Dazzling presentation of a cliche

Rating: 7/10 (1 June 2019)

In the past decade or two Broadway has been inundated with "jukebox musicals," a genre that uses existing pop songs instead of a new score and shoehorns them into a story. After MAMA MIA was so successful using ABBA music, there has been an avalanche of musicals using the songs of, say, The Beach Boys, Earth, Wind, and Fire; The Go-Gos, The Motown catalog, Carole King, Peter Allen, Donna Summer, Cher, etc., ad infinitum. They usually don't work because pop songs are not theatrical. However, with ROCKETMAN, the jukebox musical comes into its own on film. We've gotten used to experiencing pop songs as background music while a montage of scenes is flashed on the screen (z.B., BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID) and the MTV music video has become a new art form. ROCKETMAN tells the story of Elton John's life (he is the executive producer, too) using songs he either wrote or performed to further that story. At key emotional moments, the actors burst into song and that songs turns into a very cinematic production number. A lot of this is brilliant and exhilarating. But alas, the story is all too familiar: unhappy child grows up to become a successful entertainer and cracks up, but thanks to the love of a significant other, they pull through it and live happily ever after. The only surprises are in the WAY the story is told. The gay love story is done pretty much the way heterosexual love stories are done, including the nude bedroom scene. No genitals are flashed, but it does present two naked men enjoying each other's body. I haven't been to that many movies in recent years, but that's the first time I've seen that in a mainstream movie. But the basic story is pretty hackneyed these days. Production values are top notch, with lots of stunning visuals, and the cast is excellent. I especially liked Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin. Basically I enjoyed it, but it's not the masterpiece I was hoping for.