Movie Review - Rocketman

PC: ultimateclassicrock.com

This week, I went to see Rocketman, and let me tell you, I was not prepared for the movie to be so emotional! On the surface, I knew that Rocketman was a biopic about the life of Elton John, but I didn’t know much beyond that as I was walking into the theater. When I walked out two hours later, I was emotionally drained and felt connected to Elton John like I never had before!

The movie itself begins with Elton at an addiction support group meeting, where he begins to tell the people there about his story. We follow him back in time as he relates his often-lonely childhood and his journey of meeting Bernie Taupin and making it big as a star. However, the conflict of the movie begins as we watch Elton slowly get entangled in drugs, alcohol, and sex. His life begins to unravel, and we feel his frustration and lack of control as the things he tries to hold onto slowly begin to slip from his grasp.

Elton’s life unravels faster and faster, with the audience hurtling along with him toward destruction, and then suddenly we stop, out of breath, as we watch Elton finally face the demons in his life. “I have always hated myself,” he realizes, and in that moment, my heart breaks. As someone who struggles with her own mental health, I felt viscerally the pain and despair that Elton faced as he stared down a life of addiction and hopelessness that could only end in death. So, if you’re a person with mental illness and you’re watching this movie, remember to keep yourself safe. If Elton’s struggles remind you so deeply of your own that you will be emotionally compromised, please do not hesitate to stop watching.

HOWEVER, the movie doesn’t stay dark and depressing; rather, Elton stamps his foot down, makes a choice to start working on himself, and joins the support group we saw at the beginning of the movie. We watch in awe as he pulls himself up, clawing his way bit by bit, until he is finally healthy again. His hard work pays off! At the end of the movie, he is “still standing” and no one can bring him down!

Needless to say, the story is pretty freaking inspiring, and you’ll find yourself walking away from the theater moved to your core. And the movie is not all depressing scenes and hard topics. No! The movie is loud, and crazy, and over-the-top, and it fits Elton John’s personality. The costumes in the movie are painstakingly detailed and flashy, the random musical numbers are loud and brilliantly choreographed, and the dream sequences where Elton finds himself floating to realms unknown aren’t even questioned by the audience. At first, I found myself startled at people randomly breaking into song, but as the movie progressed, I found myself accepting each strange scene as it occurred, saying to myself, “Oh, that makes sense, it’s Elton John.” And if you sit back and hold on for the ride, you’ll find yourself along on a ridiculously fun romp through the decades!

Furthermore, Taron Egerton does a brilliant job of portraying Elton John. His carefully crafted facial tics, posture, and singing voice instantly call Elton to mind, and the hair and makeup department did a fantastic job of aging Taron as he portrayed Elton through the years. In fact, there were a couple moments where I wondered if they had swapped Elton John in for Taron Egerton! You know you’re watching a good actor when you find yourself mistaking them for the person they’re portraying.

In short, if you’re thinking of going to see Rocketman this weekend, do not hesitate! Yes, the movie can be hard to watch at points due to the heavy material that it deals with; however, you’ll walk away inspired, exhausted, but oh so happy that you went to see it. You should go see Rocketman this weekend! In fact, Saturday night’s alright!