Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Aloha Blu-ray Movie Review

Aloha means "stay away."

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 22, 2015

Even good filmmakers are prone to bad outings. Even films with good intentions are prone to falling well short of whatever it is that the filmmakers expected of them. Even great actors can be miscast. Even beautiful locations can be underutilized. Even studio executives can be dumbfounded. Even the staunchest fans can walk away disappointed. Director Cameron Crowe's (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) Aloha somehow meets all of those unfortunate criteria. Far too long in development hell, a critical flop, blasted for its casting, infamous for a studio head's (private) disappointment, and a commercial failure all add up to a bonafide mess of a film. Indeed, the larger story around the movie -- which proves more interesting than anything the film has to offer (never a good sign) -- dominated chatter, and rightfully so considering that the film itself never gets off the ground, even in spite of its lofty, big sky aspirations; great cast; and the pedigree behind it.

An officer and a gentleman.

Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) has ducked out of the U.S. military to work for a billionaire named Carson Welch (Bill Murray) who has hired Gilcrest to facilitate a satellite launch into orbit. Gilcrest has been wounded -- physically and emotionally -- in his past and hopes that a return to Oahu, Hawaii, will see him return to form. On the tarmac upon arrival, he catches a glimpse of an old flame (Rachel McAdams) who is now married and mothers two children. At the same time, he's assigned a military liaison -- a "watch dog," essentially -- named Allison Ng (Emma Stone) with whom Gilcrest finds a deeper connection. As he maneuvers through a personal rebuilding phase, he comes to learn that Welch's planned satellite launch may not be on the up-and-up.

Sometimes, the negative noise surrounding a movie can distract from, our drown out entirely, the film in question, leaving even a solid picture the victim of surrounding circumstances that are sometimes beyond its control. It's a cinematic "fog of war," essentially, that clouds out the positives behind a seemingly impenetrable wall of criticism, controversy, and chaos that many moviegoers might even take into the movie's own domain, the quiet, darkened theater where it has the proper room to breathe and prove its wares away from the maelstrom going on outside. For Aloha, that noise came in many forms, including a widely publicized and well-known journey through a troubled developmental process, then-Sony Chair Amy Pascal's leaked criticisms, and the uproar surrounding Crowe's racially wayward casting. That's not to mention a pretty solid drubbing in the press, too, upon release. Yet even in the safety and home-turf confines of the theater, the film failed to resonate, grossing far under budget and displaying a fairly shocking lack of command of the material. Aloha is a far cry from classic Cameron Crowe insofar that it's far distant from the tight, cohesive, charming, memorable, precisely crafted, fully engaging, heartfelt, and fun movies he's crafted in years past. It's a film with a score sheet heavily skewered to the negative side of the charts, confirming rather than contradicting the negative buzz and all but damning the movie to the scrap heap of disappoints and shoulda-beens.

Structurally, Aloha seems to want its proverbial cake and to feast on it, too. The movie strives to put together a simple package of burgeoning romance and reconciliation with mild thrills, all set against an exotic backdrop. That's fine, not necessarily creative but in the right hands something that sounds likable enough. Yet Aloha is a scattered mess, a film that's poorly paced and put together, victim of a needlessly complicated plot, and home to characters that largely miss at the core level and share almost no tangible chemistry. Mix in drama about a satellite's payload and Hawaiian mythos and politics -- which almost seem tossed in because they can be rather than because they should be -- and the film plays out with one disastrous miss after another. Between the romance and reconciliation triangle, the Hawaiian lore, and the satellite story, one cannot help but wonder whether Aloha might have worked better as three separate films or, at least, entwined together with a good bit more skillful construction and artful editing. Each element has its strengths, which are evident in the film. For example, Bradley Cooper shapes the character as precisely as he can and finds a tangible, even agreeable, sense of hopeful rejuvenation at what becomes a turning point in the character's life. The myth-laden bits are interesting enough but don't necessarily add anything crucial to the movie, even as it's clear they're meant to reinforce and parallel character growth, to give some added weight to the development while playing to the core strengths of the film's setting. Yet such details are lost under the heavy handed direction, sluggish story details, and dismal pacing that surround them. Even the satellite angle and the Bill Murray character offer a passably generic foil of sorts for Cooper's Gilcrest, though it certainly screams "contrivance" in every scene. Even the venerable Murray cannot do much more than lighten the load by sheer presence alone.

Through all of the hubbub and rather dismal elements, the foundations for a good film a easy to see. Aloha is in many ways Cameron Crowe at his most Crowe-ish, particularly considering the film's finely-tuned soundtrack that dramatically and emotionally alike shapes the movie, in this case not so much in a complimentary way but rather chiefly thanks to the otherwise flat details that surround it. Aloha further does well to capture the essence of Hawaii; even if the lore is interesting by itself yet poorly integrated into the larger film, the location itself serves as a gorgeous backdrop that is alone enough to keep eyes on the screen, though certainly capturing the beauty in something inherently beautiful isn't exactly the most difficult task a filmmaker can face. Perhaps most evident, and most important to the film, is the way Crowe lines the movie with a sometimes clear, sometimes subtle lyrical poeticism, often through suggestion, a look, the way a shot, scene, or sequence is framed and presented. The film's beautifully elegant finale is as touching and meaningful as it is stunningly constructed. Crowe and his actors -- in this case Bradley Cooper and Danielle Rose Russell -- send the movie off right with a scene that's nearly worth the rest of the drivel; the emotional payoff isn't quite so deep as it might have been had the rest of the movie lived up to the scene's brilliance, but it's a light in the dark that will at least leave audiences satisfied in the moment and perhaps just a bit forgetful of the uneven movie that preceded it.

Aloha Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Aloha's transfer sparkles. The 35mm source material looks magnificent on Blu-ray. A light grain veneer is pleasant and never intrusive. Details are consistently sharp and robust. Hawaiian landscapes dazzle -- particularly vegetation -- while general facial features and complex clothing lines are uniformly crisp and precisely defined. Colors explode, pushing a hint warm but the Hawaii landscape is a dazzling example of lush blues and leafy greens that never grow in the least bit stale. Black levels are impressively deep and accurate while skin tones appear effortlessly neutral, save for a few occurrences of understandable warmth under the right conditions. The picture suffers from no discernible print wear. Additionally, banding, edge enhancement, macroblocking, and other eyesores are nowhere to be found. The picture does open with some deliberately worn "vintage" images framed at (usually and approximately) 4x3. Those aside -- that's how they're supposed to look -- the transfer is a pristine example of film on Blu-ray done right.

Aloha Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Aloha's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a winner. The film opens with some crackly, hissy audio playing on top of worn "vintage" footage and naturally expands and clears with the picture. Musical delivery is robust and pleasant, whether overlaid score or hearty party beats. Both enjoy pinpoint definition, naturally immersive spacing, and a healthy low end support. Various examples of support ambience are impressive, including the rattly hum heard inside an aircraft cockpit; rustling leaves, blowing wind, and other basic jungle ambience; and booming distant thunder. More involved elements, such as a fairly aggressive barrage of sound heard in the third act, prove full and rich with little details and big elements alike spilling through every speaker simultaneously. But dialogue is the key component here, and the spoken word enjoys effortless center delivery and lifelike clarity throughout.

Aloha Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aloha contains a healthy array of bonus features. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Cameron Crowe opens to discuss Hawaiian culture and its place in the modern political landscape. He moves on to cover casting and characters, real cultural elements folded into the film, music, shooting locations, technical details of the shoot, and much more. This is a well rounded track that supports the core movie well.
• The Untitled Hawaii Project: The Making of Aloha Documentary (1080p): An artistically crafted but, much like the movie, somewhat jumbled journey through the making of the movie, divided into three pieces.
• The Land of Aloha (26:44): A look at the early stages of the production, shooting in Hawaii, casting and characters, and music.
• Hickam Life (27:12): A look at secondary characters, Cameron Crowe's direction, shooting on the military base, and fun with jet fighters.
• Gift of Love (20:10): This segment examines some of the film's most critical scenes and the performances that make them, transformations from page to screen, and life on the set.
• Original Opening & Alternate Ending for Aloha (1080p): With optional Cameron Crowe commentary.
• Original Opening for Aloha (19:08).
• Alternate Ending: Iridium Flares (4:20).
• The Awe of Space (1080p, 2:53): Crowe reflects on the glory days of space travel.
• Ledward Kaapana: Music Is Everything (1080p, 14:40): A focused piece in which Ledward Kaapana discusses the role of music in his life.
• Uncle Bumpy (1080p, 5:53): Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele, Head of State for the Nation of Hawai'i, shares a few stories about his interactions with military and authority.
• Mitchell's Film (1080p, 2:00): Footage from the character's camera.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 6:26).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Crud with Carson and Dixon (0:42) and Facing Forward (10:46). With optional Cameron Crowe commentary.
• Aloha Photo Gallery (1080p): With optional commentary by Photographer Neal Preston who, strangely, speaks over a black screen rather than a selection of his photos.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Aloha Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aloha was a mess before it released and it remains a mess after its release. Despite the pedigree of those involved, the gorgeous Hawaii location, and even a brilliant and beautiful finale, the movie scuffles throughout and fails to impress beyond its scenery and its final minutes. The controversy runs much deeper than even the movie's lack of cohesion; audiences interested in the more divisive racial components can find plenty of information with a simple web search. At least Sony's Blu-ray is good, as expected. Brilliant picture quality, good sound, and a lot of extras -- many more than one would expect from a movie that by all accounts deserves to be swept under the rug -- make it an easy buy for fans.