The Aeronauts (PG-13)

“The Aeronauts” is the perfect airplane movie, and not much beyond that. 

The film tells the story of wealthy widow Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) as they take flight in a hot air balloon, in attempts to make groundbreaking discoveries in the meteorology field, namely the idea of predicting the weather.

“The Aeronauts” has the makings of a great movie. Historical fiction is usually a safe bet. Not to mention that Jones and Redmayne are both talented and delightful actors. But ultimately, it feels as if it is missing something that would elevate it from okay to great. 

Jones and Redmayne give fine performances, because these two can always be relied upon for fine performances. Both characters feel like a bit of a cliché. Jones’ Amelia is a heart-broken widow who masks her pain with wild adventures. Redmayne’s James is a stubborn scientist. Naturally the story hits the same beats as any story with someone suffering from heartbreak and the stubborn person they come to butt heads with. It’s simply just nothing new. But that being said, Redmayne and Jones do the best with what’s given. Their performances are by no means warranted any awards, but they’re still a welcome sight on any screen. 

The story at the center of “The Aeronauts” is interesting enough, but overall doesn’t feel interesting enough to carry a movie. Because of that, the audience’s attention is bound to wander, say if they are watching this on Prime Video. “The Aeronauts” is partially told in flashbacks—so, if the story does not grab your attention, this device may be confusing. 

However, it’s still a story that deserved to be told. The birth of weather forecasting is fascinating. The film does have a moment of two of solid tension and drama. But these scenes come a little too late in the game. “The Aeronauts” may just have been better served as an article or an episode of some television show on TV’s History. 

The problem with “The Aeronauts” is that it is neither a great or a bad film. That might be the problem—it’s simply a little forgettable. But if you are desperately looking for a film to pass the time during a quiet night at home, or something that will get you from point A to point B on an airplane, this will do the trick. You might just forget that you watched “The Aeronauts” the following day.