Drummer Roger Taylor didn’t pull any punches when asked about film reviewers who jeered Queen's 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

“Fuck you,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer declared to the movie’s critics. “Fuck you all the way to the bank.”

Taylor’s strong language came during an interview with Planet Rock. Despite Bohemian Rhapsody’s overwhelming success -- including multiple Academy Awards and a worldwide box office of more than $900 million -- the drummer clearly still holds a grudge toward the many reviewers who panned the film upon its release.

"There was kind of a mood of … an expectation of disaster," Taylor explained, focusing specifically on negative coverage the movie received in England. "We're a funny old country, aren't we? The trouble with [Queen] is, we're too fucking popular, and a lot of the media just hate that."

The drummer added that "there were some decent reviews … but there were many that were kinda sneering and superficial. I thought, 'You just don’t get it, do you? You weren't moved.'”

While Taylor was put off by the negative response from movie reviewers, he was also emboldened by the many positive comments he received from moviegoers. “I think people know a lot more than film critics," the drummer opined. "And the word of mouth via social media is so much more powerful than [a] review from a guy who probably watches 40 movies a week and has probably lost the essence of the joy of a movie."

Criticisms aside, Bohemian Rhapsody ranks as the most profitable music biopic of all time. Its success has spurred Hollywood to make more rock-focused films and has helped usher in a renaissance for Queen.

Taylor and guitarist Brian May remain busy with Queen + Adam Lambert, the successful endeavor they've forged with the former American Idol runner-up. The trio has concerts planned all over the world in 2020, a continuation of their hit Rhapsody tour.

 

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