Elvis (2022)

Elvis is really something to behold. It's over-the-top, gluttonously indulgent, shamelessly embellished, dizzying, loud, flashy and in-your-face for the greater part of 2 and a 1/2 hours. But is it entertaining as hell? You betcha. Elvis Presley, somewhere, is smiling down on this gaudy, golden-encrusted tribute of his. This doesn't feel like the biopic of a man, or an artist, but rather, a mythical Greek god. If ever you wanted the King to get his epic due on the big screen, Baz Luhrmann has delivered it in spades. He may have been the best, and only director capable of making an Elvis biopic. But of course, you will need to suspend your disbelief and go for the ride that Baz takes you on. You may need to bring a barf-bag. Elvis quickly breezes through the King's life, from his childhood in Tulepo, MS, to his glory days in Memphis, to the days in captivity in Las Vegas. Shadowing him throughout is Colonel Tom Parker, his devious, greedy and fame-starved manager. He is played here by Tom Hanks. Folks, I don't even know where to begin. This is easily his worst performance ever. He's less reminiscent of the real man, and more like an Andy Kaufman character. That makeup, that accent... my god, man. What were they thinking? It takes you completely out of the movie. Luckily, Elvis is so freewheeling in that classic Baz Lurhmann style, it's easy to forget how bad Hanks is here. Austin Butler on the other hand is a fabulous Elvis. He goes above and beyond your average impersonator, let me tell you. He looks nothing like Elvis, and you still can believe him in the role. We go through his life, through every phase, and yet, we never go deep enough. Sorely underrepresented was his downfall in the 1970's, which, if explored in all of its tragedy, could have put this film on a whole other level. But perhaps that messes with the Elvis myth. Perhaps that would've reminded us that Elvis is and was as human as we all are. Lurhmann clearly disagrees. A mixed bag, but it's a blast. God love the music. The music, the music, the music.

Fmovies: It all feels disjointed. Everything is over the top. Even Tom Hanks, who speaks like those cartoon villains that say "Mwahaha" in the end speak.

The modern hip hop soundtrack solidified the director's approach and sinks the movie even lower.

Man O Man.

A Frantic Fast paced Concert Like Cinematic Experience With The Production and Direction Levels Of The Very Highest Order.

Key Points -

1. First Off, The lead. Austin Butler looks absolutely Beautiful to look at. His Performance in this Couldn't of been any better. His Mannerisms and Movements were so Good.

2. Then we Have Tom Hanks, What A performer he is. He's Just as Crucial to This Movie as Austin Butler is.

3. The Style of this Movie is Awesome. The Fast Pace, The Dialogue, The little cuts, The Text Graphics, the panoramic shots of Las Vegas and City Hotels. Everything, it's just a Joy To Watch.

4. The Musical Scenes, I saw this in Dolby Cinema and it was Absolutely Blaring with Sound And Bass. It felt like I was at a Concert.

5. Finally the Storyline. It's the Rise and Fall of Elvis Presley and Boy, What a Ride it was.

Overall, Just Excellent.

Elvis fmovies. I normally am not a fan of Baz Luhrman. I am a huge Elvis fan. I was ready to hate it based on my distaste for his other works. But I was enraptured. This movie is going to sweep the Oscars. I was crying at the end, you can tell Baz Luhrman loves Elvis. Thank you, Baz. This was a joy to experience.

There are certainly times in which Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" is an engaging and entertaining biopic of rock-and-roll's biggest star. The performance numbers are often incredible and Austin Butler inhabits all aspects/ages of the lead role adeptly. Unfortunately, Luhrmann's let's say "unique" style of filmmaking can't quite get out of its way long enough (especially in the early goings) for this to be a top-notch flick.

For a very basic overview, "Elvis" tells the story of the titular character (played by Butler) from childhood all the way through his Vegas residency at the end of his career. The narrative frame comes from the voice of Colonel Parker (Tom Hanks), Presley's manager and quasi-abuser (largely in the financial department). Elvis's relationship to "black music", teen heartthrob fame, military service, and late-60s comeback are all given time here, including his marriage to Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge).

Perhaps the most notable thing to mention about "Elvis" is that the first 30-45 minutes are kind of a mess. Luhrmann is in peak wackadoodle form (granted, what else could be expected from the director of 1996's "Romeo + Juliet"), what with jarring time-cuts, crazy montages (one that turns the proceedings into a comic book!), and quite a bit of time spent on the bizarre Hanks Parker portrayal. There is also a far-too-on-the-nose scene in which a young Presley supposedly learns his later musical style via an R&B jam session and a revival ministry happening concurrently. I'd blame no one for thinking this was a total mess before the 1 hour mark.

Fortunately, in this case, there is still 2 hours left of "Elvis", and that's when it settles into being a pretty entertaining film. Basically, once all the crazy material is out of the way and audiences can just settle into Butler's portrayal, there is a lot to like. I was really impressed with Butler's ability to portray the young rebellious Elvis, as well as the fat, worn-down-by-life version. The staged musical numbers are every bit as good as those found in recent musical biopics like Rocketman or Bohemian Rhapsody. I'll certainly be revisiting some Presley tunes after seeing this.

Overall, I can't put "Elvis" in my top tier (Walk the Line, Love & Mercy, & Judy) of biopics because its director seems almost physically unable to "tell it straight" when this film and acting performances would have certainly been good enough for that grounded approach. But it was easily good enough to hold my interest and take me on an interesting journey through the iconic musician's entire career.

Firstly Austin Butler was great , he could actually be Elvis as he looked so much like him and clearly worked hard to do Elvis justice , but I didn't really enjoy the movie but can't put my finger on why , the Main actors did a good job but I couldn't really get an emotional connection with them or the story line until the very end , I thought the legend Tom Hanks had too much of a part to play and Elvis didn't get enough , the story seemed to bounce all over the place and to me just felt and bit disjointed , Im no movie critic or expert so I recommend seeing it as lots have really raved about it but I woo the be watching it again.