Worse Than Mockumentary

Rating: 6/10 (22 November 2018)

The title of my review is not supposed to be a derogatory statement about this film, but rather a comparison to 1984 mockumentary about Queen-alike rock band named Spinal Tap. Bohemian Rhapsody does not come close to This Is Spinal Tap's wit and charm. It comes of as a glorified Queen concert which has very little to offer to an unbiased audience.
I came to the cinema with very little expectations about this film. I was never a particular Queen fan, even though I listen to their stuff occasionally. And even so, the film left me with a lukewarm feeling afterwards. For all its length, it managed to be all style, and no substance. Characters are very one-dimensional, while the overall band dynamics is presented as a highly naive instant success story. Also the few characters who disregarded Queen, or were unsure about it were presented as villains, of course. While Rami Malek delivered a nice performance as Mercury, and the re-creation of Live Aid concert offered its perks, it was not enough to turn around otherwise poor storytelling.
So to sum up: if you are a die-hard Queen fan, then this is a film for you. If you'd rather like to see a rock band film with more substance, then consider titles like This Is Spinal Tap or That Thing You Do! instead.