Rocketman is a hybrid biopic and musical about the life of Elton John and stars Taron Egerton in the lead role as a young to near middle age Elton John as we watch his auspicious beginnings as a child prodigy able to play anything heard on a piano back for the listener, which gets him a seat at a prestigious school where he develops his talents and then eventually meets his long time lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, who is played by Jamie Bell. Rocketman chronicles John’s rise to superstardom as well as his fight with alcoholism, drug and sex addiction until he finally goes into rehab and like his famous hit song “I’m Still Standing,” we get the gateway of sorts from the Elton John of the 1970s with his outrageous costumes he would wear on stage while he performed to the secure survivor who is a Knight and one of the most respected and talented music artists living globally. I hope aspiring music artists find inspiration in Elton’s life to overcome their issues and grow as artists no matter what kind of work they do. Taron Egerton actually sings the songs and he sounds great and this film in many ways is the perfect companion to last year’s hit film, Bohemian Rhapsody.
The 4K Ultra HD Edition is nothing short of a revelation to behold. The colors and clarity simply pop. Even in 1080p full HD this is in my humble opinion a reference quality screening disc to impress your friends and family. It stands to reason the Dolby ATMOS Soundtrack matches the picture in bringing the theatrical experience alive as close as possible for the viewer whether you have a home theater in your basement or your living-room. If you liked the film on the big screen, you will love it on your home screen.
Extra value features are overflowing and a challenge to chronicle, but I will give it a shot. Over 75 minutes of bonus materials are within this set and include four extended musical sequences introduced by Director Dexter Fletcher and there are also ten deleted scenes as well as 13 sing-along tracks, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews as well as an additional three featurettes and two more deleted scenes for the Apple TV iTunes Digital Copy that is included as a limited time only redeemable code within the Blue BD Case. Also for a limited time the combo pack comes with a collectible booklet with a special message from Elton John for fans of Rocketman.
Easily one of the best Blu-ray Disc releases of the year, Rocketman is available on 4K UltraHD Blu-ray Disc Combo Pack, Blu-ray Disc and DVD as well as Digital Copy at retailers on and offline courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment.
(C) Copyright 2019 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
