The King: Austin Butler shakes, rattles and rolls in Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' biopic

It’s the “wiggle” that gets your attention in “Elvis.” But it’s the swagger and strut of Austin Butler, bumping and grinding his way through a star-making turn as Elvis “the Pelvis” Presley, that gets you all shook up. in Baz Luhrmann’s whirling-dervish musical biopic, “Elvis.”

As conceived by Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge”), the movie is a tornado of sights, sounds and snug, jeweled-encrusted jumpsuits. And true to his bigger-than-life subject, Luhrmann throws in all but the kitchen sink in telling the rags-to-riches rise and sad decline of the King over his 42 years.

It’s the typical cradle-to-grave depiction, much of it rote for Elvis diehards. But for the uninitiated, it chronicles how stardom was sudden for the only son of Vernon (Richard Roxburgh) and Gladys (Helen Thomson) Presley, of Tupelo, Mississippi. As a teenager, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, where he sought musical refuge on Beale Street beside friends B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Little Richard (Alton Mason) and Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Yola).

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The outrage over his “lewd gyrations” followed and racial tensions surfaced. To win more favor from appalled parents, Elvis enlisted in the Army and was dispatched to Germany. Upon his return, his sketchy movie career ensued, followed by the energetic 1968 TV special and eventual comeback in 1969 at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Fat Elvis enters the building too. It’s all here, wedged onto the screen via newspaper headlines, animation, archival footage and close-ups of photographs and objects. You name it, Luhrmann unleashes it with wild-eyed glory. Call it a visual feast, but it is really just cinematic ADHD, hopped up on energy and ambition masking narrative deficiencies.

The biggest liability is the choice to tell Elvis’ story through the perspective of his dodgy, longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker. As played by Tom Hanks, the Colonel is a self-described “snowman,” as in being adept at the “snow job.” Nothing but a conman in a Fedora, Parker, a former carnival barker, claims he “gave the world Elvis Presley,” but all he did was lie, cheat, steal and work the young singer like a mule. The movie comes to a dead halt whenever it concentrates on Parker, a part that’s all wrong for an actor as sweet and good-natured as Hanks. As for Elvis’ rocky marriage to his teenage-bride, Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge), it feels inconsequential at best.

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Ringing in at a whopping 159 minutes, the film feels never-ending. By Act III, the script by Luhrmann and Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, shifts unapologetically into the melodramatic, with Elvis hitting rock bottom and everyone around him weeping.

The movie is heavy with on-the-nose metaphors, such as Parker guiding a lost Elvis through a carnival fun house. Ultimately, Luhrmann displays a love for his subject, redeeming himself with a tender, emotionally stirring finale that I won’t spoil. There are plenty of other high notes too. The relationship between Elvis and his mother is depicted with grace. Elvis was a mama’s boy and not in the least bit ashamed of it. Their scenes together are some of the film’s strongest.

As expected, there’s a parade of hit songs: “Suspicious Minds,” “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel” … To up the ante, Luhrmann tosses in modern-day hip-hop and period music from Elvis’ aforementioned Beale Street pals.

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At the heart of it all is Butler. Whenever he’s performing – that’s mostly him singing – the film soars. Off-stage, Butler has Elvis’ soft-spoken cadence down pat. He’s not doing an impersonation; he’s capturing the essence. And the wiggle.

Elvis has been dead for 45 years, three years longer than he lived. Yet, the King still means an awful lot to a lot of people. I didn’t grow up with Elvis, but the movie helps put the phenomenon into perspective and reintroduces his music. Whatever misgivings one may have about “Elvis,” there's no denying its visceral impact.

‘Elvis’

Rating: R for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking

Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Luke Bracey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Kodi Smit-McPhee

Director: Baz Luhrmann 

Writer: Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner

Running time: 159 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters June 23

Grade: B

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Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: In 'Elvis,' Austin Butler dazzles in a performance fit for a king