Let’s Go to the Movies: Chris Reviews “Bohemian Rhapsody”

It's the movie that everyone seems to be talking about: "Bohemian Rhapsody."

First, some background. I've been a fan of Queen since I was in high school back in the early 90s. I own every Queen album. I saw Queen perform with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company fame a number of years ago (quite honestly one of the worst concerts that I ever attended -- but that's another story) and I've seen Queen perform with Adam Lambert.

If you have read any reviews of "Bohemian Rhapsody" you're probably aware that many critics don't like it and some have commented that the storyline of the movie doesn't exactly match what happened with the band in real life.

So I approached the movie this way: it's just that -- a movie. It's Hollywood's embellished account of what happened. It's not a documentary. And I think if you see the movie that way, you will really enjoy it, regardless of how much you know about Freddie Mercury and Queen.

Of course, it's not easy jamming four decades worth of history about one of the biggest rock bands the planet has ever seen into 125 minutes. You're not going to get an in-depth account of every album they released. You're not going to hear every song they ever did. But what you will see is a snapshot of Freddie Mercury's life and death and how his larger-than-life life on stage was not that when the spotlight was off.

BoRhap does a nice job of weaving together some of the bands biggest songs -- namely the song for which the movie was named, along with "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," and others, in and out of the guys' successes and struggles, both professional and personal.

I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers here since Freddie died in 1991, but the movie's recreation of Live Aid is pretty spectacular. And when I saw it on the IMAX screen at Tropicana in Atlantic City Thursday night, the movie did bring a few people to clap their hands in the air during "Radio GaGa." It is, in some points, that powerful of a movie.

Are there some corny moments? Yeah. Are there a couple things in the movie that I think should have been relegated to the floor of the editing room? Yep. But, as a fan of the band, when the first showing ended, I got back in line, bought another ticket, and saw it again.

Overall, as a non-professional movie critic, I would give "Bohemian Rhapsody" a solid A- as a grade. See the movie and enjoy a night at the opera. I don't think you'll be disappointed.