Aloha

Aloha is such a disaster, even Bill Murray can’t save it.

Bradley Cooper stars as Brian - a legendary military contractor returning to Hawaii for five days, which, for him, holds the promise of the future, and the ghosts of the past.

He used to be in the military, left when the cutbacks started, ended up working as a contractor in Afghanistan, almost died in a horrific attack in Kabul, and took this gig because he needs the money.

However, everywhere he goes, Brian is reminded of what used to be, including the woman who got away, Tracy (Rachel McAdams). Along the way, he finds himself paired with the energetic Allison (Emma Stone), and, because she looks like Emma Stone, Brian finds himself falling for the young, idealistic pilot.

Why is Brian in Hawaii?

Will anyone find out?

Writer/director Cameron Crowe is trying so very very hard to make a Cameron Crowe movie with Cameron Crowe moments, Cameron Crowe characters, Cameron Crowe dialogue and Cameron Crowe use of music. However, he forgot the Cameron Crowe magic.

Aloha is a messy jumble of a movie desperately seeking meaningful deepness, when it should be looking for a plot. Maybe Crowe is trying to create a character study as we watch Brian stumbling and fumbling through the five days and all sorts of nuggets and clues are dropped about his past, his mistakes, his regrets and his reason for being back in Hawaii, but too little is given to the audience. We have to dig through the haze to get half a prize.

Every big moment lacks the proper development to make it meaningful.

Every great speech lacks context to give it impact, so the dialogue comes off as forced.

The plot becomes badly explained, instead of mysterious, which leads to us jumping from scene to scene with no flow and a lack of something tying it all together.

Worst of all, the entire story with McAdams and the past relationship she had with Brian is meaningless and pointless. You could drop the whole subplot and it wouldn’t make one difference in Aloha.

Then, we have a big conflict and climax dumped on us, which leads to one of the longest dénouements you have ever seen in a movie. You kind of know it’s over, but Crowe hasn’t figured it out, so Aloha continues on for 15 minutes or so to a big scene that feels wrong, damaging and selfish in its own way, even though Crowe wants this to be some warm, triumphant, happy moment.

Aloha should have been so much more. It just isn’t.

Aloha is rated PG-13 for some language including suggestive comments.