OPENING TOMORROW
The Empire Strikes Back 
The second installment of the "Star Wars" reissue. See review at right. (PG) At Kahala, Kapolei, Keolu, Mililani, Pearlridge, Restaurant Row, Waikiki 3
Rosewood
(Star rating unavailable)
Director John Singelton recounts the story of an African-American town in Florida that was destroyed in 1923 by a mob of angry whites. (R) At Kapolei, Pearlridge West, Restaurant Row
CONTINUING
Absolute Power Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this total bore of a film about a thief who witnesses a murder, then finds himself in the middle of a big time presidential cover-up. Gene Hackman plays the chief executive. (R) At Aikahi, Enchanted Lake, Kahala, Kapolei, Mililani, Pearlridge, Restaurant Row
The Beautician and the Beast
This high-camp trifle stars Fran Drescher as a whiny Jewish beautician from Queens who is hired to tutor the children of the dictator of an Eastern European nation. Romance blooms in the culture clash. (PG) At Kahala, Kam Drive-In, Kapolei, Laie, Nanakuli, Pearlridge West
Beverly Hills Ninja
As the first white man trained in the secret survival arts of the Japanese warriors, Haru (Chris Farley) is more ninny than ninja. Farley is a funny guy, which is more than can be said for the scriptwriters. (PG-13) At Kapolei, Pearlridge West
Dangerous Ground
Ice Cube plays a former South African who returns home to find that the country has turned into a gang-ridden hellhole. This potboiler is just one more violent vigilante movie. (R) At Kapolei, Keolu, Pearlridge, Restaurant Row
Dante's Peak
Volcano disaster movie, starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, offers an impressive last 15 minutes of magmatic fire power. But the rest is forumulaic Hollywood disaster flick. (PG-13) At Aikahi, Enchanted Lake, Kam Drive-In, Kapolei, Koko Marina, Mililani, Pearlridge West, Restaurant Row, Waikiki 2
The English Patient
This adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's romantic novel of wartime passion packs all the adventurous and emotional wallop of "Casablanca" and all the coolheaded intellectualism of some scholarly treatise on the futility of war. Nominated for 12 Oscars. (R) At Kapolei, Varsity
Evita
Madonna plays the title role in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical. The clamorous, overblown style can't disguise the vagueness of the story. Received Oscar nominations for cinematography, sound, the song "You Must Love Me" and film editing. (PG) At Kapolei
Fools Rush In
Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry star in a romantic comedy as a Mexican spitfire and Connecticut WASP who impetuously elope then must learn to cope with their differences. Hayek turns what should be awful into entertainment with a vibrant, forthright portrayal. (PG-13) At Kahala, Kailua, Kapolei, Pearlridge West, Restaurant Row
Gridlock'd
Tim Roth, the late Tupac Shakur and Thandie Newton star in a clumsy heroin-addiction comedy that just isn't funny. With its nonstop violence and clumsy script it's an overwhelming bummer. (R) At Pearlridge West
Jackie Chan's First Strike
The storyline is difficult to follow, but Jackie Chan's stunts are, as usual, extraordinary. Chan is inimitable but makes generally bad movies. He would be something to behold if he ever makes a film with a great filmmaker. (PG-13) At Pearlridge West
Jerry Maguire
A modern morality play in which Tom Cruise plays a sports agent who dishonors himself by being honest. Nominee for Best Picture, Best Actor (Cruise), Best Supporting Actor (Cuba Gooding), screenplay and film editing Oscars. (R) At Kahala, Kapolei, Pearlridge West
Metro
This is a mediocre urban thriller with Eddie Murphy as a San Francisco hostage negotiator who does most of his reasoning with guns. Murphy makes an unconvincing action hero, and he's only granted a few moments of comic relaxation. (R) At Kapolei, Pearlridge West
Mother
Writer-director Albert Brooks' perfectly pitched comic direction and witty, surprising script give Debbie Reynolds an ideal showcase as an eccentric mother who uses an air of ineptness to keep annoyances like her son at a distance. (PG-13) At Varsity
National Lampoon's
Vegas Vacation
The Griswolds - Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo and a new set of kids - visit the playgrounds of the Nevada desert. Their adventure can join the legions of losers who gambled on Vegas. (PG) At Kahala, Kapolei, Keolu, Koko Marina, Mililani, Pearlridge West, Restaurant Row
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Extraordinary blend of goofy biography of Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, prurient peekaboo piece, First Amendment courtroom drama and perceptive social satire features touching portrayals by Woody Harrelson and Courtney Love. Harrelson and director Milos Forman have been nominated for Oscars. (R) At Restaurant Row
The Pest
This muddle is a remake of "The Most Dangerous Game," with Jeffrey Jones as a white supremacist seeking to bag a specimen of every ethnic group. John Leguizamo is the annoying human prey of the title. (PG-13) At Kapolei, Nanakuli, Pearlridge West
Scream
Wes Craven's teens-in-peril thriller raises the cheesy formula of the stalk-and-slash movie to an unexpected level of intelligence and suspense. (R) At Kapolei, Pearlridge West
Shine
Australian filmmaker Scott Hicks tells the story of a prodigy, pianist David Helfgott, driven to madness by a possessive father, and saved by strangers. It is an unforgettable story of the power of love, richly rendered. Nominated for seven Oscars. (PG-13) At Cinerama, Kailua, Kapolei
Star Wars:
The Special Edition
On the 20th anniversary of the movie's release, this rerelease features some new footage, enhanced special effects and a digital THX soundtrack. (PG) At Kahala, Kapolei, Keolu, Laie, Mililani, Nanakuli, Pearlridge, Restaurant Row, Waikiki 1
That Darn Cat
Disney's remake of its 1965 farce stars Christina Ricci as a teen-ager who gets caught up in a kidnapping plot thanks to the wanderings of D.C., her darn cat. The new movie doesn't quite work as camp but is pleasingly eccentric and boasts a game cast. (PG) At Enchanted Lake, Kahala, Kam Drive-In, Kapolei, Pearlridge West, Restaurant Row