Bohemian Rhapsody review: The 'dead star' is still a crowd puller, albeit a flat script

If anyone knows the Queen, it's because of their larger than life music. Music that rocked the decades and continues to do so 23 years after the death of Freddie Mercury – the band's lead singer. 

Bohemian Rhapsody – the tribute movie to Mercury starring Rami Malek – released in India this Friday.

The multi-starer ode to the legendary band is already a top grosser in box offices across the world, earning over $300 million within two weeks.  

But if you're a die-hard Queen fan, the movie will not rock you. 

The plot hardly offers anything new. Most of the information already exists in the public domain. Rather, glimpses of inaccuracies crop up, confusing the viewer.

The Queen never split, as it says in the movie. Also, did Freddie know about his illness before the legendary Live Aid concert performance? Or was it later? Confusions! 

As the movie follows the band's journey, from their formation to Live Aid, you hope for more. What happened in those last days before Freddie died? No answers are given. 

Yet, there are places where the movie stands out. 

The story behind their super songs – the fight for 6-minute long song Bohemian Rhapsody, the creation of We will rock – zaps you. As does the lead star Malek.

Malek's impersonation of Freddie is intense and by the time the cinematic experience ends, you want more of him. The world's biggest rock legend was lonely at heart. And Malek makes you feel it.

Other actors also stand out. Lucy Boynton portrays Mary Austen, Freddie's long-term girlfriend and close aid till his death. Gwilym Lee plays Queen's lead guitarist Brian May, Ben Hardy as drummer Roger Taylor and Joseph Mazzello as bass player John Deacon. And then there is Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, Allen Leech and Mike Myers. 

All wonderful actors wasted in a loose plot. 

In the final segment, director Bryan Singer tries to recreate the magic of Queen's Live Aid 1985 performance – voted as one of the best stadium concerts of all time by multiple agencies. It is mesmerizing to see what happened before that legendary performance, despite the inaccuracies in the plot. How the 72000-odd crowd sang along with the Queen. 

The original video of Freddie performing with three other members of the band can be viewed on Youtube. And we've just one word for it – GOOSEBUMPS. Go watch it. 

The movie Bohemian Rhapsody is like reliving the musical concert. Long after the star is gone. 

Their music lives. And will continue to rise like Phoenix for ages to come.

But the movie is a dud.

Ratings: 3 Stars ***