This is one of my most anticipated movies.

Yeah. I noticed the avatar. Well, I think I might have anjoyed it more had I had less expectations, because I must say that it was excellent. But that, I didn't enjoy it that much.

Continues to add to a year of mild let downs.

B+/B

Phooey. I have super high expectations for it. *lowers them*

well, it's long...but entirely enthralling, and amazingly acted by Leo...very, very interesting, too. and l loved the ending. so, definitely a good movie...A

For all the movies I've seen, Leo gave the single best performance of the year. He is so good as Howard Hughes. The courtroom scene, all the scenes with him on the airplane and being the director. He is simply amazing. Cate Blanchett also performed Kate Hepturn beautifully. It's a very showy supporting role, and her first interaction with Leo on the golf court cries Oscar. The production value and visual effects are also grand. The only minor complaint I have is that it was a little long in the middle and seems to lose its focus for a short while. A-.

Good movie, with great performances from all around. Leo and Kate being the best, while Cate and Alan also delivering well. I must say that Leo really surprised me in this movie. I didn't expect to like his performance that much, because I've been less than thrilled with him in the past, but he was great. I almost would say better than Jaime in Ray, although it's a close call.

B+

1. Martin Scorsese films always have great sets, cinematography, etc. Great production values.

2. The CG is a little wonky. Planes are nothing new to CG and these ones don't look particularly well done (see Pearl Harbor, bad movie, tremendous visual effects). The big crash scene is really effective though.

3. The performances all around are grand. Leo and Blanchet's best roles. Beckinsale is good. Baldwin is sublime. I love Reilley so bonus there. Alda is good too. Maybe a little too much of an all star cast?

4. The story does lose a ton of focus in the middle and could easily be about 20 minutes shorter by tightening up the script a little and getting rid of the whole period where he was dating the 15 year old girl (a montage earlier in the film already established him as a bit of a playboy anyway). The film is really balanced when Blanchet is there but kind of slips into his work too much and loses the balance after she leaves.

More later... have to work.

Grade: B/B+

I thought it was very good, but not great. One thing I found interesting was I think the film really conveys how exciting flying can be. It does seem to lose it's focus when Hughes goes crazy, but then improves at the congressional hearings again.

Leo is very good, but the film's best performance is from Cate Blanchett. Her scenes with Leo are the best and the film really comes alive in those moments. I also thought Alan Alda was quite good. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets an Oscar nomination in this because it's going to get a ton of them.

I would grade it a B+.

The Aviator - 9/10.

Great movie, but there were some slow spots. I think the movie was at its best with the aviation scenes. The performances are truly Oscar-worthy. Surprisingly, Kate Beckinsale holds her own against Leo and Cate Blanchett, despite less screen time, IMO. But it's definitely better than Gangs of New York, that's for sure. Right now, I'm torn between a B+ and an A-, but I'll be generous and give it an:

A-

It's not an epic it's not really a saga, its just there. While DiCaprio gave one hell of a performance, the movie left you wanting more. For a long drawn out movie it really couldve had alot of parts cut out and added more importants issues, why not get into more details abouts Hughes mental issues. I was dissapointed, I expected more then what I saw but I wont have one problem with DiCaprio winning an oscar for his role.

C+

Well. I don't know what to say. The first half was grand, epic, and very satisfying. The second part lost focus and literally crashed, saved for a few brilliant court scenes, etc.

I loved half of it, I was let down by another half. The crashing of the plane half way through marks the point where the film literally crashes.

First Act: A+
Second Act: B-

Overall: B+

Well I thought it was a good movie overall, and held my attention thru out unlike Alexander which was a bore.

I felt the mental illness was addressed good and in proportion to the rest of the story. It didn't overwhelm but it was there making trouble for Hughes. I would have liked to hear how he got so addicted to pain killers after the horrific crash and how that affected him untill he died but they never even hinted at it much less showed it. The movie made it seem like he made a full recovery when he really didn't.

I felt the story moved along at a good pace, though the court stuff was kinda boring.The Spruce Goose flight though didn't have as much punch as it should have and then to end there was really anti climatic.

As for the acting, Di Caprio was incredable, and really made Hughes come alive and believeable. He got the whole mental illness down wonderfully and yet also displayed the charm the man seemed to have with people and women. I think the best actor race will be between him and Foxx, and I feel it should go to Dicaprio, his performance just resonated more.

Cate Blanchett was wonderful and I feel deserves an Oscar for her performance. Why they haven't used her to promote the movie is a shame.At first her character of Hepburn came off a little to frantic but setteled down after while. Of all the female performances hers was the best. Beckinsale was ok but just came off as too diva like and annoying. As for Gwen Stefani - why did they promote her so much? She was nothing in this film, all she did was a catwalk up a red carpet and did the Miss America thing with the mike. Yet all you saw was her in the magazines and such. She could have been cut from the movie and never missed!

Alex Baldwin was a nice and cool Juan Trippe. He was insidious and subtle in the way he tried to manipulate things and Baldwin did a great job of bringing this across. Alan Alda- I love it when he plays bad guys. He's got this face and mannerisms that shout bad guy with a innocent look. He should get a best supporting nom I think.

Not knowing much about Hughes, I think this movie did a good job presenting the person. Obviously they hollywoodised it, but if you want just the facts watch the history channel bio on the man,

Martin Scorsese's The Aviator is a very solid film, but it's far from being a masterpiece. It suffers from a weak second half, so it tends to drag with slow spots. Leonardo DiCaprio is quite good and gives what is probably his best performance so far as Howard Hughes. The character of Ava Gardner is sour, glum, and unimpressively portrayed by Kate Beckinsale. The relationship between her and Hughes is presented with no depth, and her "rescuing" him out of a black hole is also not believable. The rest of the supporting cast is wonderful (even though Jude Law and Gwen Stefani are reduced to 2-minute cameos), notably Alan Alda as the senator who acts questionably in his tirade against Hughes. However, the single best thing about The Aviator is the supporting performance by Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn. Not only is it the best performance by a supporting actress this year, Blanchett single-handedly energizes the film, like Renee Zellweger did with Cold Mountain. Every scene with Blanchett is electric, and it's impossible to be bored when she is on screen. Unfortunately, she departs about halfway into the film ("replaced" by Beckinsale), and her presence is sorely missed. Another thing The Aviator gets very right are the aviation sequences themselves. Hughes' plane crash is particularly harrowing. Overall, The Aviator is not one of Martin Scorsese's best films. However, it is impressive enough that it is his best film in a few years, at least. A-

Its one of 2004 best films,Leo gives his best performance,its the second best performance of 2004 IMO.This is one of Scorsese's best films.

****/****

A total masterpiece. Technically perfect, wonderful acted and besides being this ambitious project surprisingly fun to watch with its witty dialogue and one action scene that makes all summer blockbusters pale... (A)

It's long ago I enjoyed a movie that much. DiCaprio owned the movie. He was really awesome here. A

Good movie. Leo is excellent. Not even close being Scorcese's best. If this wins best director/picture it would be a make up for bad calls in the past by the Academy.

A- (mainly due to Leo's performance)

Say hello to my stinky little friend (review)! http://www.worldofkj.com/Clough-Aviator.php

I don't like leo. I never got what is so damn great about scorsese. not interest in flying. had no idea who howard hughes was.

BUT.....

DAMN was this move GREAT!!!

I had an afternoon to kill and thought it was a good long movie to waste time. But I was blown away by leo, by the look of the movie, by the story line (i am gonna find out everything I can about howard hughes now), and most of all by Cate Blanchett. She is superb. How she is not a lock for the oscar is beyond me. There really shouldn't be a question here.

Anyways, as everyone has said. it does lose it's focus for a while. but it is in character of howard hughes. i thought scorsese didn't handle howard's "demon" as best as it could have been done. Was it howard's downfall? What was the point of going so deep into it?

A-/B+

The Aviator is quite the overrated film, while not the most overrated film of 2004, it's still pretty damn overrated! I don't understand why everybody seems to love it. It has two great performances (DiCaprio and Blanchett), but about an hour and a half into the film, it takes a nose dive and gets really boring.

8/10 (B+) --- really doesn't deserve the Best Picture nomination at the Oscar's, I'd rather Closer or Before Sunset get it, but it was obvious they wouldn't get nominated.

Having seen Ray I can now honestly say DiCaprio was better and deserves the Oscar more IMO.

Im glad you all like it so much, im seeing tomorrow, i cant wait.

I'm sure he does, I heard Foxx's performance was average and that he tries too hard to sound like Ray Charles a lot. I'm expecting the film and performance to be overrated.