Connor Bynum // Film Critic
ELVIS
Baz Luhrmann has always had a style dripping with excess as a filmmaker. Whether his cult classic retelling of Shakespeare with ROMEO + JULIET, where the script is completely unchanged but presented within a 1990s suburbia aesthetic, or going out of his way to film THE GREAT GATSBY (2013) in 3D seemingly for the heck of it, his filmography is nothing if not creative. Even though some might say that the 4K UHD Blu-ray format as a whole could be defined by excess, one could argue that Luhrmann’s latest film, ELVIS, was practically made for it.
Movie Grade: A
As far as musical biopics are concerned, ELVIS ticks off all of the necessary boxes audiences have come to expect with the genre: an early flashback sequence showing a young Elvis Presley (Chaydon Jay) discovering music for the first time, the first successful performance in which our budding superstar (now played by Austin Butler) captures his signature sound on stage amidst a skeptical crowd, signing on with an obviously sinister manager (Tom Hanks) who will inevitably cause things to go horribly wrong later on, and who could forget – drugs. The gang’s all here, so to speak. Yet despite being relatively by the book in terms of genre conventions, Baz Luhrmann’s outstanding direction and two Oscar-worthy performances from Butler and Hanks can make this biopic anything but ordinary.
Austin Butler, in particular, gives the performance of a lifetime as the titular Elvis Presley. When dealing with playing such a legendary performer whose persona has already been parodied ad nauseum by now, it can be so easy to miss the mark. Butler not only nails Presley’s signature mannerisms but can dig far deeper into the character’s psyche. The weight of the world is constantly on Presely’s shoulders to treat every performance like it’s the most important event of his life is conveyed through little more than the look in Butler’s eyes. Little details such as this are the marks of a truly outstanding performance. And my oh my, can he sing.
Tom Hanks likewise gives a stunning return to form as the villainous Colonel Tom Parker. While it has arguably felt as though Hanks had been playing it safe over the last few years with roles he could do in his sleep, his deliciously vile and devastatingly cruel turn as Presley’s real life abusive manager is truly a revelation. After this film, I can only say that I never knew I wanted Hanks to play more villains moving forward but here we are.
Had it not been for Lurmann’s exceptional direction and two knockout performances from the film’s two leading men, ELVIS is a film that certainly would have been better suited for television. Thankfully, instead, we are left with one of the best and most energetic musical biopics in years.
Video/Audio Grade: A+
ELVIS just may be the best 4K UHD film we’ve seen this year. The disc is sourced from a native 4K digital intermediate, and in short, this is a marvelous presentation. The opening title animation sets expectations perfectly with a kaleidoscope of diamonds and gold that sparkles and shines as it unfolds upon itself to become even more elaborate over and over again. It’s a fantastic way for Luhrmann to let the audience know exactly what kind of film they’re about to experience, and frankly, the overwhelming amount of detail on display wonderfully encapsulates the flair and flamboyance only the king of rock and roll could pull off.
Textures in both costumes and set dressing all have the amount of additional pop that one would expect from the format by now; the same can be said for skin tones and facial features. And while we’re on the subject of facial features, we might as well get this out of the way: ELVIS is probably the sweatiest movie I’ve ever seen. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up to the viewer but either way, the individual beads of sweat dripping and flinging off Austin Butler’s face during the film’s musical moments are significantly refined in 4K.
Baz Luhrmann’s penchant for saturation is made all the more obvious with the disc’s inclusion of HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. As a result, color tones are rich and vibrant while never straying too far into peaking territory. Brightness levels are also pristine, with no trace of artifact or clouding in darker images.
But a film about Elvis Presley can truly only be as good as its sound quality and rest assured, the audio mixes on this disc are top-tier. The disc defaults its audio to Dolby Atmos, which also automatically translates into Dolby TrueHD 7.1 for setups not equipped for Atmos, and there is also an option for a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track which is also fantastic. The film constantly takes advantage of the audio space regardless of which setup you have.
Overall, it’s safe to say that ELVIS in 4K will likely be the reference disc for 2022 regarding visual and audio quality. There’s very little to complain about in either department.
Extras Grade: C+
In an unfortunate turn, the same can’t be said for its special features. All supplemental content is only available on the included 1080p Blu-ray other than “Musical Moments” which is little more than a glorified chapter select menu that only goes through the musical scenes of the film.
As for the features themselves, they are perfectly average. Given the gargantuan scope of the legacy of the real life Elvis Presley, one can’t help but feel that these extras played things a little too safe.
- Bigger Than Life: The Story of Elvis (22:22)
- Rock ‘N Roll Royalty: The Music and Artists Behind Elvis (7:33)
- Fit for a King: The Style of Elvis (8:02)
- Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations for Elvis (7:26)
- “Trouble” Lyric Video (2:15)
- Musical Moments (19 clips, 46:19 total)
Final Grade: A-
Special features notwithstanding, ELVIS is a 4K viewing experience fit for The King and is certainly worth the upcharge for the premium format.
