Colton C.

I. Will. Always. Love. You...ELVIS! Buckle up folks, Elvis is in the building! Do you have a heart for the classics? This movie is for you! Do you tend to like more modernized movies? This movie is for you! Elvis is a romantic and historical movie that you can take the whole family to see. Initial Thoughts: I was very excited to learn that there would be a new Elvis movie, and let me tell you, Director Baz Luhrmann DELIVERED! When movies come out about passed beloved figures in American history such as Elvis, it is every fan's hope to not see it done poorly. Luhrmann made sure to do Elvis's story justice through primary accounts such as Elvis's past wife Priscilla Presley. I have not seen a movie that does as much justice to its subject since 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. I was very, very impressed. Compliments: Where to begin? Austin Butler was definitely the correct choice in the casting for Elvis. I have heard some people say that the actor looks nothing like Elvis; however, I believe that the direction made Butler look as much like Elvis as they could without using CGI to plaster Elvis's face onto his body! Butler not only resembles Elvis, but he even practiced with his voice through months of studying to sound EXACTLY like him. Tom Hanks did a wonderful job, as always, playing Elvis's despicable and greedy manager, Tom Parker. I also felt it gave the movie a very interesting tone through the narration of Elvis's life through Parker's perspective. Problems: The movie moves very fast from each phase of the life of Elvis. This is the only reason I have given the movie four stars, although I do recognize the difficulty of fitting an entire life into one movie. I know you may need to use the restroom during the 2 hour and 39 minute movie; however, if you leave for even one second, you could easily miss a phase of Elvis's life. Consume your concessions sparingly! Final Thoughts: See it in theaters! This is the kind of movie that I am willing to spend outrageous prices for in the actual theater. You will not be able to have the same experience with the movie if you simply watch it at home. Most movies today can get away with this; however, the movie Elvis deserves the experience that can only be felt by the big screen. Sadly enough, for younger consumers such as myself, we will never get to see Elvis live and on stage. This movie will get you as close to Elvis as possible in the modern era. See the movie, bring the family, experience a work of art! Take care of business!

**Parental Warnings** Despite being a Disney-owned Marvel movie, this is not a movie for children. There is violence and gore throughout the movie, truly extending itself to the full capacity of a PG-13 movie. Language is mild despite a few swears, and there is no sexual content inappropriate for children. Initial Thoughts: I came into watching Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with high expectations; however, I am sad to say that this was not Director Sam Raimi's finest film. Not to say that the movie was not appealing, although it did not meet my expectations with the submersion into the multiverse that we as an audience were promised. Compliments: I must give credit where it is due: Elizabeth Olsen reprising her role as Scarlet Witch was very well done in this film. I felt empathy with her as a character after the events of WandaVision, although this does not distract from the fact that Scarlet Witch is absolutely terrifying in this movie. We as an audience are shown a dark side of the Avenger that we have never before seen in an MCU hero. Truly, Elizabeth Olsen carried this movie. Problems: There was so much potential with the concept of this film. One area that I feel Raimi did not cover well was the introduction to never before seen MCU heroes. Some of the most notable new characters featured were Reed Richards (John Krasinski), America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and Patrick Stewart reprising his previously non-MCU portrayal as Charles Xavier. I will not spoil the movie for you, although many of the heroes we are introduced to, excluding America Chavez, barely have any screen time in the two hour movie. This was wasted potential in my opinion, especially because featured new heroes like Reed Richards hardly show any of their powers in the few moments they are given. I am a huge fan of the original Doctor Strange movie, and I believe the cinematography of it was groundbreaking for Marvel. The first Doctor Strange movie set a tone for future MCU movies. The same cannot be said for Multiverse of Madness. Many of the non-human enemies in this film appear so fake that they seem like cartoon characters. I would have loved to have seen the same fearsome and horrific features in the monsters that Scarlet Witch was able to show with just a few expressions! Final Thoughts: Benedict Cumberbatch is the perfect Doctor Strange in my opinion, and I loved the first solo movie for his character. I do; however, believe that Doctor Strange has reached the end for his role as a solo movie hero. I have concluded after watching Multiverse of Madness that Cumberbatch should still portray Doctor Strange in the MCU, but Doctor Strange belongs simply as a supporting character in other movies such as Infinity War, Endgame, and Spiderman: No Way Home. This was not a terrible movie by any means, although it did not deliver to the standard that Marvel has built for its movies.