Rocketman

[Brian in Mesa]

Rocketman

Release date: May 31, 2019
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Dexter Fletcher
MPAA Rating: N/A
Screenwriter: Lee Hall
Genre: Musical, Biography

Starring: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard

Plot Summary: Taron Egerton is set to star as Elton John, aka "Rocketman." The film will focus on Elton John’s beginnings, starting when he was a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music and carrying over to when he reached global stardom through his influential and enduring musical partnership with his songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin. It will be a biopic that looks at the performer’s life past the glitter saturated image we have grown so accustomed to associating with the performer.

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[Covert Rain]

Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody I have zero desire to see this movie no matter how good it is. It's funny, I know so many people who have said the same thing to me.

 

[Rivercard]

Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody I have zero desire to see this movie no matter how good it is.

Why?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody I have zero desire to see this movie no matter how good it is. It's funny, I know so many people who have said the same thing to me.

That's bizarre.

As much as I wanted to see how Rami pulled off Freddie I want to see how Taron pulls off Elton.

 

[Covert Rain]

Why?

There seems to be a general disinterest from many people I have asked about seeing this including myself. Not exactly sure why but maybe because I have never been a huge Elton John fan. I can't speak for others. I like some of this songs but over the years I have seen many interviews of him and I am simply not intrigued by him whatsoever.

I will probably see this when it hits home video but even my wife didn't seem very interested and she drags me to almost every movie made that has anything to do with music.

 

[Cheesewater]

I'm not excited to see it primarily because Elton's story isn't over yet. I'm a bit annoyed when a film is made about someone's life when they are still alive and producing. Imagine if a movie had been made about Bill Cosby when he was 72. Furthermore, although Rocketman is not a response to Bohemian Rhapsody, it sure feels like a "oh yeah, well look at MY life".

I was heavily influenced by Elton John's music. Nigel Olsson is one of the two drummers who inspired me on the instrument when I was small. I'm concerned the other musicians (and lyricist!) in this production of Elton's story may get short shrift. I think I always worry that my perception of heroes may be altered or at least affected by a big production of their life story.

 

[cardncubfan]

Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody I have zero desire to see this movie no matter how good it is. It's funny, I know so many people who have said the same thing to me.

I'm the opposite. Not interested in BR but would like to see this. Was never a big Queen fan but I've always been a fan of Elton John.

 

[Cheesewater]

I'm the opposite. Not interested in BR but would like to see this. Was never a big Queen fan but I've always been a fan of Elton John.

Beware. I just watched a clip of a scene in which Egerton sings "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" in a huge dance number with a cast of dozens at a fair (the film is a musical, after all). The version they perform breaks into a ska section in which he dances with mods and that in turn breaks into a Bollywood section...yech. No thanks.

This smacks of clear intent to roll the film into a stage version that will extend the cash grab.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I'm not excited to see it primarily because Elton's story isn't over yet. I'm a bit annoyed when a film is made about someone's life when they are still alive and producing.

Told my wife this and her advice was for you to wait until Elton John dies before you see the film.

 

[Rivercard]

Told my wife this and her advice was for you to wait until Elton John dies before you see the film.

The film would really freak people out if Elton dies at the end.

 

[Dback Jon]

The film would really freak people out if Elton dies at the end.

Or if he rode Drogon

 

[Passepartout]

Who knows if Rami Malek got an Oscar for Freddie Mercury, why not Taron Eagerton for Elton John perhaps?!

 

[puckhead]

Or if he rode Drogon

He rides off into the distance on a white horse. :fades to black: :fades up: and he's only 50 feet away and gets off the horse. The end.

 

[puckhead]

The film would really freak people out if Elton dies at the end.

 

[AZ Native]

Wow, 13 posts on a movie that apparently no one has seen. OK, full disclosure, I am not a big EJ fan but my wife talked me into seeing this movie. It was very good. Taron was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. But then again, I saw it.

 

[Chaplin]

Wow, 13 posts on a movie that apparently no one has seen. OK, full disclosure, I am not a big EJ fan but my wife talked me into seeing this movie. It was very good. Taron was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. But then again, I saw it.

I’m going to try to catch it at some point this week.

 

[AZ Native]

I’m going to try to catch it at some point this week.

I'll be interested to see what you think. Maybe because I was expecting nothing, I liked it. Who knows? But I like the movie overall especially his performance. JMHO.

 

[Chaplin]

I'll be interested to see what you think. Maybe because I was expecting nothing, I liked it. Who knows? But I like the movie overall especially his performance. JMHO.

I didn’t have much interest in it until I saw Bohemian Rhapsody, and I’m now more interested in modern biopics if musicians.

 

[NJCardFan]

I'm an Elton John fan but no desire to see this movie in a theater. I'll wait for Netflix. That said, I heard that they barely mention Bernie Taupin which would be silly considering that without Taupin, EJ wouldn't have been nearly as big.

 

[Raindog]

I'm an Elton John fan but no desire to see this movie in a theater. I'll wait for Netflix. That said, I heard that they barely mention Bernie Taupin which would be silly considering that without Taupin, EJ wouldn't have been nearly as big.

I saw it last weekend, and can say you heard wrong. Bernie is probably the second most significant character in the movie, and Elton gives him his just due as a lifelong friend, collaborator, and contributor to his success.

 

[NJCardFan]

I saw it last weekend, and can say you heard wrong. Bernie is probably the second most significant character in the movie, and Elton gives him his just due as a lifelong friend, collaborator, and contributor to his success.

Good to hear. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[thirty-two]

Saw it tonight with my bestie who really wanted to see it. I’m not a huge ELton fan, but this was an entertaining movie. The actor who played Elton did a great job. He really did look just like him at times.

 

[Shane]

Just finished this and it was VERY good. Taron Egerton was awesome and should have gotten rave reviews for his performance. He literally nailed it. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody which absolutely bored me to tears this was surprisingly highly entertaining.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Just finished this and it was VERY good. Taron Egerton was awesome and should have gotten rave reviews for his performance. He literally nailed it. Unlike Bohemian Rhapsody which absolutely bored me to tears this was surprisingly highly entertaining.

haven't seen Rocketman yet, but couldn't agree more about Bohemian. I felt like I was watching the movie equivalent of Queen's Wikipedia page throughout that slog.

 

[oaken1]

Just watched this. Been waiting for years and finally seen it was on Paramount +

I didn't know it was a musical
I despise musicals.
But at the end of the first number I had a "DOH!" Moment..it's Elton freaking John...the most fabulously flamboyant rock performer pretty much ever...who often dressed like a Vegas showgirl on stage... of COURSE it's a musical you idiot!
So I kept watching...they didn't over do the musical numbers...there's about an hour long stretch where there are none...and they seemed to use those numbers to brush over particularly chaotic times in his life...they also frequently segwayed into Elton performing that song on stage weeks later...it was actually quite well done.
It did at times have the look and feel of a stage production brought to the big screen...that is solid on theme when you recognize Eltons fascination with stage performance.
They dug in pretty deep with the relationship with his parents which was interesting.

The movie was fantastic. It was entertaining, informative,triumphant, and interesting....the directing was amazing.
Honestly as far as biopics go I rank it right up there with the Busey in Buddy Holly or Kurt Russell's Elvis... just amazingly well done...despite being a musical.