Bubba Ho-Tep

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

I loved this film; from the opening “Ben-Hur” nod to the hieroglyph subtitles, it's simultaneously hilarious and poignant, with great performances.

The Hollywood Reporter David Hunter

A zinger-filled crowd-pleaser that open-minded Elvis fans (but by no means all) will have fun with.

Newsweek David Ansen

A one-of- a-kind horror movie: hilarious, a little scary and strangely poignant. Campbell’s cranky, valiant, sad-sack King is a soulfully funny creation.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

Campbell is flat-out great, muting his beloved Sam Raimi shtick in favor of a genuine character turn, an act of transformation that makes you wonder why he's never been called on to interpret Elvis before.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

A charming surprise, the kind of neat little low-budget movie that seems more like a collaboration among friends than it does a corporate investment.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Endearing and vulgar in about the right proportion. The movie doesn't exactly work, but sometimes when a car won't start, it's still fun to look at the little honey gleaming in the driveway.

Premiere Aaron Hillis

A wildly creative amusement, thanks mostly to Campbell, whose weathered yet still-taking-care-of-business Elvis is alone worth the price of admission.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

Surprisingly good as a quirky triumph of human spirit.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

As a satire and an off-the-wall comedy, Bubba Ho-Tep hits the bullseye. As a horror movie, it's less successful. Maybe we're too busy laughing to be scared.

New York Post Megan Lehmann

It's a credit to the actors, particularly the superb Campbell, that completely preposterous material can be made strangely touching.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Not a comedy of guffaws and goofy gags, but a wry, underplayed little piece with an undercurrent of loss and abandonment.

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

This horror-comedy about an aging Elvis in a haunted rest home proves not only is "Evil Dead's" Bruce Campbell a good actor, but possibly a great one.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

The film's good humor is often betrayed by its low-budget roots, however, as though it couldn't afford to be more original or ambitious than its premise.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Much of the film is sub-sophomoric, but Campbell and Davis give hilarious deadpan performances.

Empire Chris Hewitt

Diehards might be disappointed at the lack of chainsaw wielding, but this is Campbell’s finest hour since you-know-what.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Based on a short story by Joe R. Lansdale, this low-key oddity stresses character over broad laughs and shock effects, allowing Campbell and Davis to develop a quirky rapport that's a real pleasure to watch.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Playing against rubber-faced type, cult icon Bruce Campbell grounds his Elvis in a wry, understated swagger that holds the film's wacky excesses in orbit and does more honor to the legend himself than a thousand Vegas lounge-show wannabes.

Chicago Tribune Kevin M. Williams

Coscarelli, the man behind the long-running "Phantasm" splatter series, can't quite conjure a complete movie out the concept and stretches the material until its humorous conceits repeat ad nauseum.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's the sort of sophomoric exercise that will be appreciated chiefly by viewers already convinced they love it even before they've bought their tickets.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Mismatched marriage of offbeat character study and unimaginative horror riffs. Most compelling element by far is Bruce Campbell's inspired performance as a nursing home patient who insists he is the real Elvis Presley.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

A leisurely paced, subtly funny, though verbally crude chamber piece.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

A leisurely paced, subtly funny, though verbally crude chamber piece.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Don Coscarelli, writer-director of the logy, fatuous Bubba Ho-Tep, is trying to will a cult movie into existence -- which, of course, never works.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

Adapted from a story by Joe R. Lansdale, this might have squeaked by as a half-hour "Twilight Zone" episode, albeit with jokes about toilets and erections in old age.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

There is a grungy high spirit during the first third of this film, but then it dissipates like a mist from an aerosol can.

Village Voice Ed Halter

Though unpainfully entertaining, its greatest dose of otherworldly mojo must have been spent warding off straight-to-video status.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Limp spoof.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

The film stars Bruce Campbell of the "Evil Dead" series as Elvis in a touching, funny and at times grotesque performance that is actually the best thing about the movie.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Davis contributes his usual dignity -- not easy when you're playing a character who thinks he's John F. Kennedy dyed black -- but it's not enough to save this silly thriller-comedy.