ROCKETMAN is the latest British musical biopic, following hot on the heels of BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY. This time around it's the life story of Elton John, following his life from a musically-gifted lad to his time in a band and finally his own breakout success. Although it's a story tinged with sadness and packed with drama, this film takes a light approach, focusing mainly on a series of lavishly-staged musical pieces which go on huge flights of fancy. It's cheesy but exuberant; while Taron Egerton looks nothing like the real-life John he can certainly sing well and there's plenty of energy to spare.

I do think an appropriate end for this musical fantasy biography of Elton John would have been him singing Goodbye English Rose at the funeral of Princess Diana. It's where the world really got acquainted, a considerable more audience than who usually go to concerts ad buy his records/CDs. I think Elton John as a performer was truly the voice of his country expressing their grief.

Saying that I did enjoy the film with Taron Edgerton playing the legendary rock performer. It was quite the transformation from this gay shy nerdy English kid who was studying to be a classical pianist who decides rock and roll is a better method of expression.

We see him going through the usual problems celebrities have, the bigger the celeb, the bigger the entourage and it's tough to separate those who knew you when and those who are hanging on and around.

The film interestingly enough I think Rocketman bears comparison to is the musical biography Cole which starred Kevin Kline as Cole Porter. Different type and era of music portrayed. But the film is structured the same way in the way the numbers are done.

Fans of Elton John will not be disappointed.

Taron Egerton's portrayal of Elton John is superb and only heightened by the producers allowing Taron to sing his own versions of many of Elton John's classic hits. It would be impossible to capture all aspects of Elton John's life in the 2 hours provided in this musical/biographical film, so instead the producer/writer/director concentrated on Elton's early childhood which helped shape his destiny when he first met his partner in song writing the great Bernie Taupin played by Jamie Bell.

There were far too many other excellent performances from the supporting cast members to mention them all but I have to mention two in particular who were top notch. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Elton's irresponsible (wife cheating) mother, and Richard Madden who plays John Reid one of Elton's early but serious lovers remained Elton's manager for decades after their sexual relationship ended. Both of these actors added a lot to the films depth in the one area that focused on Elton's tormented soul and led him to binge drinking and pill popping which is the area this film reflected.

I hope we don't have to wait for Elton John to pass away (God forbid) before some producer realizes that Elton John and Bernie Taupin whose lifestyles and personalities are so diametrically opposite that they deserve their life stories to be developed into a (minimum) ten (10) hour TV Mini-Series to cover a heck of a lot of both of these musical genius's personal lives as well as their successes with their musical portfolios.

Rocketman is well worth seeing and rates a perfect 10 out of 10 in my version of Elton John's quasi autobiography book.