CINEMA
At The Movies
Opening
Evening
An elderly lady on her deathbed shares a defining moment of her life with her two daughters. Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Vanessa Redgrave, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy, Meryl Streep and Glenn Close star. Review on Page 27. (PG-13)
Ratatouille
A young rat aspires to be a chef in a Paris bistro but is hindered by the rat-despising staff and patrons. Review on Page 26. (G)
Sicko
Michael Moore is back but this time he is uncovering the world of the American health care industry. Review on Page 18. (PG-13)
Opening Tuesday
License to Wed
Robin Williams plays a reverend who leads a couple through a marriage preparation course. Also stars Mandy Moore and John Krasinski. (PG-13)
Transformers
Based on the TV show, this film has the Autobots and Decepticons hitting the big screen for a heroic battle that leaves the fate of mankind hanging in the balance. Stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Jon Voight and Anthony Anderson (PG-13)
Now Playing
PG
Are We Done Yet? 1/2
Ice Cube and Nia Long return in the sequel to the popular "Are We There Yet?" Nick and his ever-growing family move out to the Oregon countryside and have an adventure rebuilding their dream Victorian house. No cleverness was exerted on this movie, as it's more of an endurance test than a comedy.
Evan Almighty 1/2
God (Morgan Freeman) calls upon Evan (Steve Carell) to construct an ark in this sequel to "Bruce Almighty."
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
The superhero team returns to unravel the mysterious arrival of an enigmatic intergalactic herald that precedes a planet-destroying force. Plus, Dr. Doom is back.
Shrek the Third
Everybody's favorite ogre is back, this time embarking on a quest to find a suitable king to rule the land of Far Far Away. This installment of the monster of an animated franchise still subverts the fairy tales we grew up with, but it's smothered in a suffocating sense of been-there, done-that.
Surf's Up
In this animated movie, a documentary crew follows Cody Maverick, a young penguin with a gift and passion for surfing, as he enters his first pro competition. Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Jon Heder and Zooey Deschanel lead the voice cast.
PG-13
Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under age 13.
1408
A horror novelist (John Cusack) checks into a notoriously haunted hotel room and tries to stay there for more than an hour. Adapted from a Stephen King short story. Samuel L. Jackson also stars.
Blades of Glory
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as rival figure skaters, banned from competition, who, in an attempt to make their return years later, team up to perform as the first male-male pair in the sport. There's enough material here for a great little "Saturday Night Live" sketch, but the trouble is there's an extra 80 minutes or so of downtime in which the cast has to repeat their characters' shallow schtick again and again.
Disturbia 1/2
In a contemporary variation on Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," a young man (Shia LaBeouf) under house arrest becomes a voyeur from his window and suspects that one of his neighbors is a serial killer. This decent thriller is far smarter than most big studio flicks with teen protagonists, and even though it's completely predictable, LaBeouf comes off as a sturdy leading man.
The Ex
Tom, an underachiever (Zach Braff), must take a job when his pregnant wife Sofia (Amanda Peet) quits her high-pressure, big salary career. Unfortunately, Tom gets fired and is forced to start working with his father-in-law in his wife's hometown. There he clashes with one of his work colleagues, the wheelchair-bound Chip (Jason Bateman), who still carries a torch for Sofia from their high school days.
The Invisible 1/2
Attacked and left for dead, a young man's spirit finds himself trapped in limbo -- not quite dead but invisible to the living. His spirit can only watch as his mother and the police search frantically for him, unaware that he is only hours away from truly perishing. It's a fully felt, decently crafted teen B-movie, plenty preposterous in places but alive to the vibrant miseries of being young and misunderstood.
La Vie En Rose
The story of singer Edith Piaf.
Live Free or Die Hard
Bruce Willis reprises his role as New York City Police Detective John McClane in the fourth of the "Die Hard" movies. Timothy Olyphant plays the bad guy who "shuts down" America after his security system is rejected by the government. Also stars Justin Long and Maggie Q.
Lucky You
Eric Bana stars as a high-stakes card player who sets out to win both the World Series of Poker and the affections of a Vegas lounge singer (Drew Barrymore).
Next 1/2
Nicolas Cage stars as a man who can see into the future. His ability makes him a target of the FBI, which wants him to help stop America's enemies before they strike. This supposed paranormal thriller, unfortunately, shows how a solid crew of filmmakers and performers can apply a big-studio budget to a good story and still have absolutely everything come out wrong.
Ocean's Thirteen
Danny Ocean and the gang are back as they team up with an old nemesis to help settle a score. George Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh return with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia, plus new cast members Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End 1/2
With Jack Sparrow trapped in Davy Jones' locker, Will and Elizabeth ally with Capt. Barbossa on a desperate quest to free him. But first, the trio must forge their way to Singapore and confront a cunning Chinese pirate. Generous as the movie may be with action and spectacle, there's a ponderousness to this sequel that counterweights the good booty.
The Valet
A French comedy about a billionaire who is caught with his mistress by the paparazzi. To avoid a messy divorce, he invents an outrageous lie and asks his mistress to pose as the sweetheart of a parking attendant.
Waitress
When a waitress in a cheery Southern diner discovers she's pregnant with her immature husband's baby, her dreams for a better life are squashed until a sympathetic and good-looking doctor arrives in town. With the help of the late director-actress Adrienne Shelly, Keri Russell gives one of the best on-screen performances of the year. It's clipped, direct and self-aware -- utterly unromantic and yet full of feeling.
Wild Hogs
Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy play a group of middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. Too bad that the guys are not all that wild and, more important, not all that funny, as the humor and hi-jinks in this road romp are tame and tranquil.
R
28 Weeks Later 1/2
In this woeful sequel to the zombie hit "28 Days Later," it's now six months after the rage virus wiped out the British Isles. Even though the reconstruction of the country is beginning, the virus is still alive and, with no outward symptoms, deadlier than ever. It's a strained story with an empty message, stiff and shallow characters, and overflowing with a barrage of turgid action sequences that look like inferior outtakes from the first movie.
Hostel: Part II
Director Eli Roth's horror sequel is about three young American women who are lured to the Slovakian torture chamber by a beautiful model, who promises them restful R&R at an "exotic destination."
Hot Fuzz
The guys from "Shaun of the Dead" -- Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost -- do for buddy-cop action tales what they did for zombie flicks on "Shaun." They present a nice homage while tweaking the conventions and making jolly good fun of the genre's clichés. The movie packs a lot of hearty laughs and few real guffaws as a hotshot London cop (Pegg) adjusts to life in a seemingly tranquil country town.
Knocked Up
From Judd Apatow, the man behind "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," comes a new comedy more hilarious than its predecessor, and with even greater heart. A goofball of a slacker-stoner (Seth Rogen) enjoys a drunken romp with an up-and-coming entertainment reporter (Katherine Heigl). When the reporter realizes she's gotten pregnant from the one-night stand, she decides to keep the baby, and major life changes ensue.
A Mighty Heart
Angelina Jolie plays the wife of reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered while on assignment in Pakistan in 2002. Based on Mariane Pearl's memoir.
Mr. Brooks 1/2
Kevin Costner stars as a respected family man trying to hide a deep, dark secret: He's a cunning serial killer. There's not much beyond the character's image, so extra material is thrown into the mix, like a second serial killer, a relative who might be a killer as well, and a witness who turns out to want to help the next time Brooks kills. And don't forget the tough homicide detective (Demi Moore) and an imaginary friend (William Hurt). It's just too much to make this movie work.
Not Rated
Paano Kita Libigin
Regine Velasquez and Piolo Pascual star in the romantic story of a bad boy and a single mom trying to find love again.
Art House | Revival
The Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts
900 S. Beretania St.; $7 general; $6 seniors, students and military; $5 Academy members (532-8768).
Bird
Forest Whitaker plays jazz great Charlie"Bird" Parker in this tragic tale of his life. Directed by Clint Eastwood. (R) At 12:30, 3:30 and 7 p.m. through Sunday; and 7 p.m. Monday.
Kids First! Film Festival
4 p.m. Sundays through July 22 UH at Manoa, Art Auditorium, Free.
Big Top Winkle
Prehistoric Park
Adventure films for children ages 5 to 12. There also will be door prizes and stickers. July 1.
Onami (The Great Wave)
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Roberto The Insect Architect
Little Blue: Live the Dream
Going to School in India: Part II
Short films for children ages 5 to 12 focus on the "small but mighty." July 8
Mare Capoeira
Peur Hoi Nang Rom (For the Oysters)
Binta y la Gran Idea (Binta and the Great Idea)
My Backyard Was a Mountain
Foreign film fest for children 8 and up. July 15.
Mama Mirabelle
Knuffle Bunny
Paz: Three New Episodes
Film for 2- to 6-year-olds. There also will be some games. July 22.
Movie Museum
3566 Harding Ave.; $5, $4 members; reservations recommended due to limited seating (735-8771).
Black Snake Moan
Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci star in this story about a Blues musician who takes it upon himself to teach a nymphomaniac to have some self respect. At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Friday and Monday.
One Hundred Steps aka I Cento Passi
A young man single-handedly fights the Mafia in a Sicilian village by broadcasting the Mafia's actions through an underground radio station. In Italian with English subtitles. At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Return of Don Camillo
Comedy about a mayor who gets the bishop to force the village priest into exile but then finds that he may need the village priest's help to stop a war among his villagers. In French with English subtitles. At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Sunday.