Dexter Fletcher’s brilliant, toe-tapping movie musical based around the music and life of Sir Elton John comes to the home formats following a glittering festival and cinema run but does this cinematic yellow brick road still dazzle on the small screen?
Image: Paramount Pictures
Well, the short answer to my introductory statement is a glorious ‘yes, of course it does.’ I’ve not hidden my love for this magically trip down memory lane, evident in my original cinema review but one can get lost in film festival screenings, where I first saw the film prior to its world premiere, and sometimes a second viewing doesn’t quite match the first. That isn’t true of Rocketman at all. In fact, it is a film that keeps on getting better after many watches and even better sharing it with people who haven’t seen it before. It’s the Mamma Mia effect, a musical story that can be enjoyed time and time again.
If you’re unfamiliar with the plot, let’s recap. We open to meet Taron Egerton’s Elton Hercules John gloriously and glamourously landing in rehab in a dazzling jumpsuit, complete with horn-topped headpiece. From here we’re transported back to when he was a child pre-fame, through to his first meeting with lyricists Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), and to when they both make it big after playing the famous Troubadour club in the early 1970s. Accompanying the striking visuals are all of the hits from John and Taupin – from Your Song to Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to I’m Still Standing. A warts and all, fearless journey into the wonderful world of one rock’s greats.
For fans of Elton, this is a must. For fans of musicals, it is also a must. For everyone else, well – it has to be seen to change your minds on both. I’m yet to meet anyone who dislikes it.
Bonus Features
We’re reviewing the Blu-ray edition of the movie which is loaded with some bonus stuff, as you may expect.
There are many extended scenes from the musical numbers in the movie; The Bitch Is Back, Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache and Honky Cat, all presented with an intro by director Dexter Fletcher. There are also no less than ten deleted/extended scenes though the best features is the behind the scenes stuff; five short featurettes – It’s Going to Be a Wild Ride: Creative Vision, Becoming Elton John: Taron’s Transformation, Larger Than Life: Production Design & Costuming, Full Tilt: Staging the Musical Numbers, and also Music Reimagined: The Studio Sessions – Behind the scenes in the recording studio with Taron & Elton. All are good, I just wanted more of them and perhaps some more input from Elton himself. He’s present, just not that much.
There are also sing-along versions of some of the songs from the movie and a jukebox mode where you can jump to any track.
The special features are worth a look, but we’re guessing that they will probably only seek out yout attention just the once. This is one of those releases where its strenth the main feature, which is truly one of the best movies of 2019.
Rocketman is out now on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD and DVD.
