I think my biggest take away from this movie is - this is a wonderful story of Queens rise to fame, BUT - why why WHY was Eric Hall not left on the cutting room floor? He's rambling, mostly unintelligible, and ultimately irrelevant and extremely omg annoying. I literally FF'ed past his bits. Ugh. He cost the film at least 2 stars. Eric is like a street person that grabs you, starts rambling loudly, and you want to cut your arm off to just get away.
10 Reviews
Wonderful
Jinx-to-Ennien25 November 2018
Having been a fan for over 40 years I enjoyed watching the story of how they rose to fame. I can listen to Freddie sing anytime. The interviews were interesting, but there was one man who was impossible to understand.
Good overview
aeromike10 February 2019
basic documentary
SnoopyStyle13 November 2018
This 1 hour documentary on Queen is really only good for TV. The good news is that it's got all the great songs and lays out their progression. It's got the bandmates and the producers as talking heads. It touches on his personal life but it can't dig into it without the man. It's hard since so many are dead including his 'girlfriend' Barbara Valentin. This is not the type of documentary where his boyfriends get outed. This is celebratory one even if his troubles are not skipped over. This is a solid documentary for a legendary star. It scratches the surface of his life and it gives the basics of the facts.
Great overview of Queen for the uninitiated
benm-4175125 November 2018
Really enjoyed this documentary as someone just getting to know the band. It balanced giving an overview of Queen's career with zeroing in on key moments that defined them as legends. The four talking heads being interviewed are a bit of a strange bunch but they do offer nice personal perspectives on the band's dynamics, quirks, and impact. The doc also does a good job of balancing appreciation for Freddie's undeniable legendary status with giving the other members their due. It definitely has a "made-for-TV" feel and probably isn't worth watching for devoted fans who already know the basics, but it's a perfect watch for budding Queen fans!
Filled in all the gaps that Bohemian Rhapsody left wide open
sessedup7 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This 1 hr film featured short, sweet, charismatic interviews with subjects who obviously knew Queen personally, or were players in the music biz throughout their joyful tenure as rock gods. It seems quite credible as well as powerful.
I just watched Rami Malik portray Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, whetting my appetite for more info on Queen. This documentary delivered! As a '90s kid, I missed Queen's meteoric rise, but Queen: Mercury Rising conveyed a real sense of the pomp and circumstance of a band that had the once-in-a-lifetime talent to back it up. Not only did the band members come together serendipitously, but Freddie's whole package (vocal range, confidence, hella style, and musical bravado) and the band's string of hits were evidently nothing short of a coincidence of timing and charisma. The film postulates that the music video for Bohemian Rhapsody--in itself a marvel--revolutionized music videos forever after. This tidbit contributes to the movie's well-rounded picture of the band's established name in the annals of rock 'n' roll, worldwide. VH1 would hardly exist without Queen. No wonder, given their unique artistic style.
Something I wished the feature film Bohemian Rhapsody had done was describe the band's struggles within the music industry. Without being contrite, this docu did a nice job of calling out Queen's early record labels for taking advantage of them; and pointed out (with grace, seeing as many of the interviewees were in the biz) that despite their commercial successes, for the band members, it was always still about making magnificent music. It's clear that the filmmakers freakin' love Queen, and want you to, too!
The band's (and especially Freddie's personal) relationship to their audience was on full display in this film. It gives a sense of Mercury's power over an entire stadium, and that he always expected to be a superstar. He gives me chills.
One thing this movie lacked was proper titles/captions on video clips and photographs. Sometimes, the narrator or experts would make a reference, like Queen's early influences, and play a short clip of a skiffle band or something, but I didn't really get why. The editing was a bit choppy. BUT, the timeline of success ups and downs is very clear, so nbd!
The end of the film was handled quite nicely, wrapping Mercury's untimely death into the fabric of Queen's story. The rest of the band, who were featured in interview clips taken shortly after his death, paid genuine tribute to the legend. It seemed they respected and loved him and were heartbroken to see him go. Same goes for those involved in this film. Surely by the end of the movie, you'll be emotional if not in tears. So worth the hour of watching. Happy viewing!
I just watched Rami Malik portray Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, whetting my appetite for more info on Queen. This documentary delivered! As a '90s kid, I missed Queen's meteoric rise, but Queen: Mercury Rising conveyed a real sense of the pomp and circumstance of a band that had the once-in-a-lifetime talent to back it up. Not only did the band members come together serendipitously, but Freddie's whole package (vocal range, confidence, hella style, and musical bravado) and the band's string of hits were evidently nothing short of a coincidence of timing and charisma. The film postulates that the music video for Bohemian Rhapsody--in itself a marvel--revolutionized music videos forever after. This tidbit contributes to the movie's well-rounded picture of the band's established name in the annals of rock 'n' roll, worldwide. VH1 would hardly exist without Queen. No wonder, given their unique artistic style.
Something I wished the feature film Bohemian Rhapsody had done was describe the band's struggles within the music industry. Without being contrite, this docu did a nice job of calling out Queen's early record labels for taking advantage of them; and pointed out (with grace, seeing as many of the interviewees were in the biz) that despite their commercial successes, for the band members, it was always still about making magnificent music. It's clear that the filmmakers freakin' love Queen, and want you to, too!
The band's (and especially Freddie's personal) relationship to their audience was on full display in this film. It gives a sense of Mercury's power over an entire stadium, and that he always expected to be a superstar. He gives me chills.
One thing this movie lacked was proper titles/captions on video clips and photographs. Sometimes, the narrator or experts would make a reference, like Queen's early influences, and play a short clip of a skiffle band or something, but I didn't really get why. The editing was a bit choppy. BUT, the timeline of success ups and downs is very clear, so nbd!
The end of the film was handled quite nicely, wrapping Mercury's untimely death into the fabric of Queen's story. The rest of the band, who were featured in interview clips taken shortly after his death, paid genuine tribute to the legend. It seemed they respected and loved him and were heartbroken to see him go. Same goes for those involved in this film. Surely by the end of the movie, you'll be emotional if not in tears. So worth the hour of watching. Happy viewing!
Excellent Story of one of the greatest bands of all time
Gjdangelo10 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Bad
carriere_scott19 February 2019
Less Eric Hall!
deanbean3172 March 2022
This documentary was five star, at best, relying on just a few talking heads to tell the whole story of this fabled band. A bunch of clips and still pictures and VERY few actual interviews with surviving band members, make this "one to miss". I knocked three stars off for the overwhelming amount of input by Eric Hall. A little bit of Eric goes a loooooong way, bubbala!
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