Elvis (2022)

The critic finds the biopic terrifically enjoyable with swagger and a star-making turn from Austin Butler, praising Luhrmann's exuberant style that strikes the right balance of bombast and character beats.

Butler delivers a fully transformed, star-making turn as Elvis in Luhrmann's opulent, maximalist biopic that resurrects the King and makes him relevant again. The manic filmmaking and focus on Elvis's exploitation and revolutionary energy create an intoxicating, dynamic portrait.

The critic calls Baz Luhrmann’s whirlwind biopic cinematic dynamite with electrifying performances from Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. It singles out Butler’s physical, emotional and electrical energy in the title role for particular praise.

Luhrmann bounces back with a larger-than-life, energising and wildly entertaining anthem to the King that centres the Black roots of the music. Austin Butler delivers a show-stopper performance as Elvis.

The critic praises the film's kinetic, maximalist style and Austin Butler's performance as Elvis but criticizes the narrative focus on the exploitative Colonel Tom Parker and the resulting emotional distance from the subject.

Luhrmann's film is a fizzy, deliriously energetic pop-opera biopic that captures the Elvis mythology in a compelling if scattershot way until the powerful Vegas sequences. Butler's performance improves markedly in the later years, building to something moving and true despite the film's imperfections.

The critic praises the performance sequences as a triumph and Austin Butler's sensational portrayal of Presley across decades, but notes the film keeps its subject at a distance with little exploration of interior lives or subtler feelings.

The biopic is lavish, passionate and overblown as expected from Luhrmann, with electric concert sequences that recapture Presley's vitality, but attempts to go beneath the surface prove less convincing and the Parker perspective is only intermittently rewarding.

The critic calls the biopic a fitting tribute with tremendous concert scenes and a vivid sketch of Elvis, praising Butler's capture of feral energy while noting it skims the surface and does not dig deep.

The critic finds the film bloated, hectic and excessive but ultimately likable for its mesmerizing focus on the feeling of being beside greatness and the dynamics of stardom, despite the Colonel's narration device.

The film is an operatic, chaotic anti-biopic that lurches and wobbles in its handling of Elvis's story. It ultimately succeeds as a musical where the music, remixed and anachronistic as it may be, shines through powerfully.

Luhrmann delivers a lively, unsubtle telling of the Elvis tale that sucks in less knowing viewers despite its familiar biopic structure and gaps in key moments. The film questions whether it critiques or continues the mainstream absorption of Elvis's revolutionary style, landing more on charm than danger.

The critic finds the film overstuffed and garish but notes that archival footage at the end makes it unexpectedly heartbreaking. Praises the focus on the exploitative relationship with Parker but criticizes some historical simplifications.

The critic views it as a frenetic jukebox musical heavy on style and light on substance that never quite reaches the heart of its subject. Austin Butler's swaggering yet sensitive performance is singled out for praise amid the razzle-dazzle.

The critic praises Luhrmann’s visual and vocal feast of a biopic, highlighting Austin Butler’s thrilling performance as Elvis and Tom Hanks’ memorable portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker. He singles out the 1968 comeback special sequence and the poignant use of real footage of the late Elvis for praise.

The critic praises Luhrmann as the ideal director for capturing Elvis's legend with high camp, sincerity, and virtuoso musical set pieces that are thrilling theatrical spectacles. Austin Butler and Tom Hanks deliver compelling performances, with the film succeeding as a ravishing, emotional tribute that puts the King back where he belongs.

The critic finds the film a conventional but exhilarating music biopic elevated by Luhrmann’s energetic direction and Austin Butler’s charismatic, star-making performance as Elvis. The second half feels baggy, but the overall result is an enjoyable, if imperfect, look at the icon’s rise and cultural impact.

Luhrmann delivers a bold, flashy biopic that works as both entertainment and cultural history lesson, with strong performances and soundtrack. Highlights the focus on Parker's influence and Elvis's tragic end.

The critic describes the film as an electric, excessive musical biopic told through Colonel Tom Parker’s perspective, with comic-book energy, lavish production design, and rapid editing. Austin Butler’s outstanding performance as Elvis stands out as career-defining amid the maximalist style.

The critic sees the film as a spirited homage mixed with a cautionary tale and showcase for Austin Butler’s terrific performance, but also notes it gleefully distorts the icon’s life and career with oversimplifications and fabrications. He praises the musical sequences and the use of real footage of Elvis at the end.

Austin Butler's performance is transcendent, making the film a dazzling spectacle despite its excesses and chaotic nature. Criticizes Hanks' portrayal and some anachronisms but overall sees it as a victory in its bombast.

The critic argues that Luhrmann's flashy, gaudy style overwhelms the substance of Elvis Presley's life story, turning the biopic into more spectacle than meaningful drama focused on the manager-performer dynamic. Austin Butler's performance is singled out as the saving grace that brings the character to life on stage.

The critic finds that Luhrmann buries Elvis's legend under excessive metaphors, unreliable narration devices, and tedious maximalist tics that feel like a brainstorming session rather than a coherent film. Austin Butler's strong performance is noted but ultimately suffocated by the surrounding style and lack of focus on the subject's irreducible myth.