Queen: Greatest Video Hits, Vol. 1 (2002)

Genres - Music  |   Sub-Genres - Vocal Music  |   Run Time - 200 min.  |   Countries - United Kingdom  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Donald Guarisco

This expansive video compendium collects all the videos from Queen's first era of hitmaking and makes an impressive case for their skills at putting on a first-class rock & roll show. Like most early videos, the promotional clips presented on Queen's Greatest Video Hits, Vol. 1 consist primarily of band performances. This could have made for a dull experience but these clips remain pretty engaging throughout thanks to an effective combination of skillful staging and flamboyant showmanship: the now-infamous clip for "Bohemian Rhapsody" uses machine-gun editing and vintage video effects to bring its accappella theatrics to life in a stirring fashion and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" uses The Wild One-inspired black leather and cool posturing to enhance the song's rockabilly-styled sense of cool. There are also a few clips that add some variations to this performance-clip format: "Save Me" incorporates some artful rotoscoped animation to enhance its emotional punch and the randy "Bicycle Race" intercuts an energetic band performance with eye-popping shots of an all-female nude cycle tournament. Regardless of each video's individual style, the band's personality and love of performing shines through in each clip; Freddie Mercury, in particular, makes a stunning impression with his combination of cat-like prowling and regal gestures. In short, Queen's Greatest Video Hits, Vol. 1 is a video hits collection that is truly engaging to both the eye and the ear.