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3000 Miles to Graceland 2001 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Demian Lichtenstein
R, 125 min. (strong violence, sexuality, profanity) |
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Starring: Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, Christian Slater, Courteney Cox, Howie Long, Jon Lovitz, David Arquette, Ice-T
Producers: Demian Lichtenstein, Eric Manes, Elie Samaha, Richard Spero, Andrew Stevens
Screenplay: Richard Recco, Demian Lichtenstein
Cinematography: David Franco
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Released: 2.23.01 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
This is the type of movie that could have been done pretty well given a little more competence in
the director's chair. Showing us scenes of a boy hugging a complete stranger, especially a casino-
robbing convict running from the law, defies the plausibility clause for most movies. Since this movie
is somewhat serious, writing it off as "anything can happen in the movies" just doesn't cut it. The
movie has been scorched by most critics, but does have some good moments, just not enough to save it
from the inevitable and predictable cookie-cutter ending that most of these type of movies fall
into.
Murphy (Kevin Costner), Michael (Kurt Russell), and Hanson (Christian Slater) are ex-convicts who
decide to "surprise" everyone and rob a casino in Las Vegas (I'm sure no one has thought of that one before)
for over a million dollars disguised as Elvis impersonators. A well thought out plan makes their
heist successful, although a few in their group (also Elvis impersonators) are killed. Greed eventually
wins out among these surviving three and Murphy decides to knock off the other two and take all the
dough for himself. Murphy kills Hansas, but Michael escapes and hides out at their original meeting
place, a hotel where he stashes the money (which is stolen by a young boy). This is where the movie
takes a ridiculous turn when Cybil (Courteney Cox), a middle-aged mother caring for this young boy,
joins up with Michael for some unexplained reason. I think it was for "some adventure" or something
along those lines. Anyway, the predictable cat and mouse game starts with Murphy who is now hunting
them down for the money.
A relationship develops between Michael and Cybil, which is not believable in any way you choose to
look at it, but who really cares? The obvious shoot'em up concludes the movie,
but again we really don't care at this point anyway. Howie Long makes a decent cameo as Jack, one
of Murphy's pals who flies a helicopter, but his part is also wasted in this movie. After I first
saw this movie I thought it had some good points in it, but after some thought I've concluded that
there just isn't much here. The real question is what has happened to Kevin Costner? A decent
showing in Thirteen Days a few months ago is the only real credit to his resume in the last 5-6
years. He's light-years away from his masterpiece Dances With Wolves, that's for sure.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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