Handsomely shot but superficial and cripplingly overlong

Rating: 5/10 (11 November 2018)

This long-anticipated biopic of Freddie Mercury and how he turned Queen into a band for the ages is only a mixed bag that suffers from serious narrative lapse for long stretches. I liked the look of this film and Rami Malek utterly transforms into Mercury but his dynamic performance alone cannot overcome the lumbering pace. He has to work with a screenplay that for many patches is an utter wasteland.
Although there are traces of gripping brilliance in this film (including the film's depiction of the spectacular divide between critics and audiences over the song Bohemian Rhapsody), the more challenging aspects of the story of this incredible band and Freddie Mercury himself are given lackadaisical or non-existent treatment. His struggle with AIDS is given fairly perfunctory attention, as is his relationship with the other band members. For a film with such a long running time, there is precious little to say.
The film comes close to redeeming itself when it turns to the extraordinary event of the Live Aid concert in which Queen performed. But it's too little, too late and I only wish the rest of the film could have that raw vitality and stirring force. This is a shame, because although most rock bands over the course of history do not deserve a feature film, Queen is not one of them. Not recommended.