But this movie is a lot more serious than you would expect from the description and strangely, that makes it funny. Bruce Campbell stars as Elvis. The world thinks he is the Elvis-impersonator Sebastian Haff. But in truth, Elvis switched places with Haff years ago to get away from the fame that was sucking away his very soul. Unfortunately, as he was settling into a more enjoyable life, he fell off the stage while performing his impersonation of Haff impersonating him, and broke his hip. This led to a nasty infection, a coma and now he is stuck in a nursing home with a pus oozing growth on his pecker.
Campbell provides a running narative of Elvis's thoughts that are a razor sharp satire. He talks about his life, his fame, his drugs and his wife and daughter. He wonders what they would do if he came back. He wonders about what he gave up. He tries to figure out how he turned into this decrepit old coot. The narration is both funny and touching. It makes Elvis a real character instead of a charicature.
Nobody believes that he is Elvis except for one crazy old black man who says that he is President Kennedy. He says he was spirited away after the assassination attempt and dyed black for a foolproof disguise.
Both of these characters believe they are who they say they are with every fiber of their being. The film is willing to indulge them and it plays it all out as if they really are Elvis and JFK. Campbell turns in a dead on impersonation of the King in both appearance, voice and mannerisms. We never doubt for a second that this is Elvis and not some crazy guy. JFK (Ossie Davis) on the other hand is quite clearly not JFK but Elvis ignores that and just accepts him at face value. That sincerity makes the movie funny without resorting to a lot of slapstick and cheap laughs.
I can't say that the movie totally works. It needs more of the conversations between Elvis and JFK and less of the soul sucking mummy known as Bubba Ho-Tep. He's not frightening enough to be interesting and not silly enough to be funny. He's just sort of there. But I guess that Lyndon Johnson was unavailable so there you go.
The concept is so ridiculous and yet played with such solemnity that it's impossible not to at least chuckle at it. I found parts to flat out hysterical. It's wildly more original that most anything else you'll find at the theater. Give it a chance. Hail to the King baby.
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