Elvis (2022) Review: A Chaotic Rush of Adrenaline!

Elvis Presley is an icon that has transcended generations. My first formal introduction to Elvis was when I was seven years old when I first saw Lilo and Stitch. Regardless of when you were introduced to Elvis, his music, dancing, and impact on the music industry were undeniably unique. Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, was an exploration of Elvis’ career, in a less traditional sense than other biopics in recent years have done. Although Elvis was fun and energetic, some drawbacks had a huge impact on the quality of the film as a whole.

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Baz Luhrmann, creates a fast-paced script that structured the film more enjoyably. The audience is thrust right into the action and songs of Elvis, hardly slowing down until the last forty minutes. Capturing the adrenaline of Elvis’ style and performances over the years, this film felt like a rush of energy. The film never stops to highlight full songs and performances, such as the way some biopics are more like concert films. Instead, little snippets of songs are included to make way for the deeper story at hand. Baz Luhrmann knows if we wanted to hear Elvis’ songs in full-length, we could just pop in one of his records. As a result, Luhrmann utilizes cinema to its fullest to tell Elvis’ story with amazing direction and incredible editing.

The number one question viewers are probably hoping to have answered is how well Austin Butler was able to portray Elvis. Without question, Butler’s performance was brilliant. He mastered the two most important elements about Elvis, his voice and the way he moves on the stage. It never felt like Butler was impersonating the legend. Instead, it felt like he was born to play the role. There is no doubt he will be nominated for an Oscar this year.

Although I enjoyed Elvis a lot, unfortunately, a couple of elements brought down the film for me. One of these things was the performance by Tom Hanks as Elvis’ manager. I don’t feel I am exaggerating by saying that it was awful. From the moment he opened his mouth to deliver his first couple of lines, I knew we were in trouble. His portrayal feels a lot like Tom Hanks pretending to be someone else, essentially impersonating his character, unlike Austin Butler.

It is such a shame the studio did not cast someone who was able to portray the character of Elvis’ manager with greater skill. The last forty minutes of Elvis, unlike the first two hours which were vibrant and fast-paced, were not only slow but followed the same boring biopic structure. The last forty minutes or so felt dissimilar from the rest of the film, making me believe that studio involvement hindered Luhrmann’s vision or Luhrmann did not know how to keep the momentum up. Elvis is worth the watch for the great aspects about it, but the film as a whole, struggled to capture its full potential because of its drawbacks.

‘Elvis (2022)’ Rating – 3/5

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