Queen drummer Roger Taylor has lashed out at critics of the band’s biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, calling many of the reviews “sneering and superficial”.
The Oscar-winning 2018 film starred Rami Malek as the late frontman Freddie Mercury and has made nearly $1 billion (£760 million) at the worldwide box office.
In a recent interview, Taylor argued negative reviews of the movie were due to Queen’s huge popularity. “The trouble with us is, we’re too f***ing popular,” he told Planet Rock, “and a lot of the media just hate that.”
Taylor added there were “many” reviews “that were kinda sneering and superficial”.
He said: “I thought, ‘You just don’t get it, do you? You weren’t moved, and whatever, but f*** you actually. F*** you all the way to the bank, actually.’”
Taylor pointed out that Bohemian Rhapsody was still a successful film despite negative coverage. “Bad reviews usually mean that it’s going to be really successful,” he said.
“I think people know a lot more than film critics, and the word of mouth via social media is so much more powerful than review from a guy who probably watches 40 movies a week, and has probably lost the essence of the joy of a movie.”
In March, Taylor’s fellow Queen member and lead guitarist Brian May called out the “vindictive sickness” of those who criticised Bohemian Rhapsody.
