Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis hit theatres this weekend, and critics and audiences alike seem to be loving the new biopic. Elvis was released by Warner Bros. and features Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s Austin Butler as Elvis Presley as well as Tom Hanks as Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The movie is officially “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 78% critics score and a 94% audience score. You can check out what some of the critics are saying below…
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“Austin Butler delivers a marvelous performance in this sparkling and extravagant spectacle about the life and career of the beloved King of Rock and Roll,” Rene Sanchez (Cine Sin Fronteras) writes.
“Through almost every minute of this lengthy, ever-rocking epic, you’ll rarely pull your eyes away from Austin Butler, the 30-year-old actor who seriously becomes a star by embodying one of the brightest of all time,” John Urbancich (JMuvies) praised.
“More somatic threat than motion picture, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis-the rhinestoned belt buckle of musical biopics-is like a sneeze into a bullhorn: Incoherent at volcanic decibels,” Saffron Maeve (Paste Magazine) warns.
“ELVIS is Baz Luhrmann’s love letter to the King of Rock and Roll. It’s loud, frenetic, waaaaay too long, but ultimately highly entertaining,” Jeanne Kaplan (Kaplan vs. Kaplan) explained.
“It is absurdly entertaining. Embodies everything I like and dislike about Baz Luhrmann,” Andy Klein (FilmWeek) wrote.
One important person who has nothing but praise for Elvis is Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley who gave the movie her seal of approval. “I’ve seen Elvis the film, I watched the trailer over a dozen times. But the words I heard from my daughter on how much she loved the film and that Riley [Keough] will love it too when she sees it brought tears. I relived every moment in this film. It took me a few days to overcome the emotions as it did with Lisa. Beautifully done Baz, Tom, Austin and Olivia,” Presley wrote.
Elvis “explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks),” reads the synopsis from Warner Bros. “The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).”
Elvis is now playing in theaters.
