Rocketman

Rocketman is, in some ways, a sad reminder that even in its most supposedly fantastic imaginings, Hollywood fantasies can still be so straight.

It's Taron Egerton as Elton John who carries and sells the film -- often backwards and in platform heels. Wild as it may sound to approach such a mercurial and marvelous character with beautiful restraint, Egerton's performance is meticulously calibrated.

Rocketman ramps the camp up to 11, throws on some sequinned spectacles, and sparks fireworks of pure joy in glitzy song-and-dance routines.

Rocketman isn't a sanitised peek-a-boo of someone's life, barely teasing at the surface of a complex creative genius. Rocketman gives you the warts and all version, and it's not going to pink-wash John's sexuality.

Really, on the basis of "Rocketman," you'd think Elton John never had a moment of fun.

Like the Elton John it presents, it's about forgiveness. Love is love is love. Watching so many plume-festooned costumes take wing, you're inclined to believe that hope really is the thing with feathers.

Throughout all of these musical moments and dramatic tension, two things remain, the visual style of Fletcher and the best performance of Taron Edgerton’s career.

Rocketman managed to deliver an authentic biopic that wasn’t afraid to take risks.

Using the pop superstar and gay icon’s own music, director Dexter Fletcher leads audiences on a fantastic journey through Elton John’s early life...

A colorful exploration of John’s illustrious career, the film boldly addressed his many past addictions (with sex, drugs, and alcohol) while also functioning as an actual musical with huge setpieces and real-life singing...