That does seem to be the movie that they are comparing the Elvis movie to lately, it least regarding the commercial viability of the new Elvis biopic. I really like biopics on musicians, even though most of them have had major imperfections in my opinion. Walk The Line spent too much on Cash's drug issues and not enough on his spiritual side. They also treated his first wife completely unfairly and not accurately. The Buddy Holly Story has some major flaws with accuracy as well, but Gary Busy was very good in the lead role. Hell, I even love the spoof on all these music biographies, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, one of the funniest movies ever and it has some remarkably good original music that also spoofs various music genres. I hate to admit that I have not seen Bohemian Rhapsody yet, but I am a bit surprised by the 60% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, given the fact that the lead actor won in Oscar eventually. The audience score for the Freddie bio is 85%, so both numbers are a bit weaker than the numbers on Elvis, so hopefully that bodes well for the commercial prospect for the new bio on the King.
About that high Rotten Tomatoes audience score... I'm liking that 94% a lot but if I know my fellow Elvis fans....I wouldn't doubt all the efforts likely made by the loyal devotees. Is anyone here following any of the FB groups set up for this movie? They are intense. Very organized. There's so much riding on this movie's shoulders especially for a subset of fans who see this movie as their golden ticket to expanded Elvis On Tour and That's The Way It Is releases.. I would not be surprised if there's a very organized effort to make sure that happens. I'll trust the ratings numbers more probably in a couple more weeks.
Just got home from seeing this. I hate Moulin Rouge!, but Baz’s style very much suits the subject of this film. I’ve always had just a passing interest in Elvis, I appreciate some of his music and respect his legacy whilst questioning its longevity, but I really enjoyed this film. It was bombastic and the lead is simply amazing. There’s a few clips of real Elvis sprinkled in various places, and it’s striking just how handsome the man himself is in his prime, but Austin Butler is electric when he’s performing. The non-performance scenes have just a little bit of a Dewey Cox-esque feel to them, but that’s likely on purpose and suits the tone of the film. Tom Hanks is pretty good in his role, I have never heard Col. Tom Parker speak, nor can I recall the actual man’s appearance from memory, so I can’t speak to Hanks’ authenticity, but he sure acts the **** out of the role. Overall, while keeping in mind that conversations and specific events are likely dramatized or fictionalized, the movie was dazzling enough that I didn’t care if they were. And from what I’ve seen of Bohemian Rhapsody, it looked more like a poor parody of a music biopic that didn’t know it was a parody. I wasn’t impressed.
Second viewing tonight. This movie is like the Marvel movie of music biopic movies. It glides and commands the screen like a superhero movie. Elvis would definitely had loved this because as we know: he was always the hero of the comic book. And here, he was the hero of the movie. The biggest tribute Butler did for Elvis was that he portrayed him exactly as the kind of character Elvis hoped he could portray had his movie career went right. This would have been his perfect role: himself. That's the reason why the perfect dramatic film never arrived for him---his own life was the movie he was waiting for. And now, Austin Butler gave Elvis the performance he always dreamed. What Austin Butler has done is other worldly. Like Jim Carrey, Man On The Moon other worldly. Seeing it tonight, trying to follow the story more and less taken over by the visuals--the script I think really works. The editing is just right. I think if we ever see a 4 hour cut it'd would end up feeling like "Gone With The Wind' or something. Grand, expansive maybe even fatiguing? More thoughts to come but tonight I was reminded about something I read a critic say this past week that encapsulates how I've felt. I'm paraphrasing but something to the nature: "Wished this movie was a little less about money and a little more music." It's strange because there is so much music in this movie yet I still felt like it was missing something. Not really sure what/how though. In closing, Tom Hanks is absolutely remarkable. I totally got this character this second time around. Hilarious. "Silent in the Night"---haha. The accent debate? Tonight, I'm gonna go with this: Tom Hanks I think just gave us a huge insight into Parker that none of us could have known. Everyone rejecting and making fun of the accent I think is totally misplaced. So many observations I've got to collect. I overheard a group of 20-somethings film nerds after the movie talking and one said: "That scene when he was walking down the hall, in that black leather suit for the Comeback show....I was thinking: Return of the Jedi. It's totally there!" Mix of so many people tonight. Probably heavier on 40/50's but every age was in the room tonight. And it got applause at the end. And PS: the perfect playlist to put on during the car ride home from the theater? The soundtrack to the film. It truly hits the spot. The perfect dessert after an amazing meal.
Bohemian Rhapsody I liked, but didn’t love mainly because I don’t have any Queen records. So bias there. No denying Rami Malek’s performance.. though didn’t look at all like the lead singer lol. In comparison Austin Butler’s Elvis was astounding!
Thanks so much for posting your terrific and detailed reviews. I know I have been posting a lot of professional reviews and articles here, but the only reviews I really trust are from my daughters and the true Elvis aficionados on this fine forum. I am going nuts waiting to see this movie on Tuesday, but I am able to live vicariously thorough your outstanding reviews on Elvis the movie.
Thanks for keeping this thread going! Pretty safe to say that we all can't wait for you to finally see this. Tuesday is a helluva long wait so props for hanging in there. It'll be worth it.
Here is one more really detailed article on Austin Butler and how he prepared himself for his role as Elvis. How 'Elvis' star Austin Butler lost - Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com › movies › story › elvis-austin...
Elvis (2022) is going to get some competition with Thor : Love and Thunder MCU’s summer hit, by the looks of it, out first week in July.
I saw this video the other day and thought it was from the film, that the clips were in the movie when the song played and it was very powerful. What I thought was going to be one of the most powerful moments in the movie, never happened lol
My wife is not usually humorous and she is also one of those Elvis fans who just refuses to go see this movie. She wants it to do well and all that, but she just can't watch people try to be Elvis. She keeps telling me that Butler looks like John Travolta in the film, and I agree there are a few moments where he sort of reminds you of him too. I showed her a photo of Butler on the merry go round where he's holding his head steady with his eyes to one side, at the moment when he says ready to fly. I said look, Elvis would do that. It's great attention to detail. She responds, Dude What is Wrong With You? It looks like he's a bout to say... It's Greased Lighting!
I would think that with all of the women Elvis must have been with, he would have tried it at least once somewhere along the line... Maybe he just care to do it.
I think this was early on. She said he was shy. Idk. Seems like he'd be a romantic and focus on intimacy and human connection rather than wham-bam .. yada yada yada
Saw it last night on the big screen. Very colourful and glossy. If you like Baz Luhrmann movies such as Moulin Rouge I am sure you will like it. For me, it’s a 7/10 movie. The focus on the early years was great but much of the rest hit and miss for me, and uneven. Austin Butler was very good, but Tom Hanks gets too much focus and grates. The whole thing is pretty much told from a Colonel Parker perspective. It’s a shame there is no real focus on the Elvis in Memphis period after the Christmas special cementing his comeback (I think Suspicious Minds only appears in a Vegas show, and In the Ghetto is left to the end credits). Vegas show bits are good. A bit PC with the focus on MLK, RFK and Mahalia Jackson, great though they were. Little Richard was terrific.
One bit of that was the Colonel with an Anvil case wardrobe in his hotel room. One thing Alana Nash, the author of a Parker biography said is that he lived his life ready to run out at a moment's notice - there is no earthly reason for someone booked at a hotel for six weeks to use one - they were created for touring musicians who moved every single day. Any normal person would put their clothes in the hotel dresser and closet.
