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Out of prison after five years and a half years, Michael (Kurt Russell)—along with former
cellmate Murphy (Kevin Costner) and Hanson (Christian Slater), Gus (David Arquette) and Franklin (Bokeem Woodbine)—plans to rob the Rivera Casino dressed as Elvis Presley
impersonators during International Elvis Week in Las Vegas. The robbery is pulled off, the gang loses a member, and the casino loses $3.2 million in cash to the fake
Elvises—not to mention the countless slot machines, guests, police and bystanders gunned down. Back in their motel hideout, the four criminals fight over the loot until
other partners are shot. The plot thickens as one of those left for dead survives (thanks to a bullet proof vest). From then on it's a mad chase for the bag of money, with the
characters trying to steal it from one another, damaging more property and killing more people along the way.
3,000 Miles to Gracelandmight as well as be retitled 30,000 Bullets to Graceland. It's a bloodbath from beginning to end, with explosions and gun
fights trying to cover up for the skimpy plot and poor screenplay. As glass ceilings collapse from bullets and blood is spurted on floors and walls, there are intercuts of
sexy-dancing showgirls in sequined bikinis and of criminals in gaudy Elvis costumes shot in slow motion. The viewer wonders if this technique—with the camera focusing on
wiggling female torsos and billowing bejeweled Elvis capes—is intended to portray crime as sexy or entertaining.
Murphy is mean and murderous, most of all, though all the lead characters are driven by the
hunger for money, a hunger that is not even the least explained or justified. There is murder, robbery, fornication, car theft, pick-pocketing, destruction of property, money
laundering, and corruption of a minor-all for love of money. Not an ounce of human tenderness is shown in this movie, only greed for money. Even the child character is a smart
8-year-old who picks pockets, idolizes criminals and sneaks into the bedroom to steal while his mother is having very loud sex with a guy. Does this mean the kid is used to
seeing his mom "in action", and the mother, a first rate opportunist and manipulator, approving of her child's budding kleptomania? And as if all those gunshots were not
ear-spitting enough, there's profanity all over. Sixty (60) "f" words in 125 minutes means one "f" word every two minutes. Add to that 21 "s" words plus a spinkling of other
cuss words and you have a total assault to the senses—very draining to the spirit, indeed. What's most disturbing about this movie is not just the carnage of the
unscrupulous enjoyment of ill-gotten wealth, but the fact that the characters are unrepentant—as if to cheat, lie, or kill for money were an inalienable right.
(Date reviewed: April 27, 2001)
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