“I won’t be a rock star. I will be a legend.”

— Freddie Mercury

This was the last of a string of movies that I had been very, very excited to see. Coming out after a murderer's row of movie genius, let's take a look at how it stacks up.

The Film
This movie was an interesting one to be sure. The movie focuses on Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malik, and uses him as the main focal point to tell the story of Queen. The film gives an in-depth look at a cinematic version of the life of an absolute icon and tells the tale of how he helped catapult Queen to superstardom. The movie dives deep into Mercury's personal life, focusing on his sexuality, his passion for music, and his love for his bandmates. As the lead of the film, Malik soars, often times far above the rest of what the film has to offer.

Physically and lingually, Malik brings Freddie to life in a spectacular way. Working with movement coach Polly Bennet for the film, Malik had the flamboyant and eccentric movements of Mercury down to a science, helping him to shine on screen at all times. Mercury was a fun, energetic man, and Malik expertly captures all of that in this performance. My one disappointment was that he did not actually sing in the film, as his voice was meshed with Freddie himself and a Canadian singer during post-production. This takes it a couple of steps back when compared to a movie like the recent hit A Star is Born, where the actors sang live and killed it. That added an authenticity to the film that just seemed to be missing here. Regardless, Malik hits the nail on the head in bringing this 1970's legend to life.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film falls a bit flat. I would even go so far as to say it was not anyone's fault except the studio. With about 2 weeks left in filming, Director Bryan Singer was relieved of his duties. The reason was unclear, but the reports are he was disappearing from the set for days at a time. Dexter Fletcher came in to replace him, finished filming, and all of the post-production. As a viewer, I can always tell when a movie switches directors, and it's never a good thing. It's just not fair to ask an individual to produce a truly spectacular project when most of the work was done with a completely different vision in mind. This shows in the film in a bunch of small ways that add up to a good, but not great, experience.

As a fan of Queen, this movie is a must-see; it really stirs up the memory of how spectacular these guys were. Rami Malik puts forth a legendary performance that is absolutely worth seeing but don't expect the movie as a whole to blow you away. My rating for THE FILM: 6.8

Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Nick Delaney/20th Century Fox — Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury in *Bohemian Rhapsody.* Nick Delaney/20th Century Fox

The Plane
I feel like I have rarely said this, but this is a near perfect movie for a plane. The film never gets too intense or overly dramatic to a point where you could miss something on the plane. The sound doesn't need to be too quiet or too loud, and it's super easy to sit back and enjoy Malik's Mercury on screen. The movie never takes you overly high or overly low, which is a drawback for the film, but a plus if you're in the sky. You aren't in jeopardy of crying next to a stranger, but you also aren't in jeopardy of laughing like a lunatic. It's a fun, enjoyable film that you will thoroughly enjoy at 30,000 feet! My score for THE PLANE: 9.6

The Verdict:
This is a film that, in the end, could have been a lot better than it is. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun movie, but it wasn't GREAT. With a band as iconic as Queen and a man as iconic as Freddie, I feel like it has a lot more potential than what was touched upon here. However, where it falters in cinemas makes it the ideal movie for the plane! It's nice and long to take your mind off the flight, it's fun, and you will have some superb songs playing on a loop in your head for the rest of the trip. Passing final judgement on this picture, THE VERDICT: 8.2

Have your own cinema in the sky you think we should review? Let us know! Comment down below and let us know what you thought of this movie.