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Parents' Guide to

Aloha

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Teen-friendly romcom has potential but tries too hard.

Movie PG-13 2015 105 minutes
Aloha Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 13+
age 18+

Ultimately Unrealistic

Though the movie is entertaining and the actors are charismatic to watch and work well together, the overall message of the movie is the ends justify the means. When the characters “resolve” their conflicts, the result is unrealistic. This movie does not give an accurate or realistic depiction of consequences for actions. The main character, Brian, seems to easily slide out of his tough situations at the end of the movie, magically becoming the hero. This movie sets up the main character to be virtuous when in fact he does very little that is of virtue. Aloha does not provide great role models (husbands are cowardly, men and women have sexual relations out of wedlock, married people have inappropriate emotional relationships with single people, characters sabotage other’s projects, characters manipulate others to get what they want, etc.) If a young person does not have a well formed conscience, this movie would confuse him/her. That is why I suggest this movie only for older teens and hopefully with their parents’ input and discussion after they watch it to discuss what was actually heroic and what was not. Do the ends truly justify the means? Overall, I would not recommend this for children or teens because it glorifies dishonorable behavior and shows unrealistic reactions to certain circumstances.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (8 ):

That Cameron Crowe is a gifted director has never been under debate, but his gifts aren't on full display in Aloha. It's an interesting but muddled mix of romance, personal journey, marital strife, wartime reckoning, and environmentalism, all sprinkled with a hint of mystery and mysticism. In short, the film is confusing, and it feels a little manipulative, too. We sense that Crowe wants us to feel things, and we sort of want to, but it also feels a little forced. And tone-wise, the movie jumps around, alienating viewers. Just when we settle into the romance, the focus shifts to mysticism, and the two don't exactly feel connected.

Aloha does work on the human level, especially when Gilcrest has to reckon with his ex. Cooper and McAdams bring humanity to their roles. But Stone, while she's still delightful (though it's worth noting that she plays a part-Asian, part-Hawaiian character, neither of which she is), seems to playing in a different key, turning in a performance that's a little too broad for such a personal movie.

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