Aloha
Directed by Cameron CroweA celebrated military contractor returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him.
- CallumDecember 21, 2025⭐⭐½ – Aloha — Sunny Surface, Shallow Depths Let’s get the controversy out of the way first. Yes, a white actress was cast to play a character of Native Hawaiian and Asian descent. Yes, there were better and more appropriate choices. That’s undeniable. But once the casting is locked in, the only real question is whether the film itself works — and unfortunately, that’s where Aloha struggles most. Emma Stone does what she can with the role she’s been given, and the script itself isn’t outright bad. It’s just oddly weightless. The film feels like it’s constantly circling its own past rather than moving forward — there’s far more backstory than actual story, and very little of it lands with much impact. Bradley Cooper’s character is written as a deeply flawed wheeler-dealer, but the film never fully explores that complexity, leaving him feeling underdeveloped rather than conflicted. The emotional stakes are talked about more than they’re felt, which creates a curious distance between the audience and what should be an intimate story. Visually, the film is undeniably pleasant. Hawaii does a lot of the heavy lifting, and there are enough small bright spots — moments of charm, hints of warmth — to carry you through the runtime without irritation. But none of it really sticks. In the end, Aloha is a good-looking movie that never quite figures out what it wants to say. It’s fine in the moment, forgettable shortly after, and ultimately feels like a missed opportunity wrapped in sunshine. 🍹 Pairing: A watered-down tropical cocktail — colourful, pleasant enough, but lacking the kick you were hoping for.
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Aloha Trivia
Aloha was released on May 28, 2015.
Aloha was directed by Cameron Crowe.
Aloha has a runtime of 1h 44m.
Aloha was produced by Cameron Crowe, Scott Rudin.
A celebrated military contractor returns to the site of his greatest career triumphs and reconnects with a long-ago love while unexpectedly falling for the hard-charging Air Force watchdog assigned to him.
The key characters in Aloha are Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper), Captain Allison Ng (Emma Stone), Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams).
Aloha is rated PG-13.
Aloha is a Comedy, Romance, Drama film.
Aloha has an audience rating of 2.9 out of 10.
Aloha had a budget of $37M.
Aloha has made $26.3M at the box office.