Eric Thomas

As someone who has studied the life of Elvis fairly extensively, all I can say is that this movie is truly incredible. Austin Butler absolutely nailed it. I honestly didn’t think anyone could ever play the role and capture Elvis as well as he did. You could tell that Austin poured his heart and soul into not only honoring the king, which is exactly what he did, but also channeling Elvis’s looks, voice, expressions and movements. He did a spectacular job and should be getting an Oscar as far as I’m concerned. Elvis’s story is a complicated mix of triumph and tragedy. He came from nothing and achieved unparalleled levels of success and fame, but he’s also a man who experienced more than his share of heartache, loneliness, depression and ultimately, he slowly declined while the world watched until his life came to a tragic end. In many ways he was a prisoner of his own fame, and he never had the right people around him to help him navigate through a level of celebrity that no single person had ever known. This is part of the enigma of Elvis. On the one hand he was the greatest entertainer to ever walk this planet. He had it all - the voice, the raw musical talent, the looks, the charisma, the style, the moves - coupled with the unique timing to burst on the scene when he did. Elvis is more than just an entertainer, he’s a unique part of American history. This is why he will always be THE KING, and this is why Elvis was a celebrity like no other, as even other celebrities would be starstruck in his presence. And yet, at the same time he was a lost soul, often lonely, heartbroken, depressed, hooked on drugs, overworked, and exploited by those around him. This film does a great job of telling that story. Tom Hanks does a great job of portraying his manager Colonel Parker. Parker’s story, like Elvis, is a complicated one. In some ways Parker helped launch Elvis’s career into the stratosphere, and he did a lot of things to help Elvis become the biggest celebrity ever, but he was also a crook and a conman who used and abused Elvis, and he harmed him in so many ways as well. This movie gives an accurate portrayal of that relationship, as well as many of the other relationships in Elvis’s life. I highly recommend this movie. It’s truly a masterpiece that does a fantastic job of portraying the life of the greatest entertainer who ever lived.