CINEMA
At The Movies
Opening
Feast of Love 1/2
Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear and Radha Mitchell star in a story of intertwining life, love and attraction in a small Oregon community. Review in Thursday's Today section. (R)
The Game Plan
A pro quarterback (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) must learn to juggle his party-and-practice lifestyle with ballet, bedtime stories and dolls when the daughter he never knew existed shows up at his door. Review on Page 27. (PG)
The Kingdom 1/2
An elite U.S. counter-terrorism team investigates a deadly attack on an American housing compound in Saudi Arabia. Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner star. Review on Page 26 . (R)
Memories of Tomorrow 1/2
Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe produced and stars in this award-winning Japanese film about a manager of a high-profile ad agency whose life is altered when he starts showing the early stages of Alzheimer's. Review on Page 18 . (NR)
Now Playing
G
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Rowan Atkinson reprises his popular comic character, this time in the south of France during the Cannes Film Festival. Through a series of mishaps and coincidences, Mr. Bean is wrongly thought to be both a kidnapper and an acclaimed filmmaker. Atkinson goofs his way through sight gags that are cute and clever but not terribly amusing.
PG
Evan Almighty 1/2
Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman return in this sort-of sequel to "Bruce Almighty." Carell's bumbling weatherman has transformed into a work-aholic politician, and this time God wants him to build an ark.
Becoming Jane
Anne Hathaway plays Jane Austen as a feisty 20-year-old who, as an emerging writer, already sees a world beyond class and commerce and dreams of doing what was unthinkable in the 1700s in Britain -- marrying for love. Hathaway is marvelous, playing a character both period perfect and recognizably human -- romantic, imperious and proud.
PG-13
Balls of Fury 1/2
This movie serves up a surprising amount of sports thrills and a good amount of laughter as it chronicles the fable of a disgraced pingpong champ taking a second shot at greatness. It ridicules '80s music, Asian cinema and "Rocky" stories with winning sight gags and punch lines.
The Bourne Ultimatum 1/2
Matt Damon returns as an amnesiac secret agent in this kinetic action sequel. Director Paul Greengrass builds on the first two chapters with a story that is darker and more cynical, as Jason Bourne confronts the truth about who he was before the government brainwashed him into being an assassin.
Daddy Day Camp
This slapdash sequel to "Daddy Day Care" finds Cuba Gooding Jr. taking over Eddie Murphy's role as Charlie Hinton. Hinton now finds himself running a ramshackle day camp he attended as a boy. Richard Gant plays his father, a Marine colonel, who helps toughen up the kids. Gant's charming characterization is syrup poured atop a heaping helping of warrior-jock worship.
Dragon Wars 1/2
A beautiful young woman holds the ancient secret of giant dragons wreaking havoc and destruction on modern-day Los Angeles. It's a laughable fantasy all the way until the final battle sequence, when the movie becomes preposterously fun to watch.
Harry Potter andthe Order of the Phoenix
The fans of the series can take satisfaction in a sleek, swift and exciting adaptation of J.K. Rowling's longest novel to date, playing like a tense and twisty political thriller. The movie depicts a wizard world riven by factionalism and threatened by authoritarian-ism. Devotees of fine British acting can savor the addition of Imelda Staunton to the roster of first-rate thespians moonlighting at Hogwarts.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Adam Sandler and Kevin James star as firefighter buddies who pose as a newlywed couple to receive pension benefits. While the stars make the movie bearable, this comedy grows offensive with its double standards towards homosexuality.
The Invasion 1/2
The latest version of the sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" feels truncated, rushed, unfocused and -- worst of all -- not the slightest bit scary. A top-notch cast led by Nicole Kidman goes to waste as the last citizens who manage to remain uninfected when a gloopy substance from outer space takes over the population.
Mr. Woodcock
The movie is often as juvenile and predictable as its title suggests. Yet this dark comedy about a self-help author plotting revenge on his sadistic former gym coach gets honest laughs because of performances that ring true. Kudos to actors Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott and Susan Sarandon.
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 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 still a ponderousness to this sequel that counterweights the good booty.
Rush Hour 3 1/2
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker re-team for more hi-jinks, this time in Paris, in the new installment of the hit buddy cop series. Third time's not the charm, however, as this is a lazy and formulaic action comedy that is neither.
The Simpsons Movie 1/2
The movie about America's favorite TV cartoon dysfunctional family works hard and hilariously to include all thing that the TV series has come to mean -- celebrity guest stars, jabs at corporate parent Fox, and the continued foolishness of Homer Simpson.
Stardust
Based on Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel, the film shows a young man, trying to win the heart of the beautiful but cold object of his desire, embarking on a quest encountering kings, pirates and evil witches, all of whom seek to retrieve a fallen star transformed into a striking girl. This movie is definitely has more than enough imagination and whimsy to keep adults engaged.
Sydney White
Part fairy tale, part college comedy, totally unoriginal and a tad offensive, this stars Amanda Bynes as a new student who starts a rebellion against the school's oppressive Greek establishment with the help of seven dorks. Bynes delivers a bright portrayal, but she's hindered by a weak script.
Transformers
Michael Bay's feature based on the popular line of 1980s toy action figures is a screeching-metal, smash-and-crash, extreme-action movie lover's dream come true. It's also a wildly absurd fantasy and far more fun than it ought to be. The movie's all about the visceral charge of mechanics in motion.
R
2 Days in Paris
The metabolism of Julie Delpy's biting romantic comedy runs full tilt when a New York couple take a European vacation in an attempt to re-infuse their relationship with romance. Her examination of modern love is bracingly hard-headed.
3:10 to Yuma 1/2
This remake of a famous Western 50 years ago brings together two of today's most compelling actors, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. The two star in this intense stand-off between law and disorder set after the Civil War. The movie addresses the sacrifices of soldiers and the ruthlessness of greed, with its center being the relationship between the rancher, who believes in doing what's right, and the outlaw, who believes in doing what is right for him.
The Brave One
Jodie Foster is pretty amazing as the woman who becomes a gun-toting vigilante in pursuit of the thugs who murdered her fiancé. She plays the role with a fierce conviction, even when playing someone torn up by self-doubt, and she absolutely lifts the movie over its problematic humps.
Death Sentence 1/2
This trite revenge thriller sends mixed messages, with stylized action scenes that glorify violence and tragic turns of plot that condemn street justice. Kevin Bacon stars as a family man-turned-equalizer, waging war against the thugs who killed his teenage son.
Eastern Promises
In David Cronenberg's latest film, Naomi Watts plays a London midwife who looks into the death of a patient, putting her in the sights of a ruthless Russian mobster (Viggo Mortensen). The film is both brutally violent and breathtakingly human, although tantalizingly too short.
Good Luck Chuck
Jessica Alba and Dane Cook star in this obnoxious and ugly-looking movie about a guy stuck in a pattern of cursed relationships -- all the women he sleeps with marry the next guy they date. He develops a reputation as a good luck charm, as women line up for a quickie. But he tries to change things when he meets the girl of his dreams, a beautiful if accident-prone penguin specialist.
In the Valley of Elah 1/2
A former military policeman sets out in search of his missing son, reported AWOL on his first weekend back after serving in Iraq. "Crash" director Mike Haggis helms this almost painfully powerful drama, featuring terrific performances from Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon.
Resident Evil: Extinction 1/2
Milla Jovovich returns as the superhuman Alice who, along with old allies and new survivors, goes on a mission to eliminate the deadly virus that threatens to make every human being a zombie. Not exactly dull but never interesting either, the movie has no weight because there's no characterization or emotion, just slick mayhem.
Superbad
Co-stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are pretty irresistible together as high school best friends on a quest for alcohol, which they hope will help them hook up with girls at a big party before they graduate. The sweetness and awkwardness of their freakishly co-dependent relationship is totally believable, and their personalities and comic styles complement each other beautifully.
War H
Action stars Jet Li and Jason Statham face off as an infamous assassin sets off a crime war between rival Asian bosses, only to battle an obsessed FBI agent determined to bring him down after his partner is murdered. Barely utilizing the strengths of the actors, the movie might be more aptly titled "Spat" or "Tiff."
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):
Cinema Italiano Film Festival
See schedule on Page 4 .
Movie Museum
3566 Harding Ave.; $5, $4 members; reservations recommended due to limited seating (735-8771):
10 Canoes
At 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Friday and Sunday.
Knocked Up
Unrated version. At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
Destiny (al-Massir)
At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Monday.
The Method (El Metodo)
At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Oct. 4.
World Music Film Series
Spalding Hall Auditorium, University of Hawaii-Manoa; $5 general and $3 UH students, staff and faculty (223-0130):
Dances of Ecstasy
At 5 p.m. Sunday.
Katchaturian
At 7 p.m. Oct. 11.