Taron Egerton as Elton John in "Rocketman"

[Spider-Fan]

Loved this movie. Easily one of the year's best movies to this point. While I liked Bohemian Rhapsody, I didn't love it. This movie went far deeper into Elton John than BR did for Queen. Awesome style, awesome use of the songs, and wonderful look at Elton John's life. I wish more biopics were as creative as this one.

 

[AverageMan]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this too - not a massive Elton John fan, but thought this was very good.

Spoiler

I thought a more appropriate ending would have been him meeting David Furnish, his now husband. It would have made the film & his life go full circle from him saying he always felt unloved and alone, to eventually finding love himself.

 

[MahvelBaby!]

Haven't seen the film yet but listening to the soundtrack and I'm flabbergasted to see the job Edgerton did with his singing. Gotta watch this ASAP

 

[AverageMan]

Didn't realise that Edgerton sang 'I'm Still Standing' in the film Sing. Great way to audition! lol.

 

[MahvelBaby!]

Didn't realise that Edgerton sang 'I'm Still Standing' in the film Sing. Great way to audition! lol.

According to the artist names on the tracks on spotify he sang almost all the songs, a few in duet with Elton and others.

 

[DKDetective]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this too - not a massive Elton John fan, but thought this was very good.

Spoiler

I thought a more appropriate ending would have been him meeting David Furnish, his now husband. It would have made the film & his life go full circle from him saying he always felt unloved and alone, to eventually finding love himself.

I disagree.

Spoiler

Elton's arc is learning not to look for external validation and love and to find it internally. To learn to love himself and be happy with himself. That is what he learned in therapy and rehab. That is the natural endpoint. Ending with meeting Furnish undermines that. It makes his journey about external love and validation again. He also learned in rehab that Bernie was there for him and loved him unconditionally all along. That external love did not stop his downward descent anyways...

 

[Schlosser85]

I disagree.

Spoiler

Elton's arc is learning not to look for external validation and love and to find it internally. To learn to love himself and be happy with himself. That is what he learned in therapy and rehab. That is the natural endpoint. Ending with meeting Furnish undermines that. It makes his journey about external love and validation again. He also learned in rehab that Bernie was there for him and loved him unconditionally all along. That external love did not stop his downward descent anyways...

You've got to have love for yourself before you can have it with anyone else. Otherwise you're just pinning your emotional wellbeing on another person/relationship which is putting unfair pressure on them and also setting yourself up your failure if you pin your sobriety/stability wholly on someone else.

 

[Web-Head]

I enjoyed this. I thought it was well made and Egerton did a tremendous job. I'm not the biggest Elton John fan, I like a few of his songs, but they did a good job of diving into his life.

Not a movie I ever really need to see again though.

 

[Manasrepublic]

This looks terrific! I hope to watch this and Parabellum very soon!!!

 

[samsnee]

I kind of wish Freddie Mercury from Bohemian Rhapsody pops up in this so we can get a biographical cinematic universe.

Looks like they almost actually did it!

Rocketman Bohemian Rhapsody Crossover - Rami Malek Nearly Made a Cameo With Elton John

There was an idea I had one point, where Elton’s in a restaurant with his mother. I thought John Reid and Freddie could be at another table and they wave at each other! That would have been amazing. [but] it didn’t come to pass. It would’ve been a little too knowing. I’m not looking to set out to make a cinematic universe!

 

[Spider-Fan]

I think that maybe not connecting the films outright is a good idea, but throwing in actors who were in popular movies on another rock stars life as a cameo to a different rock star? Wonderful idea. Putting Rami in Rocketman would have been cool or seeing Edgerton pop up in that Madonna movie he mentions would be cool. I think it's a solid idea.

 

[samsnee]

I agree, and since this was the same director (he helped finish BR after Singer got the boot) it was the perfect opportunity.

 

[Schlosser85]

There’d still be a lack of continuity with John Reid played by different actors though.

 

[Spider-Fan]

There’d still be a lack of continuity with John Reid played by different actors though.

True, but in my design we're not really making a true cinematic universe where recasting and such matters. We're just using some actors in these movies for cameos or smaller roles in other stories. John Reid being played by someone else is not a problem. No one is seeing these movies really for John Reid. Like, I don't want to make a David Bowie movie with a cinematic universe in mind, but if Freddie Mercury could make a brief appearance in my David Bowie movie and it is Rami Malek, than that is aces all around. Do things like that.

 

[NotNickFury]

Aside from the closeness of when the two films came out, the idea of Malek playing Mercury in a different film sounds no different than when Jamal Woolard played Biggie Smalls in All Eyez On Me even after he'd already played him in Notorious.

 

[sueb1863]

That reminds me of somebody's suggestion that we have biopics of a lot of big 70s and 80s acts and then do a Live Aid: Endgame movie where they all recreate Live Aid.

 

[Schlosser85]

Each movie ends with an after credits stinger featuring a cameo by Bob Geldof recruiting them into the Live Aid Initiative.

 

[Schlosser85]

So if Malek can get an Oscar for BR, it’s gonna be a really glaring omission if Egerton doesn’t at least get a nomination for this, and by rights he deserves anything Malek got.

 

[jolldan]

Movie was really enjoyable, felt bad for him as his parents seemed real ******* though

 

[Schlosser85]

Movie was really enjoyable, felt bad for him as his parents seemed real ******* though

I read a “fact vs fiction” article about the movie, there was an interview where Elton said he just wanted his father to notice his accomplishments and he never did. And apparently what little relationship they had was done after Elton talked about him very unflatteringly in an interview in the ‘70s. Although apparently he did visit with him and his half-brothers on various occasions, not just the one time.

As for his mother, they went a long time without talking and then he talked to her shortly before her death.

So not great relationships.

Though the movie makes out his mother as not wanting to hear anything about him being gay, while IRL apparently a point of contention was his mother’s continuing friendship with his ex John Reid after everything that went down.

 

[jolldan]

I read a “fact vs fiction” article about the movie, there was an interview where Elton said he just wanted his father to notice his accomplishments and he never did. And apparently what little relationship they had was done after Elton talked about him very unflatteringly in an interview in the ‘70s. Although apparently he did visit with him and his half-brothers on various occasions, not just the one time.

As for his mother, they went a long time without talking and then he talked to her shortly before her death.

So not great relationships.

Though the movie makes out his mother as not wanting to hear anything about him being gay, while IRL apparently a point of contention was his mother’s continuing friendship with his ex John Reid after everything that went down.

Yeah that's the only thing im a bit wary on as I don't know much of Elton's story so didn't really know what was getting the Hollywood embellishing treatment.

Agree with your previous post think he deserves an Oscar nod.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I finally saw this and... I don't know I felt it had a lot of good stuff but was also a bit lifeless and frankly I think it was almost unfair how little Taupin and the relationship he and Elton have factored into the story. Yes it tried, TRIED, to break free of the standard music biopic formula in presentation but I was ultimately left feeling it all amounted to an okayish movie at best where too much was opaque despite the film being rather matter of fact about so much.

 

[Vaibow]

i've missed you...

 

[scarlet-witch]

I liked this a lot better than Bohemian Rhapsody. I had the advantage of not being a huge Elton John fan vs being a Queen fan so I couldn't nitpick the historical accuracy but in terms of how they laid everything out, this was just better. Edgerton did a great job, I liked the musical numbers, they were unapologetic in everything. Sure, there were a few bad spots (like Elton's parents) but it was good overall.

 

[Vaibow]

Tom Holland needs to be Bowie next. Lose a few lbs and i reckon he would be great...