I'm Still Standing
Rocketman
Review by Ross Anthony

Dreamy, dancy, musical, emotional, theatric, RocketMan is a detox surreal bio pic of Elton John. Taron Egerton plays John with powerful emotion and excess (a theme of the film). His facial expressions are so uncomfortably perfect in the scene where he has to tell his mother that he's not a straight male. Actually, strong acting prevails throughout and careful artistic direction carries the drama always with an element of humor - albeit dark humor at times. The first 20 minutes or so are absolutely masterful in storytelling, acting, scripting, direction and the rest of the film, though not-perfect, hosts several perfect scenes (the pool scene for instance).

The costuming is ridiculously awesome; there will undoubtedly be a nomination in the category. And then, of course, the music. Elton John's music cuts across genre, while it entertains folks from all demographics. The film's score doesn't disappoint, but I found the mix left some of the vocals sounding muddier than I'd like. This may have likely been the error of the theatre where I screened the film. But, I thought it was worth noting. Please let me know how the mix played at your theatre. Other than that, I really appreciated the way filmmakers slowed and creatively unraveled the songs to tell their story.

A powerful film, you'll be entertained and leave the theatre feeling good.

-- Books by Ross Anthony, Author/Illustrator --


  • Rocketman. Copyright © 2019.
  • Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Gemma Jones, Bryce Dallas Howard, Steven Mackintosh. Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Written by Lee Hall. Executive Producer Elton John. Paramount Pictures.

Grade..........................A (3.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Monday, 03-Jun-2019 18:35:05 PDT