Spike's Lip Sync Battle can always be counted on to bring out the over-the top craziness in celebrities large and small. Whether it's Clark Gregg going all-out for a performance of Britney Spears' "Toxic" or Channing Tatum giving an epic twirl in his interpretation of Frozen's "Let It Go," we can rely on famous folks to get creative when they hit the stage. One of the next battlers will be none other than Sir Ben Kingley, and it looks like his performance of "Rocket Man" could be tough to beat. Check it out!
When it comes to Lip Sync Battle, less is sometimes more. After all, backup dancers and smoke machines run the risk of pulling the focus from the performer. In the case of Sir Ben Kingsley channeling his inner Elton John for "Rocket Man," however, he is undoubtedly the star. The stage could have been filled with backup dancers and he still would have been the center of attention. Between his kooky eyewear, his cape and collar ensemble, and the antennae, he probably didn't even need to know the words to the song to be a hit.
Luckily, Ben Kingsley does know the words to "Rocket Man" quite well, and his enthusiasm really makes the clip worth watching a few extra times. This is a man who's clearly not ashamed of his love for Elton John, his flair for performance, or his evident love for his native England. He could have worn any old cape and collar to go with his bejeweled wristbands; he chose to wear a cape and collar in the color of the Union Jack. I hope Brits everywhere salute him for his performance. Kingsley isn't exactly keeping calm, but he looks like he has every intention of carrying on with the rest of "Rocket Man."
The clip is only a sneak peek at the whole performance, and it's entirely possible that Sir Ben Kingsley only gets more awesome as the song goes on. John Cho faces some stiff competition in this round of Lip Sync Battle. His cowboy outfit makes it clear enough that Kingsley isn't the only competitor who dressed up to lip sync, but it might take more than a flannel shirt and ten-gallon hat to best Kingsley. Host LL Cool J - AKA the man with the most entertaining job in the world - certainly seems to be enjoying Kingsley as Elton John.
Sir Ben Kingsley and John Cho have the honor of kicking off Lip Sync Battle Season 3 in its new time slot on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Spike. Be sure to tune in on October 12 to see the rest of what Kingsley has to offer, and check out our fall TV premiere schedule.
