Rating: 
Summary: Bubba-licious
Review: The wonderful potrayal of the aged Elvis by Campbell is what makes this movie cool and watchable, and for that, i give it 4 stars. I can't say much about the special effects which is averagely okay. The story itself is slow-moving but in a way interesting. If you're a big fan of Bruce Campbell, independent movies or an avid fan of x-files type conspiracy theories, then you definitely should watch this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Instant Campy Cult Classic-Original and Poignant.
Review: After reading a plethora of critical raves, and some mixed reviews from everyday moviegoers, I finally could no longer resist to buy this DVD. This is one of the few instances where I took a chance on buying a DVD of a film I had not seen where it turned out to be very worthwhile.
Truly a unique film, that is beyond categorization, director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) and main actor Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Army Of Darkness) have effectively blended elements that are horrific, comedic and dramatic at the same time.
The Plot: A sinister looking home for the elderly is plagued by bizarre deaths. A very much alive Elvis Presley and an african american incarnation of John F. Kennedy are long forgotten residents of this home and take it upon themselves to discover the cause of their friends' deaths. They stumble upon an ancient egyptian curse and a soul reaping mummy.
This is not the slapstick, brainless comedy of recent films like American Pie and Scary Movie, but rather a thoughtful dialogue driven film full of insightful meditations on life and growing old courtesy of the contemplative musings of the aged Elvis (Bruce Campbell). The social commentary of this film speaks volumes about the inherent ageism present in today's society that results in the glorification of youth and the disregarding of the elderly.
The film is low on horror, the gore is non-existent but the laughs are quite frequent and the film constantly challenges the viewer to think. Quite a feat considering the utterly implausible nature of the plot that seems completely non-sensical at first glance.
If you are expecting an over the top, hilarious, gorefest like Evil Dead look somewhere else. However, if you are looking for something totally different and far removed from the usual Hollywood schlockbusters (Terminator 3, The Hulk, Bad Boys 2), you are in the right place.
The DVD is awesome too with great packaging and tons of extras-deleted scenes, photo gallery, making of...featurettes. All in all, an irresistible DVD for fans of the truly bizarre.
Rating: 
Summary: Bruce Stumbles
Review: Lacks the sharp whit of other Bruce Campbell pics. Cute, but makes a better rental.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique moving drama
Review: Bubba Ho-Tep may be the first serious drama to disguise itself as a goofy horror/comedy. Great acting from Ossie Davis and Bruce Campbell and a terrific story by Joe R. Lansdale are molded by writer/director Don Coscarelli into a funny, touching movie that's more Wrestling Ernest Hemingway and Grumpy Old Men than Evil Dead and Phantasm. Not just a unique cult item, it's an insightful look at how society discards and patronises the elderly, instead of looking after and revering them as some cultures do.
Rating:
Summary: Makes Schindler's List look positively unfunny!
Review: Bubba Ho-Tep (Don Coscarelli, 2002)How is it possible to not like this movie? Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead) plays Elvis, who switched places with an Elvis impersonator, intending to reclaim the throne after he'd had a breath of fresh air, but the impersonator topped himself. Ossie Davis (no introduction necessary) is John F. Kennedy, forced into obscurity by a government plot and dyed black to stop anyone from recognizing him. The two of them have to stop a thousands-year-old mummy who's taken up residence at their rest home in order to feed on the energy of the dying. Based on a story by Joe R. Lansdale (The Two-Bear Mambo, Act of Love, etc.) and written and directed by Don Coscarelli (only his third big-screen offering outside the Phantasm dynasty in the past twenty-five years). I mean, you can't go wrong. Not to say the movie doesn't have problems. The more surreal the script, the better Coscarelli works with it (witness the brilliance of the original Phantasm, one of the finest horror movies of all time); conversely, the more "real" a script is, well, the less it ends up working. (Phantasm III, for example, with its long, slow stretches of exposition.) Coscarelli has gotten better at same over the years; what the movie is really about is Elvis and JFK, and how two guys who are both certifiable bond in the face of a crisis. There's still loads of exposition, but it moves by more quickly than usual with Coscarelli. Campbell and Davis seem to work well together, though the two of them don't really have the chemistry to make the bond believable. That can be overlooked with the acting talent in here. Aside from Davis and Campbell, there are wonderful minor roles offered up by Ella Joyce (of Roc fame), Reggie Bannister (Phantasm), Heidi Marnhout (Phantasm IV), Daniel Roebuck (who may do many things, but will always be remembered as the murderer in River's Edge), and Bob Ivy as The Beaver... erm, Bubba Ho-Tep (continuing the "let's cast a stuntman as the monster" phase in horror films). The dialogue is quick, witty, and just this side of completely off the wall (as is to be expected from Mr. Lansdale). It's got all the hallmarks of really good low-budget horror. But the real treat here is in the DVD extras. Loads of commentary, a couple of mini-docos, the "Brian Tyler plays everything" music video (Tyler, a new wunderkind whose credits include Darkness Falls, Frailty, and Vampires: Los Muertos, about which the music was the only decent thing, looks startlingly enough like Lansdale I thought he was the one playing the instruments), Joe Lansdale reading a piece of the original story (with the accompanying bits of film relevant), and more. A lovely treatment that more films should get. *** ½
Rating:
Summary: So, How was Marylin in the Sack?
Review: This is a great drama film! Elvis and a black man who believes that he is JFK battle a soul-sucking mummy in a Texas nursing home.
Horror purists have given this mixed reviews, and most fans of the mostly pathetic mainstream comedies will probably find it too "weird." So, I'll just go ahead and classify this as drama.
Sue me.
The dvd contains some insightful commentary by Bruce Campbell and the director. What I really dug was the extra they had in which the author of the short story reads the first chapter. I am going to go back and find that author's name and seek out his work, from what I could tell, he writes wickedly.
Even if the premise sounds ridiculous, I believe that this film can be interpretted in different ways. It shows the horrors of growing old, and becoming forgotten in this country, and yet is also a tribute to the true American Spirit- bravery and loyalty and virtue.
Ask not what your nursing home can do for you...
Rating:
Summary: Poetry baby, pure poetry...
Review: Screw the naysayers. An existential senior citizens vs. mummies horror comedy to warm the heart. Watch it with your grandmother. Bruce Campbell is 'The King'! Ossie Davis should be president. Keep an eye out for Reggie Bannister.
Rating: 
Summary: Over-rated piece of crap
Review: I can't believe the Horror Writers of America gave the screenplay award to this thing and didn't even nominate The Eye.
The only people who like this movie are those who think the word "workshed" is cool.
Rating:
Summary: Don't mess with the king baby
Review: A purposely over the top schlock-fest directed by Phantasm director Don Coscarelli and starring Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell as Elvis Presley; Bubba Ho-Tep insane comedic horror hybrid that is as fun as it is ridiculous. The story reveals that Elvis didn't die, and instead lives at a rest home in Texas with JFK (Ossie Davis) whose body was died black and brain transplanted in a matter of national security. The resthome however is soon terrorized by an ancient mummy with a penchant for cowboy boots who is sucking the souls from the elderly residents; and it's up to the King and JFK to stop him. Purposely ludicrous, but at the same time sincere, Bubba Ho-Tep is pure laugh out loud hilarity from beginning to end. Campbell is perfect as Elvis, giving what maybe the best performance of his career. His imitations, karate, and voice of Elvis are nearly perfect. The makeup and effects aren't bad either for a low budget movie, and the whole cast and crew seems to be having a blast doing this. Bubba Ho-Tep's only flaw is in it's pacing and final showdown which could have been better, but all together this is definitely worth seeing. The DVD features are plentiful for a single disc DVD release, with an intriguing making of and two commentary tracks; one of which is Campbell as "the King" which is absolutely hilarious.
Rating:
Summary: One Step up from Troma
Review: A weird, off-the-wall idea that never really takes off. Of course, the Presley estate would never allow actual Elvis music to used in this film (it would probably cost five times what went into the film in the first place), so, as far as I'm concerned, ANY film about Elvis without his voice suffers. That's what made him the King.
You could have Elvis battling a mummy AND Martians and, if he sang, people would believe it. Look at his movies! The public bought just about all of them when they were released. Letting Elvis sing would allow anyone watching the film to understand why he was who he was. (But I can't blame the filmmakers for that because this is a very low-budget film). In the extras, the writer/director admits that, trying to submit BUBBA HOTEP in festivals, he didn't know which genre to label his film. That's another major problem: it never really decides what it wants to do. It's never particularly funny and it's never scary.
It's not hard to see Bruce Campbell as Elvis and a lot of screen time goes into explaining how the King ended up in a Texas nursing home, but too little time is spent trying to convince us that the great Ossie Davis is JFK. By the time it was over, it felt like a dry curiosity, not a camp classic.
And I really wanted it to be camp classic.
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