Movie Reaction: Rocketman

Formula: Bohemian Rhapsody + Musical elements - Scandal behind the scenes

Rocketman's fate is tied to Bohemian Rhapsody but not its existence. That much was clear when the first trailer I saw for Rocketman popped up before I saw Bohemian Rhapsody. They realized that if Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit, that boded well for Rocketman. Bohemian Rhapsody then made over $900 million worldwide and raked in Oscars despite bad reviews and a scandal with the director. It would be unfair to expect such highs for Rocketman. That much is unfair to expect for any movie. Rocketman is not an imitator though. It doesn't exist because Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit. It's not a studio rushing out an imitator. The Bohemian Rhapsody production was so long and troubled (Remember when Sasha Baron Cohen was set to star in the movie?) that I imagine the people making Rocketman didn't even think it would be out before their movie. Rocketman's release date is more fortuitous than cynically chosen.

Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody are very different in a lot of ways. Bohemian Rhapsody is more episodic. Rocketman is more of a musical. They are, however, both music biopics and share many of the same strengths and weaknesses. First of all, the amount of someone's love for the music dictates most of the success. In hindsight, Bohemian Rhapsody was always going to be a success for one reason: People love Queen. It really is that simple. It was all about Queen's music. It reproduced a lot of Queen performances well. It made each song feel like a special event. I had a lot of fun watching the movie and hearing a bunch of Queen music. But, the movie, as a film has a lot of problems and is one of the more laughable Oscar contenders in recent years. It tells the exact same rise and fall and rise again story that all music biopics tell. In a post-Walk Hard world, the genre needs to do better.

Rocketman also has that same music biopic story. It begins with a young Elton John growing up with an unloving father and a mother (Bryce Dallas Howard) who isn't that keen about him either. As he grows up and turns into Taron Egerton, he starts taking jobs as a backup piano player, dreaming of being a rock star. He eventually teams up with songwriter Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) to make music. Before long, he (they) break out. He's selling out stadiums while concealing the fact that he's gay. His lover/manager (Richard Madden) starts off great then turns into a monster. Elton gets addicted to all kinds of drugs and other vices. Eventually, he cleans up and we've loved him still for decades. It really is a boring, paint by numbers story that I'm tired of hearing. I do appreciate that it's differentiated some by the story of his homosexuality. The movie confronts that pretty directly, much better than Bohemian Rhapsody.

There are some things I liked a lot about Rocketman. Taron Egerton is terrific. He actually does all the singing in this, and he deserves at least an Oscar nomination for how much he let them thin out his hairline. Jamie Bell is really great too. The movie forgets him at time, but whenever he shows up, he's just a good guy. The movie handles that friendship with a lot of care. Bryce Dallas Howard commits to being foul and mean without slipping into archness. Richard Madden plays a prick well. And, this movie is a musical, not a drama with songs interspersed in it. I like that decision. It helped to remind me at all times that we were hearing Elton John's version of the story. I liked how the musical numbers were staged. After seeing the oddly lifeless productions in Aladdin a couple weeks ago, it was nice to see a lot of people moving, singing, and following some actual choreography.

I'm a hypocrite. Rocketman is better than Bohemian Rhapsody in nearly every way I can come up with. I had more fun with Bohemian Rhapsody though. I like Queen's music a lot more. Since neither movie transcends the genre, that's still the most important factor. I hate that this negates most of my assessment for the last thousand words but, see Rocketman if you like Elton John's music. Skip it if you don't. Everything else will sort itself out.

Verdict: Weakly Recommend