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Rocketman 4K UHD Review

Taron Egerton soars in “Rocketman.”

“Rocketman” is an unconventional biopic on musician and showman Elton John that also infuses surrealistic musical dream sequences containing his own songs. Director Dexter Fletcher’s (who actually completed “Bohemian Rhapsody”) film explores Elton John’s wild, troubled and tortured life by touching on his rocky relationship with his parents, various addictions, love life, love of rock and piano, sexuality, haunting past, and storied career along with his connection with songwriter Bernie Taupin and the dynamic with toxic music manager John Reid.

As someone who is suffering from biopic fatigue “Rocketman” deserves credit for attempting something different with it being both a biopic and a fantastical jukebox musical. Unfortunately, the movie ultimately still falls victim to the trappings of the biopic movie subgenre. The problem with biopics in general is that they tend to be stuck in the same formula and structure despite having wildly different life stories. “Rocketman” is no different as we see Elton’s youth, his rise to stardom, his life spiraling out of control and his eventual victory over his obstacles. It all feels a bit tedious after awhile. Lee Hall’s script also jumps around quite a bit and has an odd tone. It’s a bit all over the place despite having the standard biopic storytelling.

The primary reason “Rocketman” has been receiving acclaim and, indeed, the sole reason to watch this movie is due to star Taron Egerton. Egerton has always been a talented and transformative actor as evidenced by work in such films as the little seen gem “Eddie The Eagle” (which was also directed by Dexter Fletcher). With his performance as Elton John, Egerton is more impressive than ever as he does his own singing while also embodying Elton John without ever doing an impersonation of him. Don’t be surprised if he gets an Oscar nomination for his work. The other standout actor here is Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin. The actor shows some real versatility and gives a very an understated but impactful performance.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? You can’t ask for better picture quality. A pristine transfer.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The songs roar to life with this killer Atmos track.

Extras:
* A booklet featuring a message from Elton John about his forthcoming autobiography “Think You Know Me? Think Again.”
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* A sing-along option for select songs
* A jukebox option that allows you to jump to the music
* 4 extended musical numbers with an intro by Dexter Fletcher
* 10 deleted and extended scenes with an intro by Dexter Fletcher
* “Larger Than Life: Production Design and Costuming”- A featurette that contains interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, a look at the sets and costumes, etc.
* “Full Tilt: Staging The Musical Numbers”- The title says it all.
* “Music Reimagined: The Studio Sessions”- A behind-the-scenes look at Taron Egerton recording the songs. Easily the best extra here.
* “Becoming Elton John: Taron’s Transformation”- An insightful look at Taron Egerton taking on the role.
* “It’s Going To Be A Wild Ride: Creative Vision”- This extra covers the film’s journey to the big screen, the style of the film, and more.

August 25, 2019 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Biopic, Dexter Fletcher, Elton John, Elton John Movie, musical, Rocketman 4K UHD Review, Rocketman Blu-ray, Taron Egerton