“Bohemian Rhapsody” Brings Freddie Mercury Back to Life

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BY: ANDREW KENT

Bohemian Rhapsody comes from Bryan Singer, known best for his role in directing great X-Men
movies. The film follows Freddie Mercury’s rise to star power as one of the most influential
singers in history alongside his iconic band Queen. If there was ever a movie genre that went by
of hit or miss, biopics would lead the way. This is why audiences expectations for Bohemian
Rhapsody were divided from the start. Fans feared the film wouldn’t spend enough time focusing
on the story of Queen’s climb to the top. Although the movie does have its bright spots, there are
certainly missed opportunities with Bohemian Rhapsody.

Rami Malek gives the performance of a lifetime playing Freddie Mercury. From the moment he
stepped on screen as this character, Malek stole the show. Many of Queen’s finest tunes are also
featured throughout Bohemian Rhapsody. Everything from Another One Bites The Dust to We
Are The Champions makes an appearance here. Super fans of Queen will definitely be jamming
out in the theater when their favorite songs play.

The story was able to balance both Queen’s narrative and Freddie Mercury’s struggles during his
time with and away from the band. Bohemian Rhapsody uses several of its scenes showcasing
Mercury discovering his inner sexuality. The film may lose fans along the way with an overdose
of these scenes, but they are considered integral to Freddie’s story being fleshed out. One cool
aspect of the film was how they brought some of Queen’s most memorable concerts to life.
Bohemian Rhapsody builds up to Queen’s legendary performance at the Live Aid in 1985. It was
remarkable how real the experience of the Live Aid concert felt on the screen compared to the
actual event.

While Bohemian Rhapsody has a plethora of moments to please movie goers, it doesn’t quite
reach its full potential. There are a few noticeable inaccuracies to point out in the film. For
instance, the release of the song We Will Rock You was shown in the wrong year. Certain
characters and shots in particular felt out of place during Bohemian Rhapsody as well. One of the
main subplots between Mercury and his former lover was nothing short of dragging. They tried
making you care about Freddie’s love interests, but at the end you question the significance of
some characters. A couple scenes even came off as mistakenly funny despite Bohemian
Rhapsody’s serious tone. You can’t blame the actors for those issues, only the screenwriters.

When all was said and done, Bohemian Rhapsody had its share of entertainment. I didn’t find
myself enjoying the movie to its fullest, but fans of Queen and music in general will likely see
this as a good watch at the theaters.
Verdict: B-