Rocketman Review

Rocketman


Release Date: 30th May 2019 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)

Marv Films

New Republic Pictures

Rocket Pictures (in association with)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Drama/Musical

Rating: MA15+ (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 121 minutes


Budget: $41,000,000

Box Office Gross: $195,320,400
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
This film is a story of how Elton John went from being a musical prodigy to an iconic pop superstar in his years through his enduring and long-term collaboration with songwriter Bernie Taupin.


Cast
Taron Egerton - Elton John
Jamie Bell - Bernie Taupin
Richard Madden - John Reid
Gemma Jones - Ivy
Bryce Dallas Howard - Shelia Eileen
Steven Mackintosh - Stanley
Tom Bennett - Fred
Mathew Illesley - Young Reggie
Kit Connor - Older Reggie
Charlie Rowe - Ray Williams
Peter O'Hanlon - Bobby
Ross Farrelly - Cyril
Evan Walsh - Elton Dean
Tate Donovan - Doug Weston
Sharmina Harrower - Heather
Celinde Schoenmaker - Renate
Stephen Graham - Dick James
Aston McAuley - Dave Godin
Jason Pennycooke - Wilson
Alexia Khadime - Diana
Carl Spencer - Richard
Jimmy Vee - Arthur
Leon Delroy Williams - Clint
Leigh Francis - Pete
Rachel Muldoon - Kiki Dee
Benjamin Mason - Bryan
Guillermo Bedward - Geoff
Max Mackintosh - Stephen
Charles Armstrong - Mr. Anderson
Barbara Drennan - Mrs. Anderson
Leon Cooke - Hugh
Lee Bridgman - Steve
Rob Callender - Rory
Demetri Goritsas - Carter

Sharon D. Clarke - Counselor

Crew
Director - Dexter Fletcher

Writer - Lee Hall

Executive Producers - Michael Gracey,
Elton John, Brian Oliver, Claudia Schiffer
and Steve Hamilton Shaw

Producer/Unit Production Managers -

Adam Bohling and David Reid

Producers - David Furnish and Matthew Vaughn

Choreographer - Adam Murray

Pianist & Vocal Coach: Mr. Egerton -

Michael L. Roberts

Voice Coach: Mr. Egerton - Michael Dore

Production Designer - Marcus Rowland

Supervising Art Director - Tim Blake

Set Decorator - Judy Farr

Costume Designer - Julian Day

Makeup & Hair Designer - Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou

Director of Photography - George Richmond

Director of Photography: Additional

Photography - Ed Wild

Supervising Location Manager -

Andrew Michael Buckley

Stunt Coordinator - James O'Donnell

Special Effects Supervisor - Steve Warner

Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite - Holger Voss

Visual Effects Consultant - Angus Bickerton

Editor - Chris Dickens

Supervising Sound Editor - Danny Sheeman

Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording

Mixer - Matthew Collinge

Sound Designer - Rob Prynne

Re-Recording Mixer - Mike Prestwood Smith

Foley Artists - Pete Burgis and Zoe Freed

Music Producer/Supervisor - Giles Martin

Music - Matthew Margeson

Review

For many years, Elton John has proven himself to be a legendary musical genius with his hit songs like "Your Song", "Candle in the Wind", "Rocket Man", "Crocodile Rock", and "Tiny Dancer". He was the original piano man and was way ahead of Billy Joel. Elton John is also known for contributing to a few movies like The Lion King. This particular movie introduced a young generation to his music. For a long time, I have enjoyed Elton's music through CDs and music streaming. I am looking forward to his local concert in January 2020. I was even more thrilled at the prospect of seeing the latest biopic, ROCKETMAN, now in cinemas. It is not all glitz and glamour with this film. ROCKETMAN is a colourful and in-depth look at the famous singer, which shows a greater depth than what we had in Bohemian Rhapsody. It portrays Elton as a complicated figure who succumbs to fame when grappling with his identity and drug addiction before finding sobriety.

Director Dexter Fletcher (the man who had completed Bohemian from Bryan Singer) got in touch with Elton John, creating a movie that portrayed the fantasy and reality of his life, unlike Bohemian, which maintains a simplistic approach. ROCKETMAN is a jukebox musical that lets you relieve several moments of his musical career. Though the film is inaccurate to historical terms, some facts remain true while others got altered for storytelling methods. It's told in flashbacks where Elton is in group therapy as he explains his life.

Taron Egerton is perfect for Elton John, as the pair have acted together in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. While Taron almost looked like the musician he portrays, he does display a heart-wrenching and incredible performance that bonds with his personality. Egerton may shine in his acting, but not without his stunning vocals. Audiences have already heard that Taron can sing because he voiced a gorilla in the animated movie Sing, where he funnily sang one of Elton's songs, "I'm Still Standing". Still, it is nice to hear him perform his renditions of classics like the title song, "Crocodile Rock", "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", and "Bennie and the Jets". The costumes are marvellous as they recreate the look of his outrageous sense of fashion.

ROCKETMAN earns any positive appraisal as this film is a musical biopic that is one of a kind. If you are an Elton John fan or only new to his music, why not rush to theatres and see ROCKETMAN? Never miss this movie because you will sit and enjoy singing his tunes.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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