ROCKETMAN: A review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Biopics are back, for better or worse, especially with the box office success of Bohemian Rhapsody. The Elton John-produced Rocketman takes a musical fantasy approach not unlike Across the Universe, so it avoids the problems of being a visual encyclopedia article. It may not be chronologically accurate, but it is emotionally honest in its portrayal of the rock superstar.

Sir Elton Hercules John (Taron Egerton) looks as if he's walking from a triumphant concert experience in one of his signature costumes. Instead, he's walking into a rehab group counseling session, which is the framework of the film. Viewers start following his childhood as Reginald Dwight, living with an alcoholic mother (Bryce Dallas Howard), an absentee father (Steven Mackintosh), and a supportive grandmother (Gemma Jones). He is a precocious pianist and talented mimic of other musicians who gets a break in obtaining lessons from the Royal Academy of Music.

After having some fun in the bar band scene, Reggie tries to sign up with a record label and is paired with a lyricist who becomes his brother in music and best friend Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Along the way, John struggles with his preference for men and unfortunately, picks up a tendency to get high on every substance known in a combination of excess and self-pity.

All of this is told in an effective combination of John and Taupin's songs and surreal musical set pieces, including a deliberately jarring version of "The Bitch Is Back" sung by Reggie as a child (Matthew Illesley) in the old neighborhood, and a levitating crowd singing along with "Crocodile Rock." The actors are uniformly good, from Bell as Taupin and the family member troupe to a great manager and scoundrel lover, John Reid (played with a sneer by Game of Thrones' Richard Madden).

Still, Eggerton should get the most credit for the film's success, along with writer Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and director Dexter Fletcher (who ironically ghost-directed Bohemian Rhapsody to its completion). Eggerton is an expressive palate for John's high emotions and most outrageous excesses. Importantly, he also has the right voice for the job, doing his own singing quite well. It would be a shock if an Oscar nomination isn't in his future.

Rocketman is thoroughly adult entertainment, and it should be lauded for its honest portrayal of the gay lifestyle (which reportedly has been heavily censored in the movie's Russia screenings). Although a long film at over two hours, the transcendent music and excellent performances generally overcome feelings of length or self-aggrandizement in the production. It's a must-see for Elton John fans, and a good, raunchy cinematic diversion for music fans in general.

Rating: ***1/2 out of ****

Paramount Pictures presents Rocketman. Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Written by Lee Hall. Starring Taron Eggerton, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Gemma Jones, and Steven Mackintosh. Rated "R" for drug use, profanity, and sex scenes.