Directed by: Demian Lichtenstein
Written by:Richard Recco, Demian Lichtenstein
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, Christian Slater, Kevin Pollack, David Arquette, Jon Lovitz, Howe Long, Thomas Haden Church
Released: May 24, 2001
Grade: B-

Michael Zane (Russell) has just finished a five year stint in the slammer but he’s already got a new illegal scheme in the works.  With a team led by old friend Thomas Murphy (Costner), they plan to rob a Las Vegas casino during Elvis Week.  The big event gives them the perfect disguise and dressed entirely in Elvis gear (complete with sideburns), they walk away with over three million dollars.

From this point, it’s all a matter of trust.  Wants all the money for himself, Murphy kills the rest of the team in a motel room.  Michael expected just as much and survives thanks to the bullet proof vest he was wearing.  Taking the money himself, Michael escapes with hotel owner Cybil (Cox) and her 9-year-old son and heads north to escape the authorities.  However Murphy is on his tail and the cops aren’t much further behind...

Rated R for its heavy violence, 3000 Miles To Graceland begins well.  I wasn’t sure what the story was about and the opening plays more like a comedy.  Following the robbery, the film takes a darker tone and fizzles with an overly serious weak ending that relies on too many coincidences.  The film is over two hours in length which is an arduous duration to sit through considering the ending isn’t worth it.

Kurt Russell gives a great performance as an Elvis impersonator and the rest of the cast are generally good also.  I’m always plugging good opening credits and this film has some inventively created computer graphics.  3000 Miles To Graceland doesn’t offer much and with much better currently screening, won’t be showing for much longer.