With such a star-studded cast, I was expecting one of two things: either a movie that was worth the hype surrounding names like Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone, or a movie that was all flash and no substance. Unfortunately, Aloha is the latter. Since the film doesn’t give any context in the beginning for the characters or storyline, I’ll do it for you: The plot revolves around Cooper’s character, Brian Gilcrest, a military contractor who returns to a Hawaii military base to absolve himself from past mistakes. He reconnects with his ex-girlfriend (Rachel McAdams) and falls for his watchdog, Allison Ng (Stone), although their chemistry usually comes off as too scripted. McAdams gives the best performance of the film since it involves some real emotion, while Stone crushed most of her character’s potential by playing a kitschy Air Force ‘tough’ girl. There are moments, though, where Allison’s good nature and sheer ‘cuteness’ elicit smiles. John Krasinski provides some good laughs without saying more than a few words; I wish his silent character had a bigger role! If you’re just looking for a summer flick, Aloha will provide some entertainment. And if nothing else, you get to look at Bradley Cooper on the big screen for a while.
Should You See It? If expectations aren’t too high, sure. —K.M
Viewed at Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine