Movie Review: Elvis

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

Last times, i talked about Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018, which is a pretty good film as a both indie film reviewer and a fan of Queen, sure it has some obvious inaccurate story parts, but it still fun to watch, and Rocketman in 2019 that while people loved this one, but i had a mixed feeling of this film based on  the life of Sir Elton John. So after these movies that i've done talked about, how about we have a movie based on the King of Rock n' Roll.

"Elvis" is a 2022 musical drama film based on trust story that was written/produced/directed by Baz Luhrmann, co-produced by Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weis, then co-written by Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner (the latter of which for both screenplay and story)

The idea of this movie was announced in 2014, where Luhrmann had a negotiation with Kelly Marcel as the writer that it was originally planned, though no info telling us what happened until 2019 where Kelly was replayed by Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, though Baz actually also worked as a writer for the story for the most part with writers that he brought over, while they're doing well for the production, but there are some trouble parts like the original actors weren't be in the movie for schedule conflict or one actor had an inflammation of appendix. But then again, no further info that i could find where did it all started, aw well.

So, with all that said, will this movie really worth of watching based on the life of Elvis, or is this film will be in similar feel when Elvis is considered as role model to children in the 50's?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

For a movie based on the life of Elvis, its actually quite nice to follow his history, for the most parts.

It begins from 1997, where we introduced a dying old Colonel Tom Parker has a stroke and been addicted to gambling, is looking back of his fond memory of his past of his most important figure of his time, Elvis Presley.

We going back in the the youth of Elvis that after losing his brief brother Jesse Garon, Elvis and his family moved from Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, where he meets the black community (which it wasn't easy to having white people be respectful towards blacks back then), that was until after being a fan of DC comic's hero Captain Marvel Jr., he enjoys to listening music, one individual came from a gospel music like "That's All Right", a few years later when he grew up, he started to do his music performance of his cover of "That's All Right" in Louisiana Hayride, Elvis was fired up of his singing and dancing with his hard wiggle (at the time called Rubber legs), which made the fangirls going crazy of his performance (including some times throwing panties at Elvis. Jeez, overacting much, fangirls in the 50s??), but one person that got a lot of attention is entrepreneur huckster Colonel Tom Parker, who after being a manager of country singer Hank Snow, he bowed out to becoming a manager of Elvis, as well as partnership deal with RCA, which Presley is much appreciated to working together, while Elvis is focusing his music, while Parker is not only a manager, but also an entrepreneur for rising his popularity and merchandise. However, while Elvis was in energy of his performance, but he had a very divided reception, where he was beloved by the fangirls when he performed, but others like parents and senator are disgusted about him as a role model for children and putting hostility at black community. Which despite got himself into trouble, its up to Elvis and Colonel Parker for working together without causing into legal problem based on divided reactions.

The story itself it pretty nice to tell us where did Elvis began  for his musical career, despite having a divided reception both the fans, the parents and politics, keep in mind, it was back in the 50's for his start up career.

Not to mention, the movie also has a secondary plot involving the relation between Elvis and his manager Tom Parker how Elvis had a rough time for being alone (despite lived with his parents) but Parker likes to helping him to becoming famous for both music and the merchandise, but Tom Parker also wanted him to change his style without getting too far of his early days, since again, parents and senator are against him so harshly and controversially. Of course, its not just Elvis's life going up and down (including his sad moments of his family and like any celebs and musician, he'll ended up having a substance addiction of pills) and the secret behind Colonel Parker. Though one downside is aside Parker's secret, but maybe they could've make more plot about him (aside of being a narrator) like where did he began in USA and even his addiction of gambling, but that's just me for Tom Parker.

However, despite of following the history, but there were some inaccurate history moments like most films that we've seen before, as well with some missing elements, sure there's the moment where he's in military, but its more like a hiatus of his musical from controversial reception, but the military part is definitely a skip, sure it has one part that he's in relationship with Priscilla Presley, which is more of a subplot to building up his own family. But its not just a military part that was skipped (obviously for focusing his musical), there are some parts are missing that i wanna see and know, like his film career as an actor of some films like his first role of "Love me Tender" in 1956, Jailhouse Rock in 1957, G.I. Blues in 1960 and his most famous, Viva Las Vegas in 1964. Of course, there's some others are missing that i want to know like Elvis's youth and some of his songs, including Blue Christmas for his holiday music part.

While there are some are missing or changed for the movie's timing, but the plot is nice to following the life of Elvis and the chemistry between him and Tom Parker.

The Presentation

For a movie costs $85 million, this movie looks pretty good, sometimes.

At first, i though this movie was filmed somewhere in US like either in Memphis or in Las Vegas for the presentation of the 50's and the 60's, but not sure if its true, which im easily assuming this movie is filmed in Australia with setting studios and some post-production use of CG. I will admit, despite the lack of info for the filming for the locations, but at least its nice and beautifully filmed with the quality and the montage.

Of course the highlight of this movie its the music and the montage. The music itself in this movie are pretty good, which they're either the covers (Huh, a cover with in a cover) or used from the actual Elvis's music. For the song sequences, Austin Butler (who played Elvis, more on that later) does singing, but in different conditions, when he's young Elvis, its no secret that you can hear Butler's actual singing voice, which i admit, he did a nice work, but he sing as older Elvis, Butler's voice was blended into the actual Elvis's voice while singing, which is kinda cheap that he sings at first, but more like a lip-sync in post-production to changing Butler's voice to real Elvis's voice the original songs, despite the noticeable flaws, but he did his best.

However, the downside i have is despite the re-use Elvis's songs or even the covers, i also noticed some songs are remixed with modern music, which it really didn't make any sense for this movie taken place between 50's and 60's, sure the montage is fun to watch, but its just that the remixes just doesn't belong here, i mean sure some artists did a good job for the remixes, but not for this movie for being out of place, that's like if you wanna make a movie based on ACDC, but instead of rock music, how about replacing it with Nu Metal, that would've gone much worse for my imagination. Not to mention, some songs are missing that we have to hear to bringing in, like the aforementioned Blue Christmas.

While some are out of place and missing parts that i mentioned before, the presentation looks beautiful with costumes, the setting, the musicals and the montage are pretty good to see.

The Characters

When it comes to the movie version of real life people, the characters seems to be... Fascinating and probably some nice casting pick (with one obvious reason for promoting).

Lets start with Elvis Presley (again, played by Austin Butler), as we all know, after raised in Memphis with black community that he hanging out with, he became a music superstar for his covers and his original songs, both beloved and controversial at the time, he seems to be while energetic musician, but he's also a struggling man that he wants to have happiness for his mom and even his ex Pricilla, along with, like any celebs, has an addiction problem later in his career, even though he does have a chemistry with Tom Parker, though he kinda act a bit of emo that may or may not fit, but Butler did a nice work of his role for his movie version of Elvis and his performance in musical segments.

Next up is Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks, aka Woody from Toy Story), an entrepreneur huckster whom after seeing Elvis, he likes to be with him like a partner for marketing and one point to changing his style. He's basically not just Elvis's sidekick, but also a narrator how he remembered back then. He's almost like a father figure to see him rising like a star, even if he wants to changing based on the controversial reaction (again, 1950s are sensitive these days), but Elvis isn't the only one, Parker is also controversial with his legal troubles both before he meets Elvis and with Elvis, including his obsession of gambling to put some stuff away to win a big money. Its fascinating to hear about him, but maybe they could extend a bit about him where did he went in the past mysteriously, but of course, Tom Hanks did a great work of his role, since he's obviously being second main star in this movie for promotion (though the same cannot be said for Blade Runner 2049 with the return of Harrison Ford, but i digress).

After that, we have Priscilla Presley (played by Olivia DeJonge), who's Elvis's wife that they met during his short time of military. I find her not bad, though she's pretty used as a subplot for relationship between her and Elvis much like in real life, both get married and have a daughter Lisa Marie. She may not be useful for the plot, but then again, this movie is all about Elvis and his manager Parker, but sure she has a purpose to be in the movie for again, following Elvis's life, even if she's probably not get along (for the most part) once he's getting worse from his addiction. Despite pretty appearing for subplot in second act, Olivia did a nice work of her role.

And finally we have Presley family, there are for the plot purpose for building a family enterprise from Tom Parker's build up. Elvis's family are both mixed for their personality and some trouble from the past, there's Gladys (played by Helen Thomson) who's a strict mother who doesn't want about rich and struggled mother ever since she lost her first son Jesse Garon, its easy to relate and feel bad for her how she had a difficulty life, even Elvis wants her to be happy and respect despite his fame. And we have Vernon (played by Richard Roxburgh), who's respectful father for accepting Elvis's fame for building up the family enterprise, despite he had legal problems from the past. These guys have a different have a opposite feeling when it comes to Elvis's career, which is mixed for his get-go, while his father appreciate for making money for his son's fame, but his mother wasn't as easy both the past and present, which her mother went to addiction of drinking to death when Elvis was in military, pretty difficulty for the latter, but they both did a nice work of their roles.

As for the rest, there either shown for either plot purposes or just for extras, either real or fictionalized, there's B.B. King (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr) who's a blue singer to helping Elvis to motivate his singing career, Hank Snow (played by David Wenham) a country singer who's been for years of his career that he was a famous country singer before getting foreshadowed by Elvis, Jerry Schilling (played by Luke Bracey) who's Elvis's bandmate and Steve Binder (played by Dacre Montgomery) who's the TV director of Elvis's comeback performance.

Fictional or not, the characters are quite nice to follow, and the acting are good as well.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, Elvis is a nice attempt to make a movie based on Presley's life with nice following story, beautiful presentation, the acting is good and the characters are either well fitting or perhaps fictional.

While the fictional is kinda loose, but there's some that has a problem with missing story elements and the obvious out of place remixes that just doesn't belong here in the 50s and 60s.

Out of all the movies based on musicians from the past, i think this film is not bad to give it a watch to anyone if they're familiar with Elvis Presley or for curiosity. Do i think its better than Rocketman? Yes. And better than Bohemian Rhapsody, not really, cause this film is more like right behind of Bohemian Rhapsody. This is the film that you should definitely check it out for curiosity or being familiar of the King of Rock n' Roll.

For my rating, il giving it a 7.5/10. It may not as good enough to give 8, but again, its a nice attempt.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.