'Rocketman' - Taron Egerton Dazzles as Elton

A few minutes right after the end credits rolled, I immediately heard another viewer comparing Rocketman to the Rami Malek-top-billed film, Bohemian Rhapsody. The man even added that Freddie Mercury and Elton John were best friends, and their personas are a bit similar. So it's really neat that we get to witness two biopics, musicals to boot, of these music legends. Needless to say, the analogy between them is inevitable and the 'Rocket' beats the 'Rhapsody' by a mile.

United International Pictures

First and foremost, Rocketman avoided what Bohemian Rhapsody was criticized for. Director David Fletcher is not interested in sanitizing his lead. Instead, he builds on Elton's struggles and flaws, addictions to drugs, sex and booze, identity crisis, and his deep yearning for family, resulting in a more emotional and touching memento of one of our greatest living musicians.

An added bonus is Fletcher's eye for a dazzling and vibrant musical, reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann's style, that altogether mirrors the flamboyant pianist's life. Fletcher maximizes the endless possibilities of a musical through abstract images--including a Rocket Elton which could or could not be viewed as corny or too on-the-nose, an emotional underwater sequence of the musician's redemption to the tune of Rocketman, a dance routine inspired by Gaspar Noe’s Climax, a bar with zero gravity, and other interesting out-of-the-box choices that make this semi-formulaic biopic stand out from the normal.

Rocketman is also not purely about Elton John's music career. While his most popular songs are prominently played throughout the musical, it's more focused on his life with his family and colleagues via flashbacks from his time in rehab. His life for the most part is depicted as tragic or, at the very least, bittersweet. But that's where Taron Egerton’s star dazzles the brightest.

Physically, Egerton's resemblance with Elton is not uncanny, but the Kingsman actor embodies his ways and style that everything else goes along with his portrayal. And, among other things, he does all the singing and his own additions to the tunes are legitimately impressive. The highest point of the film for me is him singing a simple but magical and tender version of Your Song. Too bad it 's in the first half because the film wasn't able to match its magic in its succeeding numbers.

United International Pictures

Other worthy of mention are the Tiny Dancer and Goodbye Yellow Road numbers which involve Egerton's leading man Jamie Bell as Bernie, Elton's lifetime songwriter and friend—both songs pivotal to their relationship. The Tiny Dancer scene, for one, showed how he got friend-zoned by Bernie, and it's cute and heartbreaking at the same time.

United International Pictures

But yes, there are all-out gay kissing and sex. As Elton himself said, he fucks everything that moves. And that's when Richard Madden enters the picture, as John Reid, Elton's lover-turned-manager-turned enemy. Their whole fiasco revolves around erotic sex, arguments, and hatred, and both Egerton and Madden are game to commit to their situations.

Overall, Rocketman soars despite its shortcomings. It has pacing issues especially with the last half where every life phase transition, as stagey and amusing as they are to watch, seems rushed compared to the balanced momentum of the first half.  It's astonishing in his highs, and it can get overwhelmingly emotional in its lows. I would have loved to watch more of his story post-rehab but I guess they’re saving up space for a future sequel since he’s still alive and kicking ass. In the end, it's purely a celebration of Elton John's life, not only as a singer but as a person. And thankfully, they got the representation right.