Let's be honest: RocketMan is a relic of the late-90s comedy wasteland when studios thought 'annoying person in space' was peak humor. With a 20% critic score and a Letterboxd rating that screams 'why did I watch this,' it's hard to recommend with a straight face.
The 72% audience score suggests some families have nostalgia for it, but that's likely parents who saw it as kids and haven't revisited it. Modern children will be mystified by the pacing, the dated effects, and the fact that the entire joke is 'this guy is irritating.' There's a redemption arc buried in there, but you'll have to wade through a lot of unfunny slapstick to find it.
Is it safe? Sure. Will your kids learn anything? Not really. Will they enjoy it? Almost certainly not. There are dozens of better space movies (Wall-E, The Martian for older kids, even Space Chimps) that won't make you question your parenting choices. Skip this one unless you're genuinely curious about what Hollywood thought was funny in 1997.




