The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
- Released: 2022-06-22
- Runtime: 159 minutes
- Genre: Drama, History, Music
- Stars: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Richard Roxburgh, Helen Thomson, Yola, David Wenham, Luke Bracey, Alex Radu, Alton Mason, Xavier Samuel, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natasha Bassett, Leon Ford, Kate Mulvany, Gareth Davies, Charles Grounds, Josh McConville, Adam Dunn, Gary Clark Jr., Shonka Dukureh, Charles Andre Allen, Chaydon Jay, Tony Nixon, Christian McCarty, Cle Morgan, Greg Powell, Anthony LaPaglia, Mike Bingaman, Elvis Presley, Priscilla Presley, Vernon Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Cronkite, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Charles Manson, Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Paul McCartney
- Director: Baz Luhrmann
Comments
- sebring-92628 - 25 May 2024
Austin was great
Austin did a great job, as did Tom Hanks. It did show the abuse that Colonel Parker dished out.
What we didn't like, was the rap music! They actually had rap music playing around the 45 min mark in the movie. Rap music didn't start until the 70's. If there is annoying rap music in a movie, we skip ahead to where it ends. It seems to be in so many movies but we certainly didn't expect it in a movie about the 50's/60's. A movie loses something when they put inappropriate for the era dialogue or music in it.
Other than that, the acting was good, the music was good and the costumes were awesome. - kaitlynlamonte444 - 5 April 2024
What Baz lacks in storytelling Austin makes up for in acting
A glorious, perfect, bedazzled mess. Baz Luhrmann was the perfect person to direct the sheer fabulous life of Elvis. The fast pace and whirlwind cinematography is the pure essence of E. P himself.
Now.
Is the storytelling perfectly accurate or linear? No, not exactly. There are holes here and there, but no biopic-- especially not one centered around a man as big as Elvis freaking Presley; can have an exact measurement on each aspect of the stars life. I think he put all the right parts; the parts most detrimental to Elvis' life-- into this film.
I have to say I was not expecting much of Austin's performance but he took my breath away. The dedication to his craft and stepping into big shoes all payed off. He doesn't just play him, he is an embodiment of the King in this film. In all his glory and vulnerability. He is an absolute delight to watch on screen. - loydwood - 9 March 2024
Elvis who?
There's fact and then there's fiction. Watch the Kurt Russell film for a better version of Elvis, at least from the view of those who were alive to appreciate his story and music.
Whilst Austin Butler was good (8/10 with the 4 stars for him) Baz has not given a version of Elvis that makes sense and the music arrangement is all over the place. Oh and let's just have Elvis snogging a 14 year old Priscilla and skip from 1959 to 1968 in minutes, even less time than their actual marriage of 8 minutes.
It's as if Baz has decided to rewrite Elvis through a 2022 lens and wants y'all to be bamboozled rather than informed. Hell, why not see Elvis's life through the lens of his pets? Next thing you know y'all be thinking there's nothing wrong with the world being called flat and no one landed on the moon. Now that's a fiction which this film is closer to than a realistic portrayal of Elvis. - lojitsu - 6 January 2023
Solid one time watch for me.
Here's The 4K Lowedown on "Elvis" (PG-13 - 2022 - 4K) Genre: Drama/Biopic
My Score: 7.7 Cast=5 Acting=8 Plot=7 Ending=9 Story=8 Interest=6 Script=9 Cinema=8 History=7 Music=10
The life of an American music icon, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s as told from the point of view of his manager.
"A reverend once told me...when things that are too dangerous to say, sing." This was a solid film, but you have to understand this does not seem like a biopic of Elvis...rather a biopic of Colonel Parker. It was like I was looking at Elvis through a veil that was either white or black depending on how his manager saw him at the time. This was a solid one-time watch for me with great music, but not one I would watch again and again.
4K Transfer: 8.6 Picture=9 Audio=10 Bass=8 Bright=8 Speech=8
This was a really good transfer...the music was crisp and the bass was good but not great. Picture quality was solid, but there were a couple dark points. All in all, the 4K transfer really enhanced the experience of the film me. - carterkev - 30 December 2022
Hanks and confusion spoil it
Elvis was Elvis , we all know a lot of or at least some of his life story. But this train wreck is all over the place, it seems to leave out big chunks, and important chunks, of his life. Tom Hanks is unwatchable, mis cast and just does nothing for the film at all. The actor who places Elvis is pretty good but without a decent plot, script, and direction what hope is there. It seems it is a film about the black south with Elvis thrown in at times. What is with the sets of his music specials only used for a moment then we are cutting back to black singers in the south. Then it's Tom hanks being annoying then cut to back down south and soul singers. Elvis does his bit on stage then back to the south again. Ok we get his roots he was from there, we know, you told us a thousand times. Let's concentrait on the man we came to this film in the first place to watch ELVIS. I didn't like it, to much other stuff and not the important stuff about the man and his life. - moviemom23 - 25 December 2022
A little less Coronel Parker a Little More Elvis
I'm rating this a Nine for many reasons main one of which is Austin Butler is truly amazing in recreating The King. Not only does he uncannily physically resemble him, he captures Elvis' pure heart, expressions and mannerisms to a T. If he is not nominated for an Oscar it will be a travesty.
Hanks does a fine job as Coronel Parker, a classic villian reminiscent of Mozart's nemesis Salieri.
The film is a classic tragedy in 3 acts: Ascent of Elvis, Height of Elvis, Decline of Elvis. Not gonna lie its heartbreaking. The ending is almost too much to bear. Even if you aren't an Elvis fan, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to be touched. Elvis was larger than life, but he was a fragile, vulnerable soul inside- this film is true to that.
The performances really are stellar. I despise Parker with a burning passion, but you are supposed to. I did tire of him at times because I couldn't wait for Elvis to be onscreen. Luckily I never had to wait long. Butler's Elvis is in nearly every scene, stealing every one. I could not take my eyes off him.
Keep in mind this is a Baz Lurmann joint, and it definitely is showy, garish, lengthy. I wasn't a fan of the rap/modern music inserted but that is most likely because I'm old. The classic blues and soul plus Elvis' incredible reperatoire would have suffiiced just fine, IMHO they stand the test of time.
Why do these reviews have to be six hundred characters? Damn what is this a college paper!? How am I not there yet? I am keeping it going until I hit 600. Don't believe haters this is a flawed masterpiece but a masterpiece nonetheless. - steph868-936865 - 16 December 2022
Big old nope
There is so much that could be explored about Elvis's life with a biopic that is focused on substance and not on the flash and nonsense that is the focus of this film. The inclusion of animated graphics and modern music (when portraying some of the greatest musicians of all like i.e. Mama Thornton) is distracting and not needed. It pains me to say it because I love Tom Hanks but whatever accent he is doing is terrible and again distracting. Also the fat suit is so poorly done like come on. Austin Butler does a good job with what he was given but the eyeliner they put on him is so over done it looks cartoonish. This had such potential; with a different director who isn't so caught up with the idea of glitz and glam over the quality of the narrative it could have been something. So disappointing!! - skeebwilcox-575-686576 - 9 December 2022
I Give It A "2" Just For "If I Can Dream"
I thought this kind of thing would quit happening when I stopped taking acid in '82. "Elvis" is so jumpy and non-sensical I thought I was on a bad trip...or at least a flashback. I know the Elvis story by heart and it's a good thing I do, because during this fiasco you only catch a fleeting glimpse of it every five minutes or so.
As a matter of fact, I have not seen a movie this bad in years. I was so excitedly looking forward to seeing it so the let down is probably greater due to that fact.
Keep in mind that I am WATCHING THE MOVIE RIGHT NOW for the first time. How good is it? I'm writing this review instead of paying attention to it, aren't I? - grathin-02596 - 30 November 2022
What the hell was this?
Utterly disappointed. Was excited when it came out and thought I'd give it a try. The first hour felt like I was high, just watching different scenes go by. Couldn't say anything different happened with the other half of the hour.
I could not understand the plot at all, it did not give enough time for Elvis, but making it all about his manager which made me lose complete interest in it.
Only interesting part was when Elvis was singing. And that goes without saying that the actor did not look very alike the real Elvis. Elvis was supposed to be the main character but felt like Tom Hanks was just throwing himself in the movie to fill in the time.
I usually try to see positive in every movie, but this was so undeniably hard to follow through. Better luck next time. Hope someone does him justice in the future. - zkzuber - 19 November 2022
Khan Review- 10 star for elvis as a person.
Well don't know much about Elvis but had scene him in some videos and pics in India, he was told was very popular for his hip movements and many actors and dancers copy it in India even today. Well always looked at him as one of this very handsome western singer and actor but dont know much about his career or personal life. This movie if a biopic of elvis fails completely but yes it made me see him as a person and feel bad for what he has gone through the pain, the loneliness, betrayal by his manager. Yes the manager should be hated and atleast this movie was able to bring out his evilness, so sad a old man close to death can be so greedy and plain evil to harass some one who literally grew up in front of him. Over all feel sad for Elvis. Atleast this movie some how not completely but to very less extent made me see Elvis as a person.
