Easily the best musical in years.

Rating: 9/10 (13 May 2020)

There is very little wrong with this fanatical biopic. Any fears of a clean telling of Elton John's story should be put aside as he is not afraid of talking about the darker parts of his life.
Before I gush on the film for several paragraphs, I thought I'd throw out my only major problem with the film. You can't really get a good grip on the passage of time. Once Reginald changes his name to Elton John (spoiler?) you don't really know how much time is passing. There are two story telling tools that kind of help. One is the montages, which are very well made and include performances that might help if you know when Elton's song were released. The other Taron's hair throughout the film. You can see that his hair thins out in the front. The problem with this is I think the hair just had two settings. Full moppy hair when he is in his twenties and thinning out like he is in his... late thirties? The rest of him doesn't look any older so that doesn't help me figure out when a scene takes place.
With that out of the way though, and on the subject of Taron Egerton, he gives the best performance of his career.which is even before realizing that he actually sang all the songs in this movie; unlike a certain musical biopic that came out last year.
Speaking of Bohemian Rhapsody (a film that at the time of writing I haven't finished, which is why there is no review or score for it) I am still shocked that that movie was nominated for Best Editing. Some scenes have quick edits like a Micheal Bay action sequence. The camerawork was at best uninspired...
I guess what I'm trying to say is that Rocketman is a better movie in every way. This is my favorite biopic film. Not just because of the lead acting role, but also because just about every other piece of the puzzle. I look forward to seeing what the director, Dexter Fletcher, does next. This is a well shot film which shines brightest during the musical numbers. I was immediately hooked with the first scene, and how it uses the song "The Bitch is Back."
Full credit goes to the films choreographer, Adam Murray. His only other credit is for Ready Player One. Which just makes me stop and stare at my screen. I never thought of Ready Player One for its choreography, let along think it was great. Don't know what to do with that.
I could go on, like how the supporting cast is just perfect for each of their roles, or how the costume design is so good you forget that you're looking at the kid from Kingsmen and not young Elton John. This is a great film that I recommend to anyone who is a fan of Elton John, biopic films, or film musicals.