I saw it the other night and here are my thoughts:
The guy who played Freddie Mercury is getting rave reviews, but I was unimpressed. He just doesn't bring the intensity or energy. They made his teeth so prominent that they distract, plus the actor emphasizes them as well and it's annoying. The wigs were terrible - like Wayne's World Garth terrible - and they should have had the actor playing Freddie wear dark contacts. He resembles Ned Flanders more than Freddie Mercury.
They focused way too much on his relationship with Mary, like they were making a love story instead of a biopic. They gloss over Freddie's sexuality and drug use, which is what ultimately caused his death. He is played as a light, frothy singer rather than the tortured tragic genius he was. This movie doesn't tell you who he was, or explore him in any meaningful way.
The band itself is underrated in the movie, which is amazing considering Brian May played a big part in making the damn thing. These were not the Beatles - a pack of grubby blokes rummaging around in bars. Each member of Queen was highly intelligent and educated - Brian May is a freaking astrophysicist, for crying out loud - but they're portrayed as one-dimensional, and their genius is barely touched on.
My biggest complaint is the praise being heaped on Rami Malik for his portrayal of one of rock's greatest legends and creative geniuses. (Don't even argue with me about that - there is Freddie Mercury, and there is Michael Jackson, and then there is everybody else. ) I understand that it's difficult to adequately play a unique personality like Freddie Mercury, but Malik doesn't appear to even make the effort. It's like he's never heard of Queen, and they just gave him a script and some direction. Even when you see the stills and the trailers, you're like, "Who is that?" Because it's NOT Freddie Mercury. Malik just doesn't bring it, nor do his makeup people make an effort to have him look like Freddie beyond a passing resemblance.
The whole thing was bland and didn't touch me like Gaga's "A Star is Born". I am an enormous Queen fan, and a fan of Freddie Mercury as well (see his performance of "Barcelona" with Montserrat Caballé - my god!), so I expected to love this movie - and part of me did because, well, Queen music - but it was really a disappointment.
Vrai gives it a C-. Maybe a D+.
The guy who played Freddie Mercury is getting rave reviews, but I was unimpressed. He just doesn't bring the intensity or energy. They made his teeth so prominent that they distract, plus the actor emphasizes them as well and it's annoying. The wigs were terrible - like Wayne's World Garth terrible - and they should have had the actor playing Freddie wear dark contacts. He resembles Ned Flanders more than Freddie Mercury.
They focused way too much on his relationship with Mary, like they were making a love story instead of a biopic. They gloss over Freddie's sexuality and drug use, which is what ultimately caused his death. He is played as a light, frothy singer rather than the tortured tragic genius he was. This movie doesn't tell you who he was, or explore him in any meaningful way.
The band itself is underrated in the movie, which is amazing considering Brian May played a big part in making the damn thing. These were not the Beatles - a pack of grubby blokes rummaging around in bars. Each member of Queen was highly intelligent and educated - Brian May is a freaking astrophysicist, for crying out loud - but they're portrayed as one-dimensional, and their genius is barely touched on.
My biggest complaint is the praise being heaped on Rami Malik for his portrayal of one of rock's greatest legends and creative geniuses. (Don't even argue with me about that - there is Freddie Mercury, and there is Michael Jackson, and then there is everybody else. ) I understand that it's difficult to adequately play a unique personality like Freddie Mercury, but Malik doesn't appear to even make the effort. It's like he's never heard of Queen, and they just gave him a script and some direction. Even when you see the stills and the trailers, you're like, "Who is that?" Because it's NOT Freddie Mercury. Malik just doesn't bring it, nor do his makeup people make an effort to have him look like Freddie beyond a passing resemblance.
The whole thing was bland and didn't touch me like Gaga's "A Star is Born". I am an enormous Queen fan, and a fan of Freddie Mercury as well (see his performance of "Barcelona" with Montserrat Caballé - my god!), so I expected to love this movie - and part of me did because, well, Queen music - but it was really a disappointment.
Vrai gives it a C-. Maybe a D+.