Elvis & Nixon Movie Review

Elvis & Nixon (2016)

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Written by: Joey Sagal & Hanala Sagal & Cary Elwes (screenplay)
Directed by: Liza Johnson
Starring: Michael Shannon, Kevin Spacey, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, Colin Hanks, Evan Peters
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The untold story behind the famous archived photograph depicting the meeting between Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon.

Verdict
The last half hour is closer to what I expected from this movie. The first hour is all set up. This should have been a fun, campy movie with two great actors chewing the scenery. Instead they sleep walk through their performances. If you only watch the last half hour, you'd miss nothing. The last half hour makes this almost worth watching, but even that isn't great.
It depends.

Review
If anything I thought this would be entertaining. The esteemed Kevin Spacey plays Richard Nixon with Michael Shannon as Elvis. That alone sold me on this movie. Unfortunately I was disappointed in them and the movie.

The first hour focuses on Shannon who has zero fun as Elvis. I expected over the top, and he is nowhere close. I was hoping for a fun two hander. When we get Nixon and Elvis on screen together the movie steps it up a notch, but it takes way too long for that to happen. This movie is all set up and very little payoff. The sound track is good, though it would be a travesty to screw that up.

Surprisingly and unfortunately tame.

When we finally get to the famed meeting we see what this movie should have been. The last half hour is good. We first get a juxtaposition of Nixon's people briefing Elvis on how to interact with the President while Elvis's people brief staff on how to interact with the King of Rock.

Of course Elvis ignores everything he's been told, much to the ire of Nixon who masks his frustration. Presley even holds his finger up to pause the President in mid sentence as he swigs a Dr. Pepper reserved for Nixon. The karate demonstration is another excellent scene.

This movie should have had them meet early and team up on an undercover operation. This had such potential, especially with the talent. How do you ruin it?

I was expecting something zany like Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) where Elvis, played to perfection by Bruce Campbell, is thought to be just a senile retirement home resident despite his claims while his best friend Ossie Davis claims to be JFK. If you are familiar with Ossie Davis, you'll understand the absurdity of the claim. They fight a mummy stealing elderly people's souls. That is a movie worth watching. Elvis & Nixon is not. Do yourself a favor and find Bubba Ho-Tep.