Someone that everyone knows, whose image, sound and mannerisms are indelibly ingrained in the pop cultural landscape.

Austin Butler must have felt that weight when he stepped into The King's shoes in Baz Luhrmann's new film, Elvis.

But you wouldn't know it to watch him. The actor nails the Southern accent, the stage movements - he captures the vibe. For someone who, without the hair, make-up and costuming, doesn't bear any resemblance to the real-life Elvis, it's easy to buy into Butler's Elvis.

Luhrmann's Australian-shot film details the dazzling, frenetic life of the music icon, through the lens of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks with a rather grating accent that is supposed to be Dutch).

The best part of the movie is the start, chronicling the early days, when Elvis' blues-inspired sound was gaining traction in the South.

Parker, who describes himself as a 'snowman' who pulls 'snow jobs' on the public by giving them what they don't think they should be allowed to want, sees Elvis as his ticket to fame and fortune, and sets about selling him to the masses.

Luhrmann's trademark glitzy, ostentatious style is certainly evident throughout the film, but perhaps more muted than in previous offerings.

Elvis covers just about all the songs you'd want to hear from the Presley catalogue, and how they're glitzed up for his final years in Las Vegas, but what it's really calling out for is further examination of his shortcomings.

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Elvis' drug addiction, infidelity and the fact he benefitted from being a white man playing black-inspired music is all touched on but never properly explored in depth.

There's no doubt that Elvis is an enjoyable movie, even at two hours and 40 minutes, but it's not as successful a musical biopic as Rocketman or Walk the Line.