Lack of good storyline.

A different way of telling a story

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This movie is simply awful unless you are a born again Christian. The acting is bad - terrible- and the direction is a joke. However you can watch it with the kids and the songs are well written. There is really nothing else good to say about this. If you are a very religious Christian you may like it. The hero does not drink or smoke and has a blond wife. Everyone is good and there is barely any plot at all. Two twins are separated at birth even though the birth parents love them and without knowing each other ever become big stars, though one makes a living imitating the other. One dies and the other finds out and forgives all the good people involved. The end. By the way I have never written a one star rating ever before. Those who like this were those who did not walk out.

By now you know the story. The real Elvis had a twin brother who died at childbirth. This movie creates a hypothetical scenario wherein the twin lives but is adopted at birth.One boy goes on to become essentially Elvis (a fictional version of him) and the other goes on to become a preacher's son with a penchant for black music, and for the music of his long lost brother whom he doesn't even realize he is related to.The actors who played the couple who gave up one boy for adoption did a fine job of acting. I felt their pain. Ray Liotta was good too. A "personality" always plays themselves. An "actor" plays diverse roles. Liotta proved he could do that by veering way far from his "wise guy" persona.Ashley Judd was added presumably for star power, because her role either didn't require much, or she chose not to do much with it.As professional critics have noted, the lead actor (an Elvis impersonator in real life)lacked "heat." Ironically his character has wondered all his life why the other guy got all the fame and not him. Clearly the reason was because the other guy had confidence and generated sexual smoke.Our main character is way too nice and respectable to be a boogie-woogie icon. More significantly the actor did not convey a sense of desperation in being trapped on the wrong path, nor frustration in missing his train so to speak. This guy is not a professional actor, so I forgive him.The film needed a passionate lead. Liotta carried the torch, but our real lead dropped the ball. There was a scene where he turns down substantial money, but shows no signs of internal conflict about it. Even when his dad falls ill, we don't really see the agony we expect to see.I don't know what the heck was going on with the pro-Israel thing or the Jewish message. OK, the real Elvis was partially Jewish genealogically, but how close to you have to follow his life in this script, given that it was not officially about him? Throwing in stuff about war in Israel and the preacher's support was simply gratuitous and awkward.I'm o.k. with our lead not doing drugs or chasing women. Apparently the production company is Christian. That's fine, but I still needed to see more of a spiritual struggle between devotion to God and the darker forces represented by dance music, and a soulful battle by a dutiful son to please his father and himself simultaneously. This was not done successfully. But nice try. I enjoyed it anyways.The most unique aspect of this film was it's original music score. They used new, original Elvis-sounding songs rather than the same old tired cliché Elvis tunes. Regardless of whether this was for copyright reasons, I enjoyed the music and appreciated its' freshness.

I do not see how people are giving this spectacular movie such a low rating. Do yourself a favor and watch this as you will thank me later. A loosely based movie on the story of Elvis by a real Elvis impersonator. Do you have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy this? Absolutely not, but it's much more enjoyable if you are.By now you have read the other reviews and have an idea of what this film is about so no need to explain it again. Blake Rayne, Ray Liotta and Seth Green are outstanding!! You will be grinning from ear to ear singing and dancing along to this one as they are not Elvis songs but originals made for the film... a must see!!

---SPOILER ALERT--- THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILER---------This is the latest Elvis-movie, without ever mentioning his name. And that is so refreshing about it. The protagonist Blake Rayn has performed as Elvis impersonator, is tall, handsome and looks a almost like Elvis, he sings almost like Elvis. So the storyline is a new and wonderful idea: what if Elvis's twin brother Jessie Garon wasn't stillborn but given in adoption to another couple of parents after birth? What does it feel like to look exactly like the King of Rock and Roll and singing as good as he does? Having everybody in your small hometown saying how identical you are? And your father the preacher (Ray Liotta, great performance) wants you to be a man of God, but all you want to do is music? Working as an impersonator of your own twin brother without knowing who he is? Participating in a look-alike-contest with the King in the Jury pointing you out as the winner? But you are only a copy of the original and not allowed to sing your own songs and do your own music, to be a star of your own, because you already exist. Great script. And then, the untimely early death of the King leaves the Identical as the only one left. He learns the truth and has to make a decision: Tell the world who he really is or remain the impersonator? Find out for yourself, this movie is well worth watching.