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Many of us start each day by checking the weather forecast. It’s how we decide what to wear, or when to travel, or whether to bring an umbrella to work. The Aeronauts takes place before weather apps and meteorologists—when a scientist set out above the clouds to try to understand the weather.
The Aeronauts sets out to study the atmosphere with scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne). Though his colleagues think he’s crazy for believing that he’ll one day be able to predict the weather, James is determined to prove them wrong by traveling higher up in to the sky than anyone has ever done before. He manages to convince pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) to join him on the journey. But in order to break the record and make new scientific discoveries, they’ll have to overcome obstacles that threaten the mission—and their lives.
What starts out with fanfare and spectacle as the two depart from a crowded carnival quickly turns treacherous. After saying their farewells and leaving the cheering spectators behind, they find themselves passing through a cloud that’s more dangerous than expected. And the threats and challenges increase as they climb higher and higher.
If you’re afraid of heights, this one definitely isn’t for you. In fact, even if you don’t think you’re afraid of heights, you may be after watching this movie. You may tell yourself that it’s just a movie, that it’s all just stunts done on a soundstage, but as Felicity Jones hops around the balloon and even scales the side while apparently soaring thousands of feet above the ground, you might have to look away. And as the problems arise, it becomes harder and harder to watch.
With this kind of death-defying action, you might expect the story to add to the tension. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t add much. Sure, both characters face their own challenges—his need to prove himself to both the scientific community and to his ailing father, her desire to get back in the sky after her husband’s death. But the film lacks a sense of urgency and importance—the feeling that this trip into the atmosphere will change everything for the study of meteorology. At the same time, the character who has the most at stake seems to do very little to make the journey a success—other than sitting in the balloon, taking measurements, and generally complaining and getting in the way. And that keeps this high-flying adventure from truly soaring.
The Aeronauts definitely features some breathtaking—and stomach-turning—action sequences. But outside those life-or-death moments, the story simply doesn’t hold a lot of air. The action is big-screen-worthy—but if you’re looking for a powerful story to back it up, you’ll be disappointed.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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