SPOILER-FREE SUMMARY
Following his Comeback Special in 1968, rock legend Elvis Presley signed on to do a Las Vegas residency at the International Hotel (now the Westgate Las Vegas). After his death in 1977, there were rumors that footage of some of those Vegas shows (and even some rehearsals) existed but were lost to history. While director Baz Luhrmann was making the 2022 biopic ELVIS starring Austin Butler, 35mm and 8mm footage was located in Kansas salt mines where Warner Bros. stored some of their archives. Luhrmann and his team restored the Vegas footage and present it here for a limited run in IMAX theaters.
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
First and foremost, the concert footage, the rehearsal footage and the crowd footage is absolutely stunning. It’s a true testament to Luhrmann’s team that we can, in 2026, be in awe of the vibrance and brilliance of scenes that were shot over 55 years ago. Seeing EPiC on an IMAX screen is worth every penny, if only for that.
Secondly, this movie documents a master at work. Being able to witness one of the greatest American performers in history develop a show with his band, back up singers and crew is truly something to behold. Luhrmann takes all of this incredible footage and makes the audience feel like they’re a fly on the wall during those extremely exclusive sessions.
Thirdly, if 2022’s ELVIS and the 2024 Netflix documentary RETURN OF THE KING taught us anything it was that Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, propelled — and destroyed — his career. Like an abusive relationship, Parker slowly isolated Elvis until he felt he had no choice but to keep him around. There’s one frame that Luhrmann catches of Parker that will stain itself in your brain that’s, again, worth the price of admission alone.
As visually stunning as it is and as much as Elvis’s charisma is on full display, there are a handful of drawbacks as well. The biggest of which is the horrible audio mixing in the opening, say, 15 minutes. The music beds are so loud that the dialogue is nearly impossible to comprehend. This is rare audio of one of the greatest entertainers in history talking about his career, his journey, his life… and it’s completely swallowed up.
Also of note, it was pretty clear early on that Luhrmann was willing to sacrifice quality for momentum. Plenty of movies are employing an ADHD-style of filmmaking that can be a bit unnerving at times. The opening of EPiC turns that up to 11. The audience can hardly appreciate the flurry of photos building on top of one another before it’s over, only to bring that same effect back moments later when you brain has tried to move on to the next fast-moving thing. The problem is, it’s not at the end of the movie so it sets the tone for what you’re about to watch.
EPiC reminded me of Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT. Michael, of course, never got to do those shows in London but the rehearsal footage was put to use by creating a feature-length documentary about what would’ve been. In EPiC, we see another master of his craft rehearsing and perfecting his show but with the payoff of seeing what come to fruition.
All in all, the visuals are striking and the access to those lost moments are spectacular. But, honestly, being able to witness Elvis’s joy brings the audience joy, and that’s the true hero of EPiC. This was a troubled artist who, again thanks to Parker’s management, went onto resent his Vegas residency since it kept him from touring places he wanted to go (New York, Japan, etc.). So, to see him on stage, laughing with his bandmates, joking with his singers and smiling at the blessed life he leads is truly special. And we should all thank Luhrmann for that gift.
JKG SCORE: 8.0
Untitled Film Project 