by the numbers music biopic

Rating: 5/10 (29 January 2019)

This film really feels like a greatest hits montage. Yes, you get to hear all the Queen songs you enjoy. Yes, you get to see many different moments of Freddie Mercury and Queen's career, BUT it feels really rushed, frazzled, and overgeneralized. The film has a problem not focusing on one thing. Whether it was the themes, plot points, stories, or characters, it really feels all over the place because of it. The viewer never gets to dive deep into the problems Freddie Mercury or the band faced. Everything just felt so surface level and generic. I have heard people say that the film feels like it could apply to any band, and I can agree with that somewhat. Parts of it are Queen specific, but those parts seemed like minor details. The structure and plot of the film are what feels like a generic "make a rock band" movie with similar beats to films such as Almost Famous. With a better script, director, and editing, this film could have been very compelling. I read another review that said the film should have been focused on the events proceeding the Live Aid Concert instead of Queen's whole career. I thought that was an excellent idea because it would have allowed the filmmaker to focus more on a few specific issues the band was facing and flesh out the characters a bit better.
Of course, there were some good moments in the film. Rami Malik's performance is decent, nowhere near as good as other actors who have taken on musical personas, such as Jamie Fox's performance in Ray. The music is fun because well... it's Queen and they have some fun songs. The costume design is easily the best part about the film, but other than those few things, the quality of the film is rather mediocre. However, that does not mean Queen fans won't like the movie. I think many people, particularly Queen fans, will enjoy the film since it plays their greatest hits and has a straight forward story. If you are looking for something more than just a surface-level music biopic, this is not the film for you.