Agent Elvis review: Presley’s foul-mouthed mayhem is a mixed bag

In Netflix’s adult animated comedy Agent Elvis, the titular music icon trades his jumpsuit for a jetpack as he joins a secret spy program and takes down the sinister shadowy enemies.

Story

Elvis Presley is preparing for his comeback special when he’s met by CeCe, a femme fatale with quick wits and quicker reflexes, who informs him that he’s on a kill list, just as his best friend Bobby Ray is kidnapped by Charles Manson.

After taking care of that lunatic and his hippie henchmen, Elvis is introduced to the TCB, a super secret spy program that’s been in existence for over a century, quietly shaping the world into what it is from the shadows, and through the power of influential celebrities.

Presley becomes Agent Elvis and embarks on a series of adventures most of which end up involving the bad guys using a sonic weapon to make susceptible people into feral beasts, driving them to kill each other.

Elvis later learns that the weapon was created by the TCB, which also experimented on him and extracted his DNA that served as the source for the sonic weapon before it fell into the wrong hands.

Presley severs his ties with the Commander and TCB but for the last mission, he needs to aim for outer space and help his chimp Scatter come back home after destroying the sonic weapons on the satellite meant to broadcast the singer’s live concert.

Performances

Matthew McConaughey leads the cast with his in-built trademark style that oozes cool with its many southern characteristics. Instead of opting for a mimicking style, McConaughey mostly says it like himself.

However, this choice is not to the detriment of the character, albeit those unable to mind the famous actor’s incredibly recognizable voice may find it off-putting. Generally speaking, though, his voice tends to sound rather natural and befitting of this animated rendition of Elvis within no time.

Priscilla Presley voices a younger version of herself and does a great job in the limited amount of dialogues she’s given. Meanwhile, Johnny Knoxville brings an undeniable charm to the character of Bobby Ray.

Tom Kenny is incredible at voices and it’s no different here as his voice for Scatter the chimp evokes many laughs throughout Agent Elvis. Niecy Nash is lovable as the sharp and cool, and often lethal Bertie.

Kaitlin Olson imparts just the correct fervor to her character of CeCe, as her displays of wit, sass, vulnerability, and frustration are all spot-on and effective. Meanwhile, Don Cheadle often steals the scenes with his foul-mouthed deliveries.

Positives

Agent Elvis benefits tremendously from the performances of its voice cast, with just about everyone bringing their A-game to the mic.

The animation style, which carries an uncanny resemblance to Archer, is eclectic and vibrant, and in many scenes, quite detailed as well.

Negatives

Though rife with expletives and gore, Agent Elvis lacks in the laugh department, with most of the affair seemingly focused on the edgy aspects.

The modern-day ‘therapy talk’ pervades certain characters’ storylines, especially CeCe’s, who could have been treated with a better, more fleshed-out arc.

There’s a concerted and very obvious effort at addressing the racism rumors and cultural appropriation baggage that Elvis’s legacy often comes with, which can come across as rather cringeworthy at times.

Verdict

With gore, goofs, and f-bombs aplenty, Agent Elvis suffers from a deficit of good jokes that inspire laughter, much less hilarity that many viewers might come to expect from the show.

While great in its moments, this adult-animated affair can come across as rather stale and repetitive at times, which renders the binging experience a mixed bag of amusements and disappointments.

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Also Read: Agent Elvis ending explained: Is Elvis Presley dead?