Agent Elvis review: Foul-mouthed Matthew McConaughey takes it home this time

Shortly after the heroics of Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis, which ended up going back empty-handed from the Oscars 2023, the pop singer is back in a different form with Agent Elvis. This is an animated take on the rock and roll legend, who is a covert government spy in this Netflix animated series. The 10-episode ride with Elvis Presley, who looks like, but barely feels like the Elvis people know about, is nothing short of hilarious.

Rooted deep in dark comedy and absurdism, Agent Elvis sounds like a story tailored for children but is far from it. With a debauched, sociopathic chimpanzee sidekick, a horde of bizarre villains, and the most offbeat Elvis on television in a long time, this Netflix show's silliness stands out in quite an intentional and poised way. It is guaranteed to give its viewers the laughs and keep them entertained throughout.

Agent Elvis, aided by great music handpicked from Elvis Presley's wide variety of work, is surely a perfect adult-animated series with some musical twist and a lot of twisted plotlines.

The series premiered on March 17, 2023, on Netflix.

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Agent Elvis review: Wait, is all that true?

Agent Elvis has a simple premise. Elvis Presley, voiced by Matthew McConaughey, has been offered the role of a spy for the government alongside Scatter (Tom Kenny), his foul-mouthed chimpanzee, pal Bobby Ray (Johnny Knoxville), and longtime personal assistant Bertie (Niecy Nash).

The first notable thing in this series is how the titular character does not sound like Elvis at all. McConaughey, who is known for his range and ability to adapt, sounds just like himself in this action-thriller premise. Moreover, it is quite odd and hilarious how a figure looks like Elvis and sounds like McConaughey. Perhaps this was the primary goal of the creators, who are driven by creating a comedy so absurd that it would force some laughs.

However, not everything is bizarre about this 10-episode season. Agent Elvis has time and again covered events in history, with a lot of additions that have actually taken place. Going through the historical accuracy of most of these cases and events, it is baffling that so many of these things have happened, if not in the way depicted in the series.

A lot of these accurate events come because of Priscila Presley, who was actively involved in the making of the series. She also voiced herself. Don Cheadle’s Commander is another intriguing addition to the pacy series.

There is almost no reason to get bored in this absurd fest. However, should one feel dissociated from the plot, the colorful animation, vibrant color schemes, and exceptional music is more than enough to hook viewers for 10 episodes. It was also wise to use modern sounds combined with Elvis' music, making the whole palette richer and more attractive.

This alternate version of Elvis is also quite different from the star fans know about, but that does not matter when he is fighting rogue criminals like Tom Cruise from Mission Impossible. Given the intended silliness, Agent Elvis can be forgiven for all the mistakes as long as it is this funny.

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All the episodes of Agent Elvis are now streaming on Netflix.