Review of 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) by Timothy S — 02 Jun 2011

I don't think anyone in their right mind would confuse "3000 Miles to Graceland" with a good movie, but it is probably the best bad one I've seen in a while. The casting is inspired, the story is a lot of fun and the action sequences are thrilling. Director Demian Lichtenstein has an obvious flair for this type of film, but he also takes it overboard every chance he gets. For the most part, the movie is overdirected to the extreme with lots of quick cuts and arty touches that add nothing to the proceedings. Quite the opposite, in fact, they are very distracting. This is not "Natural Born Killers", but I think it would sure like to be.

Still, despite myself, there is still plenty here to admire, beginning with the cast. It's great fun seeing Kurt Russell playing Elvis once again, and I loved seeing Kevin Costner playing against type as a psychotic killer. The scene in which the casino is robbed is intense, but it's nice to see the film is so much more than that. It's a wild ride, with a lot of surprises and crazy characters that pop up along the way. Despite a lot of reservations, I had a good time. The film is long for an action picture, but it never feels long. The pacing is laid back, but it's never boring. Ad it also features one of the weirdest opening credit sequences you're likely to see.

"3000 Miles to Graceland" is a loud, flashy and entertaining macho movie that needs to catch you in the right mood. The fun you'll have overshadows all of the film's shortcomings and problems.