4. Aloha
Why It's Disappointing: Though Cameron Crowe hasn't made a genuinely great film since 2000's Almost Famous, expectations were high for Aloha given the insanely talented cast above all else. Yes, the Sony Pictures hack late last year did reveal some production issues (with Sony exec Amy Pascal claiming "it never, not even once, ever works"), but even so, who the hell ever expected a film starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Alec Baldwin and Bill Murray to bomb so hard with not only critics but audiences too? The characters are absurdly unlikeable, nothing of real consequence happens, and a space launch subplot shoved into the movie leads to a near-incomprehensible third act from which not a single ounce of emotional honesty can be gleaned. How To Improve It: Yes, it's a hot mess from start to finish, but ditch the entire silly space plot and focus on the sexy Hawaiian setting instead. Give the supporting players more to do and reconfigure the romance so that audiences actually give a damn. Please?
Jack Pooley
Contributor
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
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Jack