Queen: A Freddie Mercury Story

Rating: 7/10 (30 December 2019)

Bohemian Rhapsody is a lot like a Cheeto puff. At first, when you're in the moment, it's amazing. Problem is, when the moment passes and it's dissolved to nothing you realize it's just air. There's no real substance to a cheese puff and there's not really any in this movie either.
That said, I love Queen. A movie full of their amazing music? Yes please. Add to that the fact that the actors playing the band do a really solid job and that's even better and Rami Malek is an exceptional Freddie Mercury. Honestly, between this and Mr Robot, I want to see anything that Malek puts to film next.
But then there's the other side of it. The "villains" are so over the top, cartoon-like bad guys that it's ridiculous. The movie is practically a paint by numbers biopic, hitting all the overplayed notes even at the cost of accuracy to the actual events. Which, to me is a problem in and of itself. I'm not a super fan by any means but I have a passing knowledge of the Queen story, so there was really no hope of surprise here, making the formulaic approach all the more mundane.
Still, did I mention I love Queen? I've watched this twice now and still get goosebumps at certain points just from the power of their music. It's like that Cheeto, I know there's nothing there. I know it won't fill me up or satisfy me. I know that.
Still love it though.

Side Note: No behind the scenes of Under Pressure? Really movie? Come on. So disappointed in you.