Smear Campaign

Rating: 4/10 (20 May 2005)

One would expect a movie about Howard Hughes with Aviator as the main word in its title would be about Howard Hughes and his accomplishments in aviation.
And one would be wrong.
Spending far too much time on Hughes's eccentricities, this film appears to be an attempt to explore psychosis more than anything else. Depicted to the point of hyperbole, the man's difficulties are slathered over this stylish and vacuous portrayal.
Meanwhile, the tale of Hughes Aviation is relegated to stage dressing punctuated by a few instances of genuinely exciting feats.
If you have any knowledge of the history of Hughes Aircraft or the man behind it, you will be disappointed.
Perhaps most indicative of the lack of real interest this movie has in aviation is the simple failure to accurately depict even the most basic concepts of flying. If you throw the stick forward, the plane will not go faster, it will nose over and crash into the ground.
This movie throws the stick forward.