Rotten Peaches, rotting in the sun.

Rating: 3/10 (13 June 2019)

Many user reviews here point out that the pre-publicity for Rocketman was misleading and that it's not a biopic, it's a musical, so I won't harp on about that. Nor will I labour the comparisons to BoRhap, because that's been done to death too - I'll just say that the Queen flick was vastly superior and possessed far more integrity.
No, what this movie is is Elton John's love letter to himself (with the aid of Furnish, who is a producer in the same way that Linda McCartney was a keyboard player). Reg has insisted it's "warts and all" - "I haven't led a PG-13 life!" but these warts come covered in a thick layer of foundation and blamed on everyone else in his life other than himself. Reg "settles all family business" in this nasty hatchet-job on his mother, father and anyone else who tried to give him a leg up (and a leg over).
As everyone agrees, Egerton is excellent. Some of the numbers are well-staged (though every time the dancers started their jitterbugging, I couldn't help thinking about the Young Generation, the dance troupe who used to appear with Rolf, Lulu, Cilla et al on Saturday nights. Michael Clark this is not - it's bland, family entertainment - dare I say it, not even PG-13).
A lot of people wonder why the movie claims Reg got the "John" part of his stage name from John Lennon, rather than (as actually happened) Long John Baldry. Obviously it's because the makers don't trust the audience. The kids who know Reg from The Lion King would not have a clue who Baldry is, whereas they may just have heard of Lennon. Similarly, the lyrics of Rocket Man are changed from "I miss my wife" to "I miss my life" - absolutely shameful.
Of course, it's going to be a monster - Reg's publicity machine has made sure of that. The magazine and newspaper owners desperate to have him on the cover, the reviewers craving an interview, the chat shows pleading with him to appear, all have their snouts in the trough and Reg keeps topping up the swill.