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Directors: R. J. Cutler, David Furnish
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

“Cocaine.”

With a career featuring the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, the musical career of Elton John is coming to an end. The timely named, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, sees Elton return to the triumph of his prime: Dodger Stadium. But to appreciate the context of the present, we have to revisit the past where it all began. Fully equipped with in-depth and uncensored recollection, archival photography and video is paralleled with a fine animation, detailing how Elton got to where he is now.

Given the unbelievable, outrageous and downright immense career and history of Elton John, his new documentary cannot realistically document every beat and era of his career, unless done episodically. With Never Too Late, the initial prime and immediate downfall runs parallel with Elton and his team gearing up for the last shows of his retirement tour, including the spectacular return to Dodger Stadium.

As Elton John’s career is so well-known and well-documented, and already well dramatically executed in Rocketman only five years ago, Never Too Late is challenged with bringing something new or fresh, at least, to the table when exploring the life and career of Elton John. How fresh or engaging this documentary can be, could very well depend on one’s existing knowledge of Elton John’s career and personal life. Never Too Late does a good job in presenting itself well for the not-too-clued-up viewer.

One of this documentary’s biggest challenges is balancing the jumping back and forth between the 70s and the lead up to the return to Dodger Stadium within the Farewell World Tour. Seeing Elton at home, with husband David, taking on his new role as new-found radio extraordinaire is a refreshing site, but not too exposing. We don’t see Elton having any bad days. He’s a different man now, and for the better.

Given the career comeback of Elton John in the 80s and his success with The Lion King in the 90s, to completely skim over these phases and have them emitted, seems…odd. Often, Never Too Late has the tone and ambiance of being the definitive Elton John documentary, yet only details his early years, 70s, and retirement. However, enough happened to generate a feature-length documentary of his 70s life and career, hence the existence of Never Too Late.
In the end, as Never Too Late is a celebration of Elton John’s unparalleled career, it is completely understandable to compound the biggest period of his career with his last. The explicit emotional detail presented is like nothing seen before. This is the definitive Elton John documentary.