Review of Rocketman (2019) by Lamontraymond — 29 May 2019

As a fan of Elton John, I'm enormously disappointed by Rocketman. And it has nothing to do with Edgerton. He's the best part of the film - and Jamie Bell is really good, too. The film is just terribly boring.

And if you're coming for the songs, you won't hear 'em! Just bits and pieces of "versions" of the songs you know and love, but nothing that grabs you by the throat like his songs do. And yes, it devolves into yet another addiction story that leaves us behind.

The best and only "real" moment in the film is when he goes back to visit his father (and half-brothers) to give him a gift and is essentially rebuffed. That had real emotion and pain to it.

The rest of the film is all gauze and wanna-be musical nonsense. If only this film had one tenth the feel and heart of the "Tiny Dancer" scene in Almost Famous, they would have had a passablly good movie here.

But no. I'm shocked to be writing this. And I'm guessing that the professional critics giving it the the 50 range are just scared to call a spade a spade and throw down some red scores. Ugh. SO disappointed.