Filmmaker Cameron Crowe's latest is a romantic dramedy “Aloha.” It is set in Hawaii and it stars Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams.

Cooper plays Brian Gilcrest, a heralded military contractor, who has been on the outs for several years. He's brought back into the fray by an eccentric billionaire, played by Bill Murray, who enlists his services to help launch a satellite. In the process, Gilcrest is given a second chance to get back on top.

Arriving in Hawaii, Gilcrest is reunited with his ex-girlfriend, played by Rachel McAdams, who's now married to an air force pilot played John Krasinski. They have two kids and Gilcrest's presence complicates things.

Also in the mix is Emma Stone, who plays a military watchdog assigned to Gilcrest. At first, they do not get along, but along the way, romantic sparks fly.

Alec Baldwin is on hand as a General and Danny McBride plays his second in command.

I like Emma Stone's work here as she tries to balance her strong feelings towards Bradley Cooper's character with her sense of professionalism. Cooper gives it a good shot, but he is saddled with a role that is not very likable. Rachel McAdams talents, for the part, are underutilized.

The real problem here is with Cameron Crowe's script and direction, which is rather lifeless. The story is uninvolving. Stone and Copper have zero chemistry, which is a major problem in a romance film, and I did not care one bit about the fate of any of these characters.

It is hard to believe that Crowe, the same guy who gave us such gems as “Jerry Maguire,” “Say Anything” and “Almost Famous” has not made a truly good film in 15 years. “Vanilla Sky,” “Elizabethtown” and “We Bought A Zoo” didn't really do it for me, and “Aloha” jut adds to that list of clunkers.

Crowe, a former journalist for Rolling Stone, does know music, and the soundtrack is good. The on location Hawaiian settings are also nice to look at. However, there is little else here worth recommending.

Neil Rosen’s Big Apple Rating:

One and a Half Apples