Rocketman Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

by Jack Pooley

1. It's Basically The Anti-Bohemian Rhapsody

Rocketman Taron Egerton
Paramount Pictures

In case the point hasn't been made clear already, Rocketman is basically the musical biopic that Bohemian Rhapsody should've been.

Soulful, utterly convincing and ludicrously entertaining in every way that the Queen biopic feels overly sanitised, generic and oddly forgettable, it is a triumph that deserves every drop of Bohemian Rhapsody's success and more.

But perhaps its biggest win is in making a subject-approved biopic that doesn't feel like a hagiography: the film revels in the man's darkness, even as it champions him eventually overcoming his demons.

While Bohemian Rhapsody felt like a distinctly curtailed, cleaned-up depiction of Freddie Mercury's life - especially his tragic demise - Rocketman is a refreshingly forthcoming movie for one approved by its focal "character."

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.