best Costume Design, which I believe it most certainly will be, when, in fact, it simply recreates the outfits Elton actually wore, which were designed by somebody else!)
I will also say that Egerton does a fairly decent job of handling all of his own vocals in the film ... which is not an easy thing to do, as we learned several years ago when all of the American Idol contestants had to do an Elton John song and NONE of them were able to capture the magic or excitement of these tunes. The general consensus that night was that Elton's music was essentially Elton's music alone.
Honestly, I was quite disappointed with the whole affair (and if viewers were put off by the hint of Freddie Mercury's homosexuality in the Queen film, we can expect some full blown outrage at the way Elton's sexual preferences are addressed in this film. In fact, there has already been quite a bit of controversy about several scenes having been edited again in foreign countries who still consider this type of behavior taboo.) Incredibly, one MAJOR event in this regard to Elton's career isn't discussed at all.
When Elton John came out, of his own choosing, he did so in Rolling Stone Magazine and described himself as bisexual, making major headlines around the world. Coming at the absolute peak of his popularity in the '70's, most predicted it was the equivalent of career suicide at the time ... yet this key event wasn't mentioned at all in the film ... suggesting instead that Elton "may want to speak to his parents so that they would know what to say if they were ever asked about his sexuality" ... when, in fact, he orchestrated the whole announcement himself.
But it's the timeline discrepancies and lies that are the most annoying, bordering on ludicrous at times.
Elton John did NOT take his last name as a tribute to John Lennon ... it has been documented since the earliest days of his career that he morphed from Reginald Dwight to Elton John as a tribute to his Bluesology bandmades Elton Dean and British blues legend, Long John Baldry. While Elton and Lennon became close friends in later years (even appearing on each other's hit records), the insinuation that Lennon was the inspiration for John's name change is completely bogus. The fact that Elton himself would sign off on this full-on fallacy as Executive Producer is quite disheartening.
Also, contrary to what the film would have you believe, he did NOT perform "Crocodile Rock" as part of his breakthrough show at LA's Troubadour ... he wouldn't even write that song until a good two years later. And while this was considered a landmark performance (released as a live album shortly thereafter) he did NOT levitate the crowd that night (although there are a number of people who were there that night who still claim that he did!)
Most ridiculous was the showing of lyrics and music to songs written with Bernie Taupin BEFORE he'd even met the man in the movie's timeline. (For example, he auditions for Dick James in 1967 with "Daniel," a song that wouldn't be written for another six years ... and even does a bit of "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues," a tune he and Bernie wouldn't write until 1983!!! "Candle In The Wind" is also given a quick showcase.)
Hopefully, some will come away from the film with a greater appreciation of Bernie Taupin's contribution to the Elton John success story ... but even in this regard one has to keep in mind that Bernie wrote the lyrics first and Elton added his music to them later ... far too many times during the film these lyrics are used to illustrate a particular moment in Elton's life, which rarely was the case ... and, quite honestly, it all feels a bit too Mamma Mia-ish in this regard ... queuing up each song to fit a particular scene.) Nearly every song is performed as its own music video, too, which gets to be a bit redundant after awhile. (I've since heard several comparisons made between "Rocket Man" and "Moulin Rouge," which is another film I didn't particularly care for ... and it certainly does seem to evoke that same type of vibe from time to time.)
The danger with a film like this is that it promotes a completely bogus reality for the most casual fan ... and a completely distorted history for anyone discovering this music for the very first time. (Forgotten Hits has worked long and hard for the past twenty years to always present "the most accurate truth" ... this film seems hell-bent on the exact opposite! ... so there's no way I could EVER sign off on this!)
As such, it's a very disjointed affair ... covering some of the highlights along the way but stopping at the point that Elton checked into rehab and finally got himself clean, orchestrated visually, of course, by his performance of "I'm Still Standing." (How totally predictable!) Actually, the film STARTS with Elton in rehab and then tells its story by way of Elton looking back over his personal highs and lows. (Would it be nit-picking if I told you that "I'm Still Standing" was released in 1983 ... and that Elton didn't REALLY finish rehab until 1990? That's why at the end of the film they show Elton as being "sober for 28 years." But hey, what's one more lie for the sake of another musical tie-in?)
Ironically, Elton's first big US Hit "Your Song" was also featured in the film "Moulin Rouge" ... and the moment that it is revealed in "Rocket Man" is, without question, the most powerful, emotionally charged scene in the entire movie. (I literally had tears in my eyes and couldn't breathe for a moment.)
Taken out of context as shown below, it doesn't have quite the same impact ... but these exceptional three minutes almost make up for the other 118 that are borderline entertaining as best.
My score on a scale of 1-10: 3 1/2
(That being said, I think this is a film that I may want to see again in two or three months. Knowing now in advance what to expect, I may appreciate it more for what it really is ... but I was absolutely blindsided on first view as I was expecting a much more traditional biopic as advertised ... and I'm sure this contributed greatly to my overall disappointment. However, YOU are now forewarned as to what to expect ... so hopefully you can enjoy and appreciate the movie more for what it really is rather than go into the theater filled with false expectations as I was. I hope to share in that enjoyment a few months from now when it will likely be available on home video ... and I give it a second chance.)
kk
