Author notes

Drag Kings (Part 12)

KDog

on Nov. 4, 2018

The first rock band I was ever obsessed with was Queen, and they remain one of my top favorites. In high school, my group of friends were Queen acolytes, and we were steeped in both the music and the lore. This was after Freddie had died, so it was already somewhat legendary to us. Needless to say, I was beyond excited when I learned that Queen's story was being made into a major motion picture. When I saw the poster for "Bohemian Rhapsody" at my local movie theater a few months ago, depicting Rami Malek as Freddie and almost as tall as the building itself, it was this stunning realization and validation for me that this band I loved so much was about to have their story told to the world.

I went to see "Bohemian Rhapsody" Friday night in IMAX - totally worth it for the Live Aid scenes - and it was everything I wanted it to be. It told Queen's story in a mythologized fashion that builds their legendary status, yet it also adhered to the general facts and truths of their history. Yes, it fudged the timeline a bit and simplified events to make for a more engaging plot that fit within a couple of hours. But the film got it right in so many ways, focusing on the power of the music and the unique and varied musicians that came together as a family to make Queen so special. Rami is fantastic as Freddie and beautifully portrays his amazing showmanship and heart-wrenching personal life. The casting is perfect overall, and I kept forgetting I wasn't watching the real Brian May. Oh, and there were so many kitties!!

I know that critics have been hard on "Bohemian Rhapsody," but as a fan of Queen and their music, I think it captured it all perfectly. The audience I viewed the film with seemed to agree; they clapped at the end, and some even held their lighters up during the concert scenes! Queen has always been an experience, and this was no different.

— This is not an official LEGO comic. This is a tribute.