Movies

'Bohemian Rhapsody' Early Buzz: Rami Malek Will Rock You, The Rest Of The Movie Not So Much

By Hoai-Tran Bui

Reactions from early screenings of Bohemian Rhapsody have hit the interwebs, and even as the Bryan Singer film received mixed reviews, most critics have found something to love about this by-the-numbers biopic. Or rather, somebody to love. Namely, star Rami Malek, whose performance as the legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury has already begun to gather Oscar buzz.

Below, what critics have to say about the Bohemian Rhapsody early buzz.

Bohemian Rhapsody, which chronicles the rise of the rock band Queen from the group's formation to their renowned Live Aid performance in 1985, has been dinged by most critics for being a generic biopic with a few standout moments. Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times calls the movie a "glorified Wikipedia entry" while the LA Times' Kimber Myers criticizes the film for being "somehow too long while refusing to dwell on anything that's *actually* interesting." A few critics praised the film's Live Aid sequence — Fandango's Erick Davis called the scene "a rush and a half" — but the one element that is receiving universal acclaim is Malek.

Already Deadline's Pete Hammond wrote that Malek is "among top contenders for the best actor Oscar," and every critic had words of praise for his performance as the legendary singer, who tragically passed away from AIDS in 1991.

But Bohemian Rhapsody did work overall for some critics, who especially praised the recreation of the Live Aid performance, which is widely regarded as the rock band's greatest live performance.

Some folks got to see Bohemian Rhapsody as early as last week, when 20th Century Fox unveiled the film at guild screenings in New York and Los Angeles.

Directed by Singer from a script by Anthony McCarten, Bohemian Rhapsody also stars Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Aidan Gillen, and Tom Hollander. The film opens in theaters on November 2, 2018.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

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