Very disappointing...

Too many fans seem to be blown away

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Great costuming for all those Elvis impersonators, especially the guy in the red jumpsuit actually performing, but after the caper that serves as the main plot point of the story, it becomes a bit of a muddled mess. I saw this years ago and had forgotten most of the principal players besides Costner and Russell, so that was about the biggest plus for me this time around. Kevin Costner is particularly vile in his portrayal of Murphy, the brains behind the casino heist, but throwing dead Franklin (Bokeem Woodbine) out of the helicopter was a bit much, don't you think? And how about all those security guards at the Riviera getting mowed down by Murphy and his bunch? You would think they'd hit more guys than Franklin just by accident with all those bullets flying around. While Murphy stands out there pretty much wide open without getting a nick. Preposterous stuff, but if you go for this kind of thing, it's pretty entertaining. I did have to rewind the bedroom scene between Kurt Russell and Courteney Cox; did they invent some kind of new Kama Sutra position there? I've never tried it but it didn't look like the angles would work, if you know what I mean. Hey, if Elvis is your guy, you might want to check out a Bruce Campbell flick that came out a year after this one did, called "Bubba Ho-Tep". It's about Elvis Presley, imitating an Elvis Presley impersonator. Try to wrap your head around that idea.

3000 Miles to Graceland (2001): Dir: Demien Lichtenstein / Cast: Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollack: 3000 miles of violence and mayhem with as much stupidity as possible. Title is suppose to represent freedom and introduces Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell as Elvis impersonators who lead a group in robbing a casino. We are given a massive shootout before they escape to their hideout where Costner murders all his cronies save for Russell who escapes. He hooks up with a confused mother and her thief son. She steals the money and abandons her son with him. Director Demian Lichtenstein just rolls the camera and let's them fight without any care as long as viewers are entertained by its pointless mayhem. The two leads prevail despite idiotic dialogue. Russell goes from villain to responsible player when the woman's son is involved. Costner goes from villain to killing his whole team. This cannot end without violence and that is exactly where it resolves. Courteney Cox as the mother is standard issue whose best scene seems to have her bound and gagged in a trunk. She is not sympathetic nor likable here. Christian Slater appears briefly as doomed Elvis impersonator. Kevin Pollack is cast as the U.S marshal but the role is pretty standard and flat. Pointless violent encore is louder than most construction sites. Score: 4 / 10

Michael Zane (Kurt Russell) meets Cybil (Courteney Cox) and his thieving kid at a desolate motel. He sleeps with her after 5 1/2 years behind bars. Elvis fanatic Thomas Murphy (Kevin Costner), Hanson (Christian Slater), Gus (David Arquette) and Franklin (Bokeem Woodbine) come to pick him up for a job. They set off to rob the Riviera Casino as Elvis impersonators.The movie tries so hard to be an edgy crime drama. It starts from the beginning with the CG scorpion battle. It looks cheesy and bad. There is some shoot em up action but not done that well. Too much slow motion is used. Everything is done aggressively that none of it is that compelling. Demian Lichtenstein is simply not at the upper echelon of directors that this movie needs. The kid is so annoying. Some of the characters act stupidly. None of them are likable and there is no rooting interest. It's a slick crime drama but the style doesn't work.

I never saw this film on the big screen. I wish I had...as it is made for that size screen. Having 2 big names stars in it was a draw to begin with. Cosner and Russell do excellent jobs as bad men..who do everything outside of the law. Cosner is especially sadistic at times...he has no regard for anyone or anything. Russells' character is a criminal..but seems to have some redeeming qualities about him at times. To mix it up a little..they add a woman...Courtney Cox..to the mix..along with her kid..a rather smart mouth one at that...who may or may not be Russels' son..(it is implied...). So..it is about bad guys who basically want MONEY...and they are going to fight each other to get it. Sharing does not fit into their plans at all...as they travel to Vegas...the land of casinos and Elvis...and of course..MONEY...which is what they plan to get by dressing up as Elvis impersonators..no one will notice that since there is an Elvis convention going on there. It makes for a perfect cover. As the film goes along..we kind of want to root for the underdogs to get away...but we know by now that they probably won't win. The kid sees all of this stuff go down...he is more or less a hostage of sorts. He is getting a huge crash course in being tough and being a grown man. We cannot help but wonder what kind of man he will actually grow up to be in later years. I did like the ending quite a bit...with Coaster being gunned down...and Russell getting away via the stolen ambulance...helped by Cox and the kid. Did they live a happy and sweet life with all the stolen money? We kind of want to hope they did. Crime doesn't pay..as this film clearly shows...but maybe it also shows a kind not so bad guy might be able to change his ways when he finds out he has a son and a woman who truly loves him.