A decent flick with good intentions, but like many other Hollywood biopics, it takes too many liberties.

Rating: 6/10 (15 July 2019)

Though I was born in 1990, I grew up listening to classic rock since childhood. Queen is also one of my favorite bands alongside Pink Floyd and Aerosmith. A movie centering around Queen's legendary frontman, the late, great Freddie Mercury, was something I have been interested in seeing. After finally viewing the picture on HBO, my feelings on it were quite mixed.
It's true that biopics are in fact hard to make, especially ones based on someone as iconic as Freddie. One thing I knew right off the bat as a moviegoer going in is that this isn't some independent film that would dig deep into the nitty gritty with Freddie's personal life and the band itself in a more accurate fashion. This is a Hollywood picture through and through, so there's bound to be inaccuracies and fictionalized events, and after doing some quick research online post-movie, this film directed by Bryan Singer definitely has that. Even Brian May, Queen's lead guitarist and the film's music co-producer said that much of it was pure dramatization.
For example, Queen didn't leave EMI early in their career, nor were there any reported disagreements or quarrels between them and EMI's CEO, or any window smashing for that matter. Another was that the conflicts between Freddie and his bandmates also didn't get to the point where they split up from one another for a time (they never did, and no, Live Aid wasn't a reunion). In the end, it's not surprising that both critics and some audiences weren't afraid to call out the pure fiction the film depicts, especially Queen loyalists. I'm also not going to note how the studio deliberately went the safer route in addressing Freddie's sexual lifestyle, 'cause everyone else has said it already.
But, if one were able to put all that aside, like I did, one could still see this as just a decent picture in its own right. It has some pretty good casting, especially with the band members like Rami Malek as Freddie, Guilym Lee as Brian, Ben Hardy as Roger Taylor (drummer), and Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon (bassist). The use of Queen songs in the soundtrack is obviously appropriate, with a few additions from other artists (i.e. MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" for some strange reason). However, aside from the numerous historical inaccuracies spanning from how the band started to the supposed split up, the film has a bad habit of being rather melodramatic to the point where it just drags on for too long.
There's not really much to say about the movie other than it's your standard Hollywood biopic on a musical icon that we sadly lost to the AIDS virus, but is still considered a musical legend and a rock god to this day. I'd say give it a watch if you want to give it a chance or see what the fuss is about, but if you really want to know the true story of Freddie Mercury's life and the history of Queen in film form, your best bet is to watch a documentary.