'Bohemian Rhapsody' movie reviews & impressions

I went to see it yesterday and honestly I do not know where to start.
The good things first:
The detailing is in general very precise. Especially Brian May looks very realistic in terms of playing, speaking and general body language and movements. The Live Aid sequence at the end is really well done and gives a great impact.

But other than that, it is a lousy film. The story line is thin and predictable. Story tells the band is upcoming, creates success with Killer Queen and Bo Rhap, gets a world band around 1980 and Freddie loses touch with reality by indulging in men and drugs. He finds out he can't be Freddie Mercury without Queen and is begging to the band to come back and they steal the show at Live Aid. That takes 2 hours and 14 minutes to tell.

The dialogues between band members are awkward and not credible. I never got emphasized with any character in the film, the acting is extremely lousy and clumsy. Roger, Brian and John never communicated between themselves even one time in the whole film, it was mostly Brian who had a paternalistic attitude towards Freddie. 'Do not this'...'Watch out Freddie'...etc. Very annoying.

My feeling is that they put a too big time frame into the film. They cover from 1970-1985 in 2 hours and 14 minutes. It would have been a better choice to focus on a shorter time frame, let's say 1970-1975 until Bo Rhap, with opportunity for a sequel. It gives the chance to go deeper into what actually happens and give the characters more depth. Mary for example, a total empty character. I didn't feel any connection whatsoever with her. With none of the characters in fact. But then a story covering the period between 1970-1975 could be much more interesting.
More Smile, more about finding John Deacon, more about Freddie developing his stage personality, more about creating Queen I and II, more about the first US tour, about Brian getting hepatitis, more about Sheer Heart Attack and the first Japanese tour, more about the Sheffield and Death On Two Legs, the severe financial situation etc. There is so so much to tell about that period.
Plus story lines about Brian's, Roger's and John's private lives would be so much more interesting.

For the first time, I believe this is a product that is Queen unworthy.

I really enjoyed it. That's all.

Queen and reviews, a match made in heaven.

I bet the public will proof differently. Looking forward to next week.

It will be interesting what the general public will think about the movie...we already know critics and die hard fans are giving it a thumbs down, but I notice Joe public are enjoying It so far.

Mike HUnt, re:

>we already know critics and die hard fans are giving it a thumbs down, but I notice Joe public are enjoying It so far.

And that's all MayLor want; relevance to the wider public who don't know any better and won't be bothered about how it all ACTUALLY happened.

[QUOTE] [b]kosimodo wrote:[/b]

Queen and reviews, a match made in heaven.

I bet the public will proof differently. Looking forward to next week.[/QUOTE]

Haha, good point. The music is great anyway, so many people will enjoy that regardless of the movie itself.

[QUOTE] [b]mike hunt wrote:[/b]

Thank you Vision...Nov 2nd was something I looked forward to...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm skipping this movie/mess...another mess That Involves Brian and Roger...Have they done anything right since Freddie's death? and people have the nerve to Question what Freddie meant to that band. Instead they nag about one album that flopped in 1985....made up for it 3 years later with the great Barcelona...almost 30 years of crap since Mercury died. 30 years of crap...30 years of crap! excuse me while I put on Barcelona...wizard and VH could go listen to Lambert and Cosmo Rocks...[/QUOTE]

So, your not going to see Bohemian Rhapsody because you've read it's not very good. How many Queen albums and concert tickets would you have bought in the 70's if you went by the crap reviews the band routinely recieved.

Have they done anything right since Freddie's death. Well Made in Heaven, some good live releases,successful Queen+ tours.

Yeah Mr Bad Guy is not a great album, Barcelona was really good, but don't forget it wasn't a Freddie solo album, it was a duet with an established and respected opera singer and was co written and co produced. Proof that Freddie worked best with people who could push him rather than being left as the master of his own destiny.

You seem to think I listen to The Cosmos Rocks and Lambert. I don't own any Lambert recordings and haven't played Cosmos for ages. I might however listen to some of Roger's solo albums, because they each include some well written, well played and produced material which manages to sound unlike a third rate Queen recording which is hat most of Mr Bad Guy sounds like

I went with my brother and sister, both a fan of Mercury and Queen greatest hits (29 and 36). They were forced to listen to Queen living with me for years when we were younger at home. It surprised me in the end cos i was a bit embarrassed that they'd think it was rubbish... but they both liked it. Go figure.

They mainly talked about the final act playing at Live Aid being epic and emotional to watch with WATC being so poignant. Again, it's what a lot of people are going to leave remembering so having it right at the end was either lucky or a masterstroke.

They also liked Malek.

With a nigh to digest, what this film does is HINT or SUGGEST plot points. For example

It hinted on Freddie's loneliness with an empty house.
It hinted that he had wild parties with ONE crazy party.
Hinted he had a drug problem with a scene where he takes a pill and there's some cocaine on a table.
Hinted he thought HE was Queen with a studio fight.
Hinted had Prenter manipulating him thru some phone calls not being passed on about Live Aid or from Mary.
Same with the band scenes.

Trying to fit in their entire career from Smile to Live Aid was too big a task IMO. This resulted in a bundle of short scenes trying to convey longer periods and add to the plot. I repeat that they should have made it more about Freddie from say the DSMN era where he started living a wilder lifestyle with the gay clubs, drugs and focused much more on his loneliness and longing to have someone like Mary still as a partner. Jim Hutton should have had a bigger part too as a partner having to put up with the cheating.

Sadly it's so clear where Brian and Roger have interfered and I dare say even fabricated their history to give them more of a say in the film. From watching interviews and reading about his relationship with the band from different sources it sounds like Mercury treated them as workmates more than intimate friends or family. Which I'm aware changed at the end of his life, most likely after telling them about his diagnosis.

It didn't know if it wanted to be a touching drama or a comedy. From Freddie being racially abused to them falling into the backdrop of the studio... too many big swings in tone.

I'm starting to wonder if a Directors Cut will ever come out that MIGHT save it. Batman V Superman was garbage in the cinema but a lot better in the Directors Cut. Also interesting to see a trailer for the Elton John movie which actually looked quite similar in style.

I went with my brother and sister, both a fan of Mercury and Queen greatest hits (29 and 36). They were forced to listen to Queen living with me for years when we were younger at home. It surprised me in the end cos i was a bit embarrassed that they'd think it was rubbish... but they both liked it. Go figure.

They mainly talked about the final act playing at Live Aid being epic and emotional to watch with WATC being so poignant. Again, it's what a lot of people are going to leave remembering so having it right at the end was either lucky or a masterstroke.

They also liked Malek.

With a nigh to digest, what this film does is HINT or SUGGEST plot points. For example

It hinted on Freddie's loneliness with an empty house.
It hinted that he had wild parties with ONE crazy party.
Hinted he had a drug problem with a scene where he takes a pill and there's some cocaine on a table.
Hinted he thought HE was Queen with a studio fight.
Hinted had Prenter manipulating him thru some phone calls not being passed on about Live Aid or from Mary.
Same with the band scenes.

Trying to fit in their entire career from Smile to Live Aid was too big a task IMO. This resulted in a bundle of short scenes trying to convey longer periods and add to the plot. I repeat that they should have made it more about Freddie from say the DSMN era where he started living a wilder lifestyle with the gay clubs, drugs and focused much more on his loneliness and longing to have someone like Mary still as a partner. Jim Hutton should have had a bigger part too as a partner having to put up with the cheating.

Sadly it's so clear where Brian and Roger have interfered and I dare say even fabricated their history to give them more of a say in the film. From watching interviews and reading about his relationship with the band from different sources it sounds like Mercury treated them as workmates more than intimate friends or family. Which I'm aware changed at the end of his life, most likely after telling them about his diagnosis.

It didn't know if it wanted to be a touching drama or a comedy. From Freddie being racially abused to them falling into the backdrop of the studio... too many big swings in tone.

I'm starting to wonder if a Directors Cut will ever come out that MIGHT save it. Batman V Superman was garbage in the cinema but a lot better in the Directors Cut. Also interesting to see a trailer for the Elton John movie which actually looked quite similar in style.

Marc Martel's voice on Live Aid sounded very weak compared to Freddie's

No VH, Playing We will Rock You with + singers year after year is not of Interest for me...especially without creating nothing new....I asked you're partner In crime Wizard, since you two always bring up the same stuff, Mr. Bad Guy flopped...one album recorded between Queen albums and tours...I'll ask you the same...Give me a list of classics Queen + have recorded since Freddie died 27 years ago? Made In Heaven was nice, but half the songs were written or co written by Freddie, and had his great vocals all over the album...I'll be waiting for you're list!

From Queenonline forums

There is a special guest in the movie, yes, that guy...

I have not seen the movie yet, but i have the same feeling a hobby musician I know has- when I told him that there will be a movie he replied: "I´ve seen the documentary on Freddie and the 4-hour TV special on Queen (which aired on German TV a few years ago and contains virtually everything about Freddie and Queen). That´s enough for me"

Just saw the movie last night.
Malek was superb

Was a decent watch but would've been much better if they'd focussed a bit more on recreating more on stage footage

The disappointment at Hot Space was pivotal in their career, that would've been an interesting sideline

The relationship between Brian, Roger and John was hardly touched on

But Malek was absolutely on the money!

[QUOTE] [b]mike hunt wrote:[/b]

No VH, Playing We will Rock You with + singers year after year is not of Interest for me...especially without creating nothing new....I asked you're partner In crime Wizard, since you two always bring up the same stuff, Mr. Bad Guy flopped...one album recorded between Queen albums and tours...I'll ask you the same...Give me a list of classics Queen + have recorded since Freddie died 27 years ago? Made In Heaven was nice, but half the songs were written or co written by Freddie, and had his great vocals all over the album...I'll be waiting for you're list! [/QUOTE]

The Queen+ thing doesn't interest you, and that's fine, you're not alone. On the other side of the coin millions world wide are interested and have enjoyed the tours.

Your original wording was "what have queen done right" since Freddie's death, which is what I answered.

The current Queen+ lineup is a live touring band who so far have not been interested in recording. There is nothing wrong in that, they have (Freddie and John included) a vast legacy and if the two remaining active members want to present that live there is nothing wrong with that.

Yes, songs on Made in Heaven included Freddie's input, but it also included a lot of work by the other three and David Richards to turn some of what Feddie left into fully fashioned songs. It also show Mr Bad Guys short comings, I Was Born To Love You on that album makes Freddie's original sound like a polished demo, which is what most of Mr Bad Guy sounds like. I'm not trying to say the album is no good,mi quite like it, but it's way behind whatQueen as a band could have done with those songs