It ought to have been apparent that Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, an acid journey of a biopic, would open up the floodgates to carry on an Elvissaince. Persevering with the pattern of reviving Elvis Presley and bringing the late singer into the present popular culture zeitgeist is Agent Elvis, a raunchy grownup animated sequence that imagines Elvis as a foul-mouthed American spy.
From Sony Animations and creator Mike Arnold, Agent Elvis is an Archer-like animated sequence that takes what is understood about Elvis and warps actuality to supply another tackle the King of Rock. Inexplicably voiced by Matthew McConaughey, this model of Elvis is all the things one may think Elvis was from the surface wanting in, besides the famous person is a vigilante spy with a cocaine-addicted chimp as his sidekick. The ten-episode sequence is a glossy animated manufacturing that’s as trendy and bombastic as Luhrmann’s biopic. Nevertheless, the vulgar jokes, specific violence, and foul language are cranked as much as the max.
Associated: 10 Finest TV Reveals Like Archer
Agent Elvis is fairly darn wild and entertaining. There are numerous sudden and odd moments, however nothing is extra sudden and odd than McConaughey voicing Elvis. Not too dissimilar to Elvis, McConaughey has a voice that is distinct and integral to his persona. In Agent Elvis, there isn’t any try at even attempting to sound like the long-lasting singer. If there was ever a cause to have an exaggerated tackle the long-lasting Elvis voice, Agent Elvis is that cause. Stressing the oddness of the casting selection is the choice to have Elvis’ music play all through, even throughout scenes depicting him singing. There’s a stark distinction between how McConaughey sounds and Elvis’ singing voice — Austin Butler didn’t practically break his vocals for all times to produce other actors observe his efficiency with half-assed portrayals of the King. The primary episode immediately calls for a suspension of disbelief because the psychedelic animation is somewhat immersive, however McConaughey’s voice efficiency is a barrier to beat.
The opposite is Archer, the present to which Agent Elvis has a peculiar likeness. There isn’t any scarcity of animated sequence and movies with strikingly comparable animation kinds. Nevertheless, Agent Elvis is a sequence that calls for individuality. It needs to be famous that Mike Arnold, the sequence creator and showrunner, labored on Archer. Agent Elvis is extremely colourful and energetic, however the comparisons to Archer are simple and work in opposition to the sequence. From the writing to the characters, to the visible aesthetic and the characterization of Elvis himself, Archer’s presence is tough to disregard. The affect is deeply entrenched within the sequence and the title character. Animated Elvis is level-headed and fewer morally corrupt than Archer, however the character’s swagger, ego, and skill to speak along with his chimpanzee sidekick are too acquainted. Howard Hughes (Jason Mantzoukas) is principally Krieger, and CeCe Ryder (Kaitlin Olson) is a poor man’s Lana Kane, with a touch of Carol and Pam. If one is accustomed to Archer, it is simple to see how the character dynamics, tone and aesthetic favor the long-running animated sequence.
Apart from the Wikipedia-deep intel about Elvis that differentiates this sequence from Archer, Arnold can’t set up a novel voice with Agent Elvis. There are some makes an attempt that assist flesh out the idea, however the writing reverts again to essentially the most base stage, rising drained and predictable earlier than it even will get to Elvis’ induction to the key spy group in episode 4. It’s a stroke of luck that Elvis is as compelling as he’s; his popular culture cache is substantial. Agent Elvis lives and dies on its skill to successfully reinvent Elvis and his life on this crazed alternate actuality.
Visually, the present is a blast. Sony Animations has at all times been house to ingenious and artistic animation, and watching because it continues to develop is terrific. Agent Elvis has enjoyable with the idea at hand. Using coloration and framing significantly stands out. The recreation of notable Elvis imagery and moments can be enjoyable for followers in search of out these nostalgic journeys. The writing and jokes might fall flat, however what attracts one in is the high-octane, highly-stylized action-oriented animation. Agent Elvis begins and ends with a bang. Audiences, even the skeptical ones, can admit that it is entertaining.
It’s simply unlucky how lazy and unimaginative the writing is. There are good concepts, good ones at some junctures of the sequence, however the feeling of imitation permeates all through. The writing and the vulgar jokes will earn just a few chuckles, however there’s a lot extra to be gained had Elvis been faraway from the equation and Agent Elvis pulled a Stroll Exhausting. Crafting an unique famous person that moonlights as a singer by day and a spy by night time is an idea that stands by itself.
Agent Elvis finally fails to rise above the Archer comparisons and pave a path as distinctive and fascinating as its topic. It’s unclear if Netflix will entertain a second season, however it’s arduous to not see the moment curiosity that Elvis will generate and the way that enthusiasm for all issues nostalgia will maintain its recognition. Agent Elvis is a enjoyable, but tedious diversion which may unintentionally ship individuals to the superior raunchy animated spy sequence Archer.
Extra: Shadow & Bone Season 2 Evaluation: Sturdy, Intense & Thrilling Return To The Grishaverse
Agent Elvis is now streaming on Netflix. It’s ten episodes lengthy and rated TV-MA.