MartynGryphon

What the chuff have I just seen? I was expecting a heartfelt and respectful biopic of Elvis Presley full of Elvis music spanning his twenty year reign at the the top of the Rock and Rock tree. What I got was yet more 21st century Hollywood agenda ridden revisionist tripe.

This movie just doesn't work on so many levels the awful accent by Tom Hanks, the bad script and the terrible directing. It is literally all over the place and this is before I even get to the music.....OMG the music.

Let's face it, most people who love Elvis' music isn't interested in rap music and most rap fans aren't really going to be interested in Elvis, yet most of the Elvis 'music' in this movie, or any Rock n' Roll music for that matter has been remixed to incorporate it to the point of utter infestation, which removes all authenticity of the period IMMEDIATELY and contrary to what the filmmakers may have thought, it is not a change for the better and borders on the sacrilegious.

Austin Butler is the movie's one saving grace. His performance as Elvis is impressive, although he is more like Elvis in his later years especially on the recreation of the 'if I can Dream' scene from the 1968 comeback special, and he is more reminiscent of Ricky Nelson than Elvis Presley in the 50's segments..

The years 1960-1967 were memory holed completely, something most Elvis fans would likely be happy about given that this period saw Elvis at his blandest and most ridiculed with the terrible movies he was churning out with Hal Wallis. But however bad these years were, they were important enough in the Elvis story to have been included as it was these years that made the 68 special the much needed shot in the arm to his career it so desperately needed.

So from the '68 special we jump right in to the 1970's 'Vegas/capes and jumpsuits/karate moves phase of his career and it is here that Butler EXCELS, and whilst not my own personal favourite period of Elvis' career, preferring instead the raw unpolished rock n' roll of his early output, the 'Suspicious Minds' scene gave me the only genuine joy of watching this entire movie, which is the only reason why I have not given this otherwise abysmal movie a 1 star rating.

I just wish Hollywood would cease with their constant revisionism, politically motivated agenda and give us an actual HONEST biopic of a great and long lost star. Unfortunately, ELVIS, ain't it, and falls short of being by some considerable distance.