Thursday, September 11, 2008

Movie Review: Viva Las Vegas (1964)

I decided to give the King of Rock 'n Roll a try for my latest movie night(s). Secretly, it took me two days to get through this one. It's not that it's a long movie, it's just longer than it needs to be.

Viva Las Vegas is the story of Lucky Jackson (Elvis Presley) who arrives in Las Vegas with his race car in tow with the hopes of racing in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All he needs is money for a motor, which he quickly wins and then loses. His only option is to become a waiter at the local hotel to earn the money back. He soon falls in love with the hotel swim instructor Rusty Martin (Ann-Margaret, conveniently always dressed in a bathing suit), but Rusty finds out that (spoiler alert!) racing is dangerous. She could never be with a man who might die in a car crash, so she attempts to make Lucky jealous by dating his rival racer, Count Elmo Mancini (Cesare Danova). Then there's some bit about a talent show where Elvis sings and Ann-Margaret strips.

Elvis is a much better actor than I was expecting him to be. I think I love him. (He reminds me of Jeff, you see.) He and Ann-Margaret are perfectly paired. And I think that Rusty Martin and Lucky Jackson are the best movie musical names, ever. However, there are a lot of questions I would like answered. For instance: Why didn't Lucky get the advertised prize for the talent show? If they can't afford a motor, how could he and Shorty afford a helicopter? Did Rusty just get over her hatred for racing, or did Lucky give up racing for her? How does Ann-Margaret's hair blow in the wind even when she's indoors? Could there BE any more shots of her behind?

Fast-forward moment: the montage of Lucky and Elmo ogling showgirls in search of Rusty. Kind of creepy.

Grade: C

Rewind that! Moment: For those of you looking for some sweet dance moves, here are a few suggestions.

5 Wisecracks:

Nicole said...

Is she wearing control-top pantyhose with nothing else? You're right, Elvis is cute. His speaking voice was even nice. Dreamy. :)

elizabeth said...

Oh man, seriously I LOVE Elvis. I have been to Graceland, don't be jealous. That clip you showed is my favorite tied with the one where he sings to her at the pool about how she loves him but doesn't know it yet. Elvis plotlines aren't that great, at least the music is awesome always.

Katy said...

I agree with Nicole-WHERE ARE HER PANTS?????? And they do love her behind, don't they!

allyn said...

that was probably the creepiest dance scene ever (tied with the dream sequence on oklahoma). does ann-margaret seriously need to be gyrating and shaking boobs non-stop?
she is cute, but a bit forward. elvis looks so much like aron's cousin, which i just noticed watching this clip. looks like a fun show.

melissa said...

If you thought that was creepy, allyn, definitely don't watch the rest of the movie. The rest of Ann-Margaret's dance numbers leave the Oklahoma dream ballet in the dust.