3000 Miles to Graceland

Details

When a group of ex-cons, led by a ruthless Elvis fanatic, decide to rob a Las Vegas casino, what better cover than an Elvis convention? With the place crawling with impersonators, they can blend into the sequinned masses and stroll straight towards the strong room.

They disable the security cameras as they move through the building - a smart move that unfortunately raises suspicions almost immediately. When the group are spotted inside the strong room, their carefully laid plan explodes into one of the most excessive gun battles in recent memory. Bullets fly in every direction and innocents are spared absolutely nothing.

The surviving crew make their getaway by helicopter and prepare to divide the sizeable hoard. Naturally, loyalty doesn't stretch very far in this outfit. Double-crossing is already on the cards, and nobody is seeing a penny until Murphy decides the time is right. With the police closing in, trust becomes the rarest commodity of all.

Picture & Sound

The picture is rich and colourful, and thankfully free from major artefacting. However, it suffers from noticeable edge enhancement, particularly during the bright exterior scenes. The bizarre computer-generated scorpion fight that opens the film looks painfully artificial and wildly out of place - an odd creative choice that threatens to derail things before they've even begun. Thankfully, once the action hits the neon glow of Las Vegas, the transfer redeems itself and the format finally gets a chance to show what it can do.

The soundtrack mirrors the film itself - quiet and fairly unremarkable for long stretches, then suddenly explosive when the bullets start flying. During the extended shootouts the surround channels finally wake up and the rock soundtrack gives the subwoofer a proper workout. Dialogue remains clean and centred throughout, which is just as well considering how chaotic everything else becomes.

Menu & Extras

The menu presentation is disappointingly flat - largely static, minimally scored and lacking imagination. The extras are equally underwhelming: a trailer and some basic cast text notes. Given the scale of the production and the chaotic energy of the closing credits sequence, it feels like a missed opportunity. Surely more behind-the-scenes material existed that could have fleshed this out.

Overall

Be prepared to see Courteney Cox like you've never seen her before. Unlike the rest of the Friends cast, she manages to cast aside her neurotic character typecasting and deliver a gritty and surprisingly sexy performance. You may not quite watch Friends the same way again.

Critics largely dismissed the film and cinema audiences stayed away, but there's a brutal energy here that's hard to ignore. Yes, it runs too long and yes, some of the stylistic choices are questionable, but Kevin Costner's cold-blooded turn as Murphy - and the sheer audacity of the central heist - give the film a vicious edge. If nothing else, it delivers one of the most savage robbery sequences you're likely to see.

Special features

• Theatrical Trailer
• Cast and Crew Notes