Formulaic, better suited for a stage play than a movie

Rating: 5/10 (3 June 2019)

We have see all this before. Rockstar suffers difficulties in his/her youth. They have detractors (usually parents) and supporters who help them through. They find huge success. They become lost in the drugs and ego, pushing away those who love them and relying instead on enablers and those who only want to profit. They realize their mistake, have a 'come to Jesus' moment, and they learn to be happy with who they are.
There is nothing new here.
Further, the stage musical nature of this movie means you never quite feel part of the story or get too emotionally involved. The final climactic scene (which felt even more like a stage play moment) falls flat. To top it off, they end with remake of an 80s era MTV video that is just cringeworthy.
The performances were solid. The movie is engaging. The music is good. But, in the end, I walked out just not feeling like I know Elton John any better than I had before.
I know the comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody are unavoidable, but that really WAS a better movie. The same basic story, but at the end of Bohemian Rhapsody you felt emotionally charged. I didn't leave this movie feeling the same way.