Film Review: Baz Luhrman’s 'Elvis' is a Hanka Hunka Burning Drudge

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionE-mail page to friendE-mail page to friendPDF versionPDF version
No votes yet

CHICAGO – Director Baz Luhrman’s “Elvis” has plenty of suspicious minds, but precious little mystery as his trademark excess fails to breathe new life into the tired legacy of the King. No amount of montages, quick cuts, and odd music choices can obscure the fact that we don’t see anything here that even the casual Elvis fan doesn’t already know.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.5/5.0
Rating: 2.5/5.0

The film tells the story of the rise and fall of Elvis (Austin Butler) through the eyes of his personal Svengali, manager, and exploiter-in-chief Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Hanks plays Parker as a grotesque force of evil who is so slimy and menacing he’s practically a Bond villain. His inscrutable accent comes and goes. He’s cagey about his background. He shouts his unscrupulous ways from the mountaintops, and brags liberally about the “snow jobs” he pulls on everyone in sight.

“Elvis” opens in theaters everywhere on June 25th. Featuring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Screenplay by Baz Luhrman, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner. Directed by Baz Luhrman. Rated “PG-13”

StarContinue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Elvis”

“E1”
ELVIS
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

StarContinue reading for Spike Walter’s full review of “Elvis”

User Login

Free Giveaway Mailing

TV, DVD, BLU-RAY & THEATER REVIEWS

  • Manhunt

    CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.

  • Topdog/Underdog, Invictus Theatre

    CHICAGO – When two brothers confront the sins of each other and it expands into a psychology of an entire race, it’s at a stage play found in Chicago’s Invictus Theatre Company production of “Topdog/Underdog,” now at their new home at the Windy City Playhouse through March 31st, 2024. Click TD/UD for tickets/info.

Advertisement



HollywoodChicago.com on Twitter

archive

HollywoodChicago.com Top Ten Discussions
referendum
tracker