Rocketman Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

6. It Doesn't Sanitise Elton John's Sexuality

One of the most prominent complaints about Bohemian Rhapsody was that it provided a cynically cleaned-up depiction of Freddie Mercury's sexuality, in order to ensure that it didn't deter the Bible crowd or, you know, present an accurate portrayal of the man's personal life.

Thankfully the same accusation can't remotely be levelled against Rocketman, which engages with John's homosexuality in a frank and matter-of-fact manner.

It's worth noting that this is also the first major Hollywood film to depict gay male sex on-screen, and while it's hardly as gratuitous as what you might see between a heterosexual couple in your typical R-rated movie, it nevertheless feels honest and respectful to John's life story.

Basically, if Paramount really wants to get this movie past the Chinese censors, there's probably only going to be about 45 minutes of footage for them to screen.