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Elvis (2022) begins with a statement narrated by Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) that there would have been no Elvis without him. Which is not only total BS but immediately establishes this is a movie about Parker and Elvis, perhaps an "Elvis & Colonel Tom" type of title would have been more appropriate. Someone like Elvis was bound to be discovered just like Marilyn Monroe or John C Holmes, the fact of the matter is Elvis and the Colonel were a couple of losers, each with their own addictions and weakness that inevitably lead to bad choices. Elvis was a schmuck for signing the deal he did.
As a movie about the two men's business relationship it's downright shallow and a bit creepy. As a biopic it totally fails. Examples - pathetic as it was, Elvis' movie career in the '60's is almost entirely skipped over. Way too much time is spent on the '68 Comeback Special segment while failing to recreate the great vibe of that show. An Elvis meltdown while onstage in the early '70's during his karate phase sounds nothing like the actual ones heard on many bootlegs from the era. The end of his life is typical Hollywood schlock.
As far as Hanks is concerned, I don't think it's necessarily so much a bad performance as the biggest miscast in cinematic history. One can't help but wonder had Hanks actually read for the part would they have noticed that. Musically, Austin Butler's voice matches well if not a bit throaty for the King. His face looks nothing like Elvis to me, certainly not like Kurt Russell or Val Kilmer in their turns. Is this what Elvis is supposed to look like to the new younger generations? Maybe so, but it looks nothing like the Elvis I've known for sixty years and I seriously doubt the King would have approved of this slop. 1.5 stars/5
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