Saturday Night Live -- Sketch by Sketch Review -- Elton John with Leon Russell, Tom Hanks and More 4/2/2011

Elton John hosts a very uneven episode of SNL that features one of the better monologues, a much better than average Weekend Update, and a great sketch surrounding celebrity knights, but entirely too many jokes based on the fact that Elton John is gay. Elton proves that he's up to the task of hosting, but the writers appear to have sleptwalk through much of the writing.

OPENING: LAWRENCE WELK SHOW -- 6

Elton John plays a special guest on the Lawrence Welk Show, singing a song with the Meryl Sisters, with three beautiful ones and the creepy deformed one played by Kristen Wigg. Elton is having fun with it, especially when one of the sisters says "I'm Nancy!" and he response "Like Me!", but the sketch's surprises have been played out.

MONOLOGUE -- 8

Elton John is given a standup routine as his monologue, and does a pretty good job with it, making mostly jokes about gay parenthood.

ESPN SHOT PUT CHAMPIONSHIP -- 7

SNL goes to the ESPN Classic lesbian sporting competition once again with two manly women competing and an embarrasing sponsor, this time KY Jelly. Tom Hanks makes an amusing cameo as the clueless brother of Will Forte's clueless character, but the sketch seems to be made up as it goes along.

FANCY A JAR DO YOU? -- SPECIAL REPORT - DRAGON ATTACKS LONDON - 8

A dragon is attacking London, and the Knights of the Realm, made up of celebrities who have been knighted are meeting to figure out how to tackle it. Ringo Starr, Richard Branson, Ian McKellan , Michael Caine, Bono, and Sir Mix A Lot are all there in a very funny sketch with Elton John dissing Bono for his musical writing ability, and Tom Hanks playing a very funny Michael Caine.

SNL DIGITAL SHORT - LASER CATS MUSICAL -- 3

Tom Hanks is forced to promote Laser Cats the Musical when Samberg and Hader take his volleyball hostage. Elton John plays the villain in an episode of Laser Cats that is long on activity but not much in the way of humor.

ELTON JOHN AND LEON RUSSELL - HEY AHAB -- 9

Elton John's music as of late has bored me, but Hey Ahab is a rollicking dose of piano boogie with Leon Russell that I really enjoyed.

WEEKEND UPDATE - 8

Seth Meyers does a great rundown of the GOP candidates comparing them to people on the Apprentice and firing each. Fred Armisen shows up as Khaddafy to attack US policy and make increasingly random jokes. Kenan Thompson shows up as a zoo keeper in charge of the Bronx Zoo Cobra, who accidentally lets him out. And Jake Gyllenhaal plays himself talking with Nicholas Cage (played by an excellent Andy Samberg) who flips out because he wasn't in the movie Source Code. A halfway decent Weekend Update with Meyers having some funny jokes for a change.

Great Lines:

"You know things have to be going well when even Gary Busey's getting work."

"If saying you're going to do things counted, my dad would be on the cover of Finished Basement magazine."

ELTON JOHN MEETS THE QUEEN - 8

The Queen and the Prince give Elton John grief about what he plans to play at the wedding. It's fun to watch the Queen get rough and then sit behind the drums to bash some skins. The sketch ends with Elton freaking out in a punk song, which was spectacularly weird.

THE SILVER SCREEN - 1

Taran Killam and Elton John play two gay movie interviewers in this horrid sketch. Nothing funny at all.

THE GAY COWBOY - 4

Elton John, looking like Don Imus, plays a flamboyantly dressed cowboy who rides into town on a unicorn to do the standard issue SNL gay jokes. Elton does an adlib when he loses his hat that gets a laugh, but the sketch is not very funny because the jokes are telegraphed from the moment Elton rides in on his unicorn.

ELTON JOHN AND LEON RUSSELL - MONKEY SUIT - 8

Another rollicking song. Fun.