Thats bull crap. His performance was not that good. He should have gotten an Oscar for "Whats eating Gilbert Grape?" or "Gangs of New York" but the performance in the "Aviator" wasn't all that.
You'd make a lousy film critic. DiCaprio was excellent in The Aviator. DiCaprio's character Hughes had a ton of lines to say, fast and while acting. His character carried the whole movie, and by the end of it, you saw Hughes up there on the screen, not Leonardo. He did the descending into madness part of Hughes extremely well. When I first saw the casting I thought can young DiCaprio pull this role off? Well he did, and was brilliant as Hughes.
Space Cowboys, with Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Southerland, and Tommy Lee Jones (who says there are no manly men left in Hollywood?) is also a great movie.
Ron Howard seems to be a very decent guy. He had a good upbringing (heck, how can you go wrong with Andy Griffith as your "Dad?") and he's got his head on straight.
I loved The Aviator & DiCaprio captured Hughes in a compelling way. Watching the mental illness take hold was enthralling. He was excellent. Have you seen his portrayal of the poet Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse? There are tons of gay elements, but the acting is fantastic.