Create your own review

I've read reviews whining because some people thought this movie was about Elvis. I guess I just don't see criticizing a movie because of an erroneous assumption, when the movie is GOOD. I mean, damn good. Kurt Russell, in not his first stint as Elvis (or in this case, an impersonator for the sake of a robbery) is wonderfully understated and kind of the calm during the storm in this movie. The storm? That would be Kevin Costner, who plays the baddest bad man of his career, I dare say. With all of the romantic hero roles he's played, this role goes a long way in showing the many talents of this actor. How he could be so bad and yet, likeable, is amazing to me. Courtney Cox has the trashy-sex-kitten-with-a-good-heart thing going on, and her son is too wise for his years in a realistic, yet sad, way. Yes, this movie has some violence. Is it more violent than other movies? Well, yeah, if you're talking about Bounce, it does. The point is, this movie is immensely entertaining, and never boring. And that's what movies are all about, yes?

I know that some people will say that this is a rip off of Ocean's Eleven, or Reservoir Dogs, or whatever pseudoflick they've watched lately, and there are some things alike, but this movie IS certainly cool entertainment at its best. Costner plays a psycho (who says he is Elvis's love son), and Russell a misfit, in the wrong place at the wrong time, who try to pull a heist, but it goes awry. People have said that it is too violent, that the shootings look made up, but, hey, that's the point: it looks crazy because it is supposed to be crazy; Courtney Cox leaves her child with Kurt because she was nuts, they fall in love because this IS a movie, it isn't supposed to be a real life story. Of course, everybody is entitled to have an opinion, but before you express yours: WATCH this film. Even if I'm not the biggest Kevin Costner fan, I mus admit that he is the best part and the best actor here. This movie IS the coolest new release

Let's break this down and serve it up faster and hotter than one of those fried banana-and-peanut-butter sandwiches The King himself loved so much: "3000 Miles to Graceland" is one of the fastest, tightest, hottest, gun-slingingest, ammo-pumpingest, dead sexy, little bloodbaths I've ever had the good fortune to come across.

One blue suede shoe over two hours long, director Demian Lichtenstein has created a white-hot little shot of pure cinematic adrenaline, cooked up with some of the tightest editing I've ever seen, brutal gun battles in which every bullet-riddled sequence keeps trying to up the ante on its predecessor, a Las Vegas casino (the Riviera) full of Elvis impersonators of every size, shape and sort, sexy Vegas showgirls with abs of steel, toe-tapping techno and rockabilly tunes to accompany the grand carnage, more double-crosses and twists than a West Virginia logging road, and high-voltage double barrelled starpower featuring Kevin Costner in his best role ever (as a villain!), Kurt Russell, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, and David Arquette.

Besides, how can you fault a movie that takes the average action film's gunfight quotient, triples it, and delivers the gory goods in spades---*and* begins and ends with a techno scorpion deathmatch *and* a bloodbath? Answer: You can't.

The plot is action-movie simplicity itself: Russell plays drifter and con-man Michael Zane, who hooks up with fellow footpad Thomas Murphy (played to the rhinestone-plated hilt by Kevin Costner) and two other villains (Christian Slater and Bokeem Woodbine) to pull off a 3.2 million dollar heist at the Las Vegas Riviera casino during the International Elvis Impersonator Night.

Director Lichtenstein is my kind of director, too: he doesn't waste time with lots of exposition, but digs right into the main attraction and shoots our jumpsuit-costumed perfectly-coiffed Memphis drawling robbers into the casino, and "3000 Miles" starts out with one of the slickest, lead-pumpingest gunfights this side of Blue Hawaii, to say nothing of the surreal sequence with the helicopter set to the toe-tapping goodness of Elvis's "Such a Night".

Faster than you can fry up a Montecristo sandwich the casino gets robbed, crosses get doubled, conspirators get buried in shallow graves, Russell falls in with the sultry Cox and her son, the Feds get called in, and nothing but trouble looms for everyone involved. The editing here is tight, the gun-battles intense, the Elvis riffs yummy, the dancing girls delicious, and the climactic stand-off is roaring good fun, pitting Kevin Costner's drawling and well-armed lunatic against a small army of SWAT police.

Lichtenstein delivers the goods with tight editing and breathless action, making the finished product look like it cost three times as much as it did. The acting here is also all first rate, from Cox and Costner (who should play more villains), to Russell (who exudes pure unadulterated cool), to Slater, Woodbine, and a small squad of veteran character actors---including Jon Lovitz as a money launderer, Howie Long in yet *another* role as a hip thug, Ice-T as the hitman's hitman, and even Lorraine Cote, who has made a career playing an old lady surgically attached to a Las Vegas one-armed bandit.

If you're looking for deep and introspective, look elsewhere---but if you're looking for a rip-roaring, take-no-prisoners little hound dog of a movie that the King himself would have enjoyed, "3000 Miles to Graceland" is three thousand miles of pure delight.

JSG

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 173 customer reviews...

 

 

2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Bad
This movie pretty much sucked. The only reason for two stars is I saw it on TV so I was able to stop the stupidity and bad acting at no cost.

Published 2 months ago by Don Jr

4.0 out of 5 stars A dark drama/action film with an unusal buddy story in the back ground
Like my title says this movie is dark, mostly due to Costner's character. Costner plays an evil bad guy very well. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Big Red

4.0 out of 5 stars Action Packed
great moving full on action...lots of guns and shooting! i like the vegas theme of the movie which made me like it even more! Viva Las Vegas!!

Published 3 months ago by Jmonreal

3.0 out of 5 stars Awesome with Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell but Everybody Else...Eh.
Viewed: 12/04, 3/06
Rate: 5

3/06: 3,000 Miles to Graceland is an aggressive, thrilling violence machine but gets very boring after a while. Read more

Published 4 months ago by John Doe

3.0 out of 5 stars 3,000 miles to Graceland.
Tries too hard to be hip a-la Pulp Fiction/Quentin Films, Elvis is great and the Action is good but it's one of those films that Poses and tries just too much with no purpose... Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jose Lopez

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Elvis fans !!!!
Good performances, Elvis music, and an entertaining plot make this a great watch for Elvis fans. Costner and Russell play goodguy/badguy routine very well. Highly recommended.

Published 6 months ago by Mr. Michael J. Lupo

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad action film
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars, but I can't give it 4. I love Kevin Cosner in this movie, but many of the actors didn't really do to great. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Ty Wilde

5.0 out of 5 stars 3000 Miles to Graceland
One of my favorite movies. Great to finally see the uncut version. The music in this movie is awesome. For me this movie is a classic.

Published 17 months ago by Syd3

1.0 out of 5 stars A PATHETIC STINKER!
This is one of the worst scripted movies i have ever watched.I bought the dvd because I am a huge Kurt Russell fan. It went into the garbage can after the 1st viewing. Read more

Published 17 months ago by JOJO DANCER

4.0 out of 5 stars It's great action movie I've watched. I'm glad to see it in Blue ray
It's great action movie I've watched. I'm glad to see it in Blue ray

Published 18 months ago by Di Van

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 173 customer reviews...