There are some nice moments here and there but overall the film is meh. It's not hard to watch but it's a shame a strong ensemble doesn't have better material. Rachel McAdams was pretty good.

Cameron Crowe should thank his lucky stars that he got a cast of this caliber to do this script because the storyline is a complete mess. All of the material with the satellites and space does not work at all and makes the whole thing unnecessarily confusing, and it takes a long time to really understand what any of the characters are doing. This has clearly been through a lot of edits as you're kind of just thrown into the story from the getgo and left to put the pieces together (the delayed release is also noticeable as the film is set at Christmastime). All that being said, it's not unwatchable and I think critics are being too hard on it. I think it's the kind of movie that's going to play better on television on a rainy afternoon or something. The cast completely makes this movie and is really the only reason to see it. All the controversy about the whitewashing of Hawaiian culture is unjustified and the movie actually excels in that department for the most part. Bradley Cooper is solid and likable as the lead and Emma Stone lights up the screen as always, even though she's given stronger performances. The scene between the two of them in the hotel was great and I liked their characters a lot. The supporting cast doesn't really get a whole lot to do, though John Krasinski is funny in his scenes and Alec Baldwin basically plays himself decently. The main reason I'm giving this a somewhat generous grade is because of Rachel McAdams. Her performance here is excellent and one of her best, and belongs in a better movie. I loved her character and completely bought every emotional beat, she was so charming and lovable. Basically everything involving her works. The film also boasts some solid performances from the younger actors as well which was a nice surprise. It's also got nice cinematography and an expectedly great soundtrack. Crowe is honestly his own worst enemy here - he tries to accomplish too much with what should have been a rather simple story. With this cast this could have been a classic of the genre, unfortunately it's merely a somewhat pleasant diversion. B-

Cameron Crowe wrote and directed two of my favorite films, Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky, so I always champion him, but Aloha is easily the worst picture of his career to date: disjointed, at times very preposterous, and clearly unsure of itself at its core. The storyline, before it grows more and more contrived and convoluted, involves a disgraced military contractor (Bradley Cooper) returning to Hawaii at the behest of an enigmatic billionaire (Bill Murray). He meets, argues, and flirts with an overeager pilot (Emma Stone) while also circling an old flame (Rachel McAdams) with a strong-and-silent husband (John Krasinski). Within Aloha lies a simple, sweet, and modestly pensive romantic comedy, and it comes to the fore now and then, aided by an A-list cast as photogenic as the island where the action unfolds. No one delivers a revelatory performance here, but no one is awful, either. Put another way, everyone tries with a smile, but they must contend with a screenplay at once overcrowded and thinly developed. Every character has an artificial quality. There is the strong sense none of them could have existed before the film began, and they will not live on afterward. They are overdetermined constructs and symbols. Cooper and Stone begin to generate a certain tantalizing energy, but their characters are harshly pushed together. She repeatedly points out when he is cynical. He declares he prefers to "lone wolf" his way through life. The film stops only a hair short of flashing the words "SHE WILL REDEEM HIM AND SOFTEN HIS STONY HEART" on the screen at the outset; as a result, it is hard to be moved when the inevitable comes. The film's shortcomings as a romance, however, are overshadowed by an idiotic, naive, and out-of-left-field subplot involving, I swear, the militarization of space. Alas, to describe this dumbfounding diversion further would require spoiling the third act.

C

Bradley Cooper blows up a nuclear-equipped satellite by overwhelming it with pings of David Bowie songs and movie-quote soundbites.

*slowly bangs head on table, weeping*

Other observations:

1. The editor of the trailer did a wonderful job misrepresenting Bill Murray's character. Who knew he would turn out to be playing an ultra-wealthy megalomaniac trying to send his personal nuclear arsenal into space? I am still skeptical a couple hours after seeing the damn film. Does this subplot seriously exist?

2. The last scene almost moved me despite its extreme absurdity: through, it seems, sheer osmosis, she realizes the family friend she met a few days ago is her father, embraces him for five seconds, and then returns to her dance lesson. WTF? But nicely acted by the girl and Cooper.

^LOL totally agree with you on both that subplot and the ending.

The daughter was really good.

All of the stuff with space was atrocious.

Note to fallen filmmakers such as Cameron Crowe and Jason Reitman - do not get into some space shit in your movies.

Crowe's basic idea, I presume, was to replicate the crowd-pleasing, dual-pronged nature of Jerry Maguire: a traditional love story coupled with a story of a sports agent's trials and tribulations, thus expanding the film's audience. But he badly, badly botches the blend here. Everything to do with the Air Force and Bill Murray's character is wildly preposterous and crudely shoehorned in.

Why are Bradley Cooper's character and his portly, bearded tech friend (never glimpsed before or heard from after) not instantly arrested when they destroy a government satellite?

As someone who once claimed to be a huge Cameron Crowe fan and is currently a huge fan of the cast, this movie was maddening. A couple of good moments here and there, but it was incomprehensible (seriously, I still don't understand what was going on with those damn satellites) and amateurish on the whole.

Of the sins Aloha commits, the greatest by far is squandering a cast this talented and appealing. Rachel McAdams is the only one able to play a character who vaguely resembles a human being and thus fares the best by far. The normally lively, charismatic Bradley Cooper seems as bewildered by the proceedings as the audience, giving a lifeless, charisma-free performance. Poor Emma Stone is forced to essay the movie's most problematic character (for many reasons, leaving aside the whole "I'm 1/4 Hawaiian!" debacle). I don't know what it is with Cameron Crowe and these Manic Pixie Dream Girls, but it has got to stop. Stone's character makes no sense as written, really, and seems like she was invented to lead a cartoon.

But the blame has to be placed on Crowe. The movie just makes little sense and has no logical rhythm. There's a good movie struggling to get out of this somewhere (probably involving the relationship between Brian and Tracy, which are the only moments that feel at all authentic). This really was the second coming of How Do You Know (except I think that one was actually better than this). A director who has made some of my all-time favorite movies packages an incredibly appealing, all-star cast into a glossy sheen with nothing underneath.

C-

I cannot believe that this is supposedly worse than fucking Elizabethtown...

I enjoyed Elizabethtown quite a bit...

Sony put the first eight minutes of this film online, and even here, you can begin to grasp the film's problems:



A certain exhausting pace and tone, perhaps a failed bid to emulate a Hepburn/Tracy sense of madcap romantic fun, coupled with an already-too-crowded assortment of characters and dynamics. And the dialogue, even mundane lines, sounds a bit uncomfortable as recited. "HEY! I REFUSE TO TALK TO YOU!"

After this scene, Emma Stone switches characterizations, going from faux-hard-ass and all-business to Quirky and Soulful.

Despite the horrendous reviews and buzz, I still was hoping for the best with Aloha. After all, it has three of my favorite performers working in film, how could it be that bad? Unfortunately, everything you've heard was right. I suppose it was an "easy" movie to watch. I didn't find it boring but as a whole, it was incredibly disappointing. The script here is the worst, it constantly jumps all over the place and honestly makes little to no sense. Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams fare the best here, turning out nice performances. Emma Stone felt lost and the rest of the cast members were barely there, besides Bill Murray and his absurd subplot. Overall, it's incredibly bizarre and a few good performances "save" it from being a completely disaster. Shame on you Cameron Crowe.

D

Fine. Works because of the cast despite Crowe.

B

I enjoyed this mess. It's not great, but not as bad as the reviews. Obviously, Adams is the highlight here with the best story to work with and she delivers. The ending really worked for me and the daughter was very good.

B