EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert was billed as the ultimate way to see the King of Rock’n’Roll, following Baz Luhrmann‘s 2022 Elvis biopic with Austin Butler.
It wasn’t.
Firstly, on a technical point. As you can see from the trailer, the film is a mix of 2.39:1 widescreen concert footage, 1.33:1 concert footage and various interviews/clips in the latter aspect ratio.
What i expected was what the trailer showed, which is for the entire thing to be shown within a 2.39:1 container. Most cinema screens are 2.39:1, especially in my cinema, so I expected 4:3 and similar content in the middle (pillarboxed), and then expand to fill the screen when such concert footage was shown, giving them maximum effect (similar to the recent Paris Hilton documentary). But no, it was just letterboxed within the 1.85:1 ratio (and the opening Universal logo was in 1.85:1, since it was a 1.85:1 container).
As such, on a 2.39:1 screen, you just end up with the concert scenes WINDOWBOXED within it all, and it looks anything BUT Epic!
Given that they made a separate version for 1.43:1 IMAX – with 4:3 scenes coming to the fore on that screen, why didn’t they just make a separate version for both 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 screens, too? That hapened for last year’s The Life Of Chuck, which is told in three sections, starts in 2.39:1, then goes to 2.00:1 and finally, 1.85:1.
This also reminds me of the recent 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music, where it would’ve made sense to show the 2.20:1 film within a 2.39:1 container. In this case, I saw it at a cinema on a 1.85:1 screen, and noticed it was within a 1.85:1 container because there was a pointless quiz section at the start that was framed that way. I later heard from someone who saw it on a 2.39:1 screen, and it looked terrible (because windowboxed) as a result.
Anyhoo, for the content, we don’t learn anything new about Elvis Presley – he was worked like a dog by Col. Tom Parker, was drafted into the army for two years, and so on… and since this is like a canter through his life, it would’ve been better to list the years as we go through them, but no. So, you don’t know when it is!
Even if you loved his music, you don’t even see a whole song! It just keeps cutting between performances and interviews, or footage of Elvis wandering about here and there. I’d rather just have a full concert, really.
And why did Elvis sometimes need a lyric sheet? Did the drugs stop him remembering them?
Nope, i just didn’t feel this at all, even when we get Elvis’ cover of Fine Young Cannibals’ Suspicious Minds. However, he does look a bit like Miles Teller as he gets older, especially when you see him in the mediocre Eternity.
What’s Baz Luhrmann doing next? Something about Joan Of Arc. No more Elvis, please!
NOTE: There are no mid- nor post-credits scenes.
EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD.
You can also buy the Original Soundtrack on Compact Disc and 2-disc Vinyl.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 97 minutes
Release date: February 27th 2026
Studio: Universal Pictures International
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1; 1.33:1; 1.85:1; 1.43:1 (IMAX)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 3/10
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Producers: Jeremy Castro, Matthew Gross, Baz Luhrmann, Colin Smeeton, Schuyler Weiss
Cast: (as themselves)
Elvis Presley
James Burton
Glen D Hardin
Charlie Hodge
Jerry Scheff
Ronnie Tutt
John Wilkinson
Bono
Sammy Davis Jr
Joe Guercio
Lisa Marie Presley
Priscilla Presley
Gordon Stoker
Red West
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.