the best musical of 1964. Ann-Margret was praised for her on screen chemistry with Elvis, as she nearly stole the film from him. Some critics in 1964 were lukewarm about Viva Las Vegas, such as one for The New York Times, who wrote: "Viva Las Vegas, the new Elvis Presley vehicle, is about as pleasant and unimportant as a banana split." However, many others deduced the reasons why many members of the North American public liked the movie so much. Variety stated in its review: "Beyond several flashy musical numbers, a glamorous locale, and one electrifying auto race sequence, the production is a pretty trite and 'heavyhanded' affair". Critical reaction notwithstanding, Viva Las Vegas has become one of Elvis Presley's most popular and iconic films. Contemporary reception for the film has been positive. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 30 reviews. The site's critics consensus reads, "Ann-Margret keeps Elvis on his toes and together they elevate Viva Las Vegas into a naughty and rockin' mild delight." The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs: "Viva Las Vegas" – Nominated 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated Soundtrack Home media Warner Home Video, August 1, 2000. This DVD release contains the movie in two formats on a flipper disc. One side contains the movie in the Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (4:3), the other side is in Widescreen (Letterbox). The soundtrack is presented in mono. Viva Las Vegas Deluxe Edition, Warner Home Video, August 7, 2007. Commentary by Steve Pond, rock journalist and author of Elvis in Hollywood Restored and Digitally Remastered in a 16x9 master, enhanced for widescreen televisions. Color/16x9 Anamorphic transfer 2.4:1 New featurette Kingdom: Elvis in Vegas Remastered soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1 from original production elements and original mono theatrical soundtrack. This film is the first of only two Elvis movies (the other being Jailhouse Rock) to be officially released onto every home media format distributed in the U.S. (Beta, VHS, CED Disc, Laserdisc, DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc) In popular culture The iconic classic racer anime character Gō Mifune (aka Speed Racer), and his racer image, complete with neckerchief and black pompadour, was directly based on Elvis's character in this movie. In the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski, the song "Viva Las Vegas" is playing as the Big Lebowski's wife,