Monday 10 June 2019

Movie Review: Rocketman

*After the project of time traveling was completed, Annie and her fellow remain members of Team Blast and even Anthony's nemesis Corporate Driver and Secretary Driver join in to see the time travelling machine by the gems*

Red Diamond: Its good to see you all, guys. Because we're here to save our universe by time traveling!

Corporate Driver: Riight...

Bryan Emmerich: *shushes at CD*

Red Diamond: Alright, so who wanna come here to test it out?

Annie: Um... Me?

Red Diamond: You? Alright, come here. *sees her approaching towards the time machine* Here's what we do, my partner Red Pearl will activate the portal for random time period and i give you a watch caller for communicating us and it has a red button to going back in our present. Ready?

Annie: Ready.

*Red Pearl starts activating a portal from a time machine in a random time period, leaving Annie to jumping in the portal. Not before Annie pops out and landed on the ground. After gets back up, she notices that there's a piano, which happens to be a piano belongs to a famous British artist*

Annie: Mhmmm... That reminds me...

(Review Starts)


Hey everyone, my name is Annie and welcome back to the movie review.

From late last year, we had a movie called "Bohemian Rhapsody", which it was many people considered as a best film based on true story that we love to see Freddie Mercury's life and the birth of Queen, despite the inaccurate moment like when he diagnosed with AIDS before the famous Live Aid. After that, it was time that not only we stay in UK, but also focus with British artist that we all know and loved.

"Rocketman" is a 2019 Biographical musical film directed by Dexter Fletcher, produced by Adam Bohling, David Furnish, David Reid and Matthew Vaughn, then written by Lee Hall.

From the very beginning, the film was supposed to be made in the 2000's, but it had a lot of delays, which it suffered a hell development for creative differences, changing studios from Walt Disney, Focus Features to Paramount, and even actors didn't joined in like Justin Timberlake and even Tom Hardy. Let me start off by saying that, even though was familiar with Queen, not just the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody", but also my childhood memory that love Queen's songs. But when it comes to Elton John, i never grew with his songs. Don't give me wrong, i did listen some of his songs and they're great for him, but the one that i remembered is from the end credit of "The Lion King" with his cover "Can you feel the love tonight", i mean man, that song will never forget for my memory.

So, with all that said, will this movie make Elton John feeling very proud, or is this film ended up having the same mistake as Freddie Mercury's AIDS?

Well, lets find out.

The Story
Since this is a film based on true story, you'll think they could do the same pacing of more focus of story telling and montage of music? Well, yes and no.

The movie started on rehab when Elton John walked in to telling about his past of his childhood to his career. It started when he was a kid who used to be named Reginald Dwight (or Reggie for short) where he lives with his cold mother Sheila and his caring grandmother Ivy, while his father Stanley was work on "Royal Air Force" before divorced due to his mother's cheating. After the divorce, Reggie decides to focus to become rock'n roll artist, thanks to his interest from Elvis Presley and joined the group called Bluesology. After that as he grew to adult, he decides to going on his single career, which it up to him to be a nice a respectful artist with his fellow songwriter Bernie Taupin and his manager Ray Williams (but later replaced by John Reid) for his success career.

I have to admit, its rather a nice story to show us where did he begin of his career and also bring us to his famous songs. Despite of good story of his career, but it wasn't good enough for various interruptions, likely the scene where Elton goes into substance abuse, which i felt that its too much to see him in addiction, i know its common that many artists are living in addiction, but here, it feels like they let us watching Elton in drinking, snoring sugar and frustration, which that just comes off as an uncomfortable filler. And then, the story got interrupted into Broadway music style, with Elton John songs, which it doesn't make any sense that the writing went into a flip flop for story telling, like come on, you can't adding musical element when you make a movie based on true story, that just plain unnecessary and probably stupid, no wonder why Disney left during the production.

The story might've been good, despite it let us watching Elton John in depression and a questionable musical moments.

The Presentation
Aside from questionable writing, the presentation might be good right? Well, it looks amazing for the visuals and montage.

First, the filming location looks nice for the decorations in mansion, the party club and the stages concert, they did a pretty good job for the placements for the feel of from 50's through 70's.

But the best part is the visuals and the costumes, the visuals of Elton John's music montage is fun and colorful in the same time, which is the perfect feel that we like to listening his songs in the 70's. Especially for his costumes, which like the visuals, its also colorful, flamboyant and artistic for what he's wearing in his career.

As for the musical numbers? Well, they're basically the cover version in this film and i find them to be not bad. The musics are pretty good to listen to that we're all familiar with like "Rocket Man", "Your Song", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting". But i think the execution are a bit off for the singing. As for the Broadway musical number style moment, despite its unnecessary, i find them to be not bad, it has a nice choreograph and... Thats it, just a nice way to show, but then again, its probably the weakest part in my opinion.

But of course, lets not forget that its the first time in Hollywood history that we get a male sex scene and man, it definitely shows. But as a supporter of LGBT, i have nothing against it, its just to show a surprise development about Elton John's sexuality. So, nice touch.

Even though the musical numbers are ok at the time, but the visuals, the costumes and the sex scene are surprised, colorful and amazing to see, its rather a work of arts, right?

The Characters
Since we introduced Elton John himself, his partners and family, you think they could give them a developments? Well, sadly no.

First is Elton John himself (played by Taron Egerton), as we all know, he's flamboyant, entertaining and probably difficulty for his own life and career. Since he's trying to conquer his dream for his mother, but as we all know, he went down of his hill for his backstage argument between his partners and possibly his family and of course, his full on substance abuse over his feeling. Though i admitted Taron did a nice work of his acting and doing ok for his singing performance, but i felt that he may or may not look like Elton John, i know he's a Welsh actor, but at least he's trying, sometimes.

As for his partners such as songwriter Bernie Taupin (played by Jaime Bell) and manager John Reid (played by Richard Madden), though i never heard of them, but its nice to introducing them for the first time, but due to the main focus of Elton John, i feel that these guys are used for plot element for writing lyric and even gay sex scene. Though it was supposed that Bernie to be the second main focus, but in reality, he's rather a push off due to main character's focus.

As for Elton's family? Well, they're used for his childhood and a plot advice in order to helping out Elton John, but once again, i feel that they're rather appeared small and they have little amount of development of their personality that i mentioned in the story.

For the acting, aside Taron's performance did good, the rest are also good performance, but its just that their development are sub-par to say the least.

Though its nice to show us that we're curious of Elton John's partners and family, but its just that our main character is more focused and most of them are rather small (kinda) in order to give a plot development, but rather weak.

And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall "Rocketman" is the film that it had a wonderful potential, but in reality, i felt that its just rather disappointing for how painfully average it was. It has a good story for what happen to Elton John, the presentation is outstanding for the visuals, the costumes and a gay sex and the characters is nice introduce us for the first time, unless veteran fans easily know them. But when they bringing for questionable musical numbers moment, the filler of substance abuse and a bellow average characters, it just doesn't work to put in on my opinion.

Though i know that many people loved this movie for any reasons, but i hate to say for all you viewers out there, i felt underwhelmed in order to liking this movie. But even if its not the worst movie i've ever seen, but they're few out there. The best way to say, its only for die-hard fans of Elton John. As for the others, lets just stick to "Bohemian Rhapsody". I wanted to liking this movie, but not good enough for me.

So, this will probably triggered the viewers for my rating, im gonna give this one a 5/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Annie, signing out.

(Review ends)

Annie: Alright, let see this red button does... *presses it that she's vanished, then unexpectedly being thrown out by the portal and crashes at the wall and falls flat on the ground* Ow...

Red Pearl: Yeesh, talk about an accidental launch...

Red Diamond: Yeah, maybe il fix the watch caller to come back to our present time properly...

To be continued...

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