Friday 20th August 2010

3000 Miles to Graceland

Director: Demian Lichtenstein
Year: 2001
Stars: Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, David Arquette

Yes, this was the second film of the night - but I was enjoying being lazy and not really having to do anything, so I figured another movie couldn't hurt!

I have to say, I was a bit surprised by this one. It wasn't really what I was expecting. I'd recorded it ages ago, and what I had remembered it being about (something to do with Elvis) really wasn't what it was about at all. Thankfully, it wasn't an entirely unpleasant surprise. The film follows a group of guys who break into a casino, and then the aftermath of the event. So yes, very much a thriller come crime movie. And not really about Elvis - although the title does have some relevance to the film.

As with the Calcium Kid (never thought I'd be comparing those two movies did you?), it was possible to see what this film was trying to do. It just didn't quite succeed. There's a pretty interesting plot at the heart of it. Unfortunately, the film makers seemed to think it was necessary to add in 20 minutes of explosions and action scenes every half an hour or so to keep people interested. The story would have been enough - and made the film a neat, tidy thriller. I get the feeling this may have been due to studio interference, but either way, it did what could have been a good movie no favours at all.

Rating: 3 out of 5