In August 1977, I was in my mid-20's, at work when we heard on the radio that Elvis had died. Enjoyed his music but I wasn't a huge fan. Grew up on Motown, but enjoyed a variety of genres including rock and soul, and full disclosure, I was a huge fan of the Beatles. Since the movie is a biopic, I was looking forward to learning more about Elvis than what was typically available through the media. Baz Luhrmann is a dynamic director. His movies are usually very visually stunning and entertaining. The first 30/40 minutes of the film was very chaotic. My first surprise was that Colonel Tom Parker was figured so prominently. Wasn't a character I really wanted to know more about. And Tom Hanks, please, no. He's a great actor but I didn't like him in this movie, nor did I enjoy his narration. That said, Austin Butler was a phenomenal Elvis. Had hoped to hear more music from Elvis so that was a disappointment to me too. Other musical selections by artists not around during Elvis' time didn't add anything to the production, in fact, it detracted. Also, a number of statements presented as fact, were incorrect. Since those facts were easily verified, why misrepresent them? It's a biopic.
Review of Elvis
