A Review of “Elvis (2022)”

There are some weird choices made in the film that I am not entirely fond of. For example, the soundtrack incorporates modern songs such as rap and hip hop at points and it is very jarring. Why am I hearing Dojo Cat in an Elvis movie? The movie does something different by having it from the POV of Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager, played by Tom Hanks. I’m mixed about this as it felt like we got more emphasis on Parker’s bad deeds and his manipulation of Elvis rather than Elvis’s actual struggles. Hanks’s performance felt very one note as well which is a shame as I think he is an amazing actor but I just don’t think he was the right actor for the role. The movie is also very chaotic as it tries to speedrun through Elvis’s life. This lead to a very rushed and disjointed film while also brushing over a lot of the interesting things in Elvis’s life. I also wished that showed more of Elvis’s talent as a musician rather than making it seem like his wiggling is what made him great.

However, Austin Butler is phenomenal as Elvis with his voice and body language. There are so many moments where it feels like HE IS ELVIS! I also found the second half of this film a lot more enjoyable as it starts to feel more consistent in its direction. I also like the visual direction of the director as it gave the movie more style.

Overall, I found the movie enjoyable nonetheless but I wish Elvis was more of the focus rather than focusing on the manipulative nature of Parker.

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