Verdict:

The main show here is Malek. This movie is his masterpiece. His energetic antics on stage, his accent, his prosthetic buck teeth and his tragic tension successfully bring Freddie Mercury to life. He is the most interesting thing in this movie, as he should be.
Coming in second are the performances of the supporting cast, particularly Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor.
The last thing that stands out is the historical setting. The 70’s and 80’s are faithfully recreated, from Freddie’s eclectic wardrobe to the soaring aerial shots of the massive crowd at the Live Aid concert. This is all somewhat expected. The authenticity is the one thing you need to get right in a biopic like this.
But that is where the interesting things end. While the film is serviceable, it doesn’t have enough remarkable qualities to warrant the standing ovation that this movie seems to be receiving from the public. It sure seems like the enduring hype surrounding Bohemian Rhapsody is driving people to cheer anything remotely related to the band, even when the substance is lacking.
The story, in particular, represents one big missed opportunity. A deeper exploration of Freddie’s early development as a singer, his influences, and his emigration to the UK could have added much interest to the movie. There were also countless interesting moments in Queen’s history, like when the song The Show Must Go On came out right in the middle of the rumours about the singer’s health. There is none of that here (that song, by the way, just gets played during the credits).
Instead, the story starts with Freddie meeting the band when he is already a perfect singer. From then on, the group rises to fame, experiences the obligatory break-up, and the film ends with the band back together, at the top of Queen’s fame.
In short, this film delivers strong performances, and provides a nice audio-visual treat for those who are interested in the band, but it falls short in providing any real substance beyond that.