CINEMA
At The Movies
Opening
I Know Who Killed Me
Lindsay Lohan stars as a bright and promising young woman who awakens in a hospital after surviving a traumatic abduction by a sadistic serial killer, only to realize she is not the person everyone thinks she is. (R)
No Reservations 
The perfectionist nature of a master chef at a trendy Manhattan eatery is put to the test when she "inherits" her 9-year-old niece while contending with a brash new sous chef who joins her staff. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin star. Review on Page 16. (PG)
Once
A modern-day musical set on the streets of Dublin, Ireland. It tells the story of a busker and an immigrant during an eventful week as they write, rehearse and record songs that reveal their unique love story. Review on Page 26. (R)
Rescue Dawn
Based on the true story of German-born Dieter Dengler, who made his way to America in pursuit of his obsession to become a test pilot. On his first mission to Vietnam, he is shot down and captured by the Viet Cong. Christian Bale and Steve Zahn star in the Werner Herzog film. Review on Page 27. (PG-13)
The Simpsons Movie 1/2
Our favorite cartoon dysfunctional family finally gets a movie and, wouldn't you know, Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created. Review on Page 13. (PG-13)
Sunshine 1/2
An intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying sci-fi tale from the director and screenwriter who made "28 Days Later," it recounts the bleak saga of a spaceship crew on a mission to recharge the sun, whose imminent death has cast Earth into a winter that will soon extinguish humanity.
Who's Your Caddy?
OutKast's Antwan "Big Boi" Patton plays a superstar rap mogul whose larger-than-life style wreaks havoc on a stuffy, traditional country club. (PG-13)
Now Playing
G
Meet the Robinsons 1/2
In this Disney animated movie, a boy genius creates a machine to recover the past and embarks on an adventure with his future family. While the script is strictly two-dimensional, the digital 3-D effects are spectacular. The movie has a beautifully retro art deco aesthetic.
Ratatouille
The latest Pixar film directed by Brad Bird ("The Incredibles") is a visual feast for the eyes. On a fundamental level, children will enjoy watching the adventures of a plucky Parisian rat who leaves the colony to pursue his dream of becoming a chef. But the animation is so lush and intricately detailed that it seems tailored more to grown-up sensibilities.
PG
Evan Almighty 1/2
Steve Carell stars in the tale of a workaholic politician chosen by God (a returning Morgan Freeman from "Bruce Almighty") to build a floodproof ark, simply because He likes Evan's "change the world" ethos. Despite the shoddy special effects, the movie's surprisingly likable.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
The sequel finds the lovably dysfunctional quartet battling an alien foe who assists a planet-eating entity called Galactus. Compared to its predecessor, this latest installment, while not as silly, isn't particularly thrilling.
Hairspray 1/2
The hit Broadway musical based on John Waters' 1988 romp of a movie gets its own screen adaptation. A plus-size girl with a big heart and a passion for dancing dreams of appearing on a local TV dance party in 1960s Baltimore. Director and choreographer Adam Shankman keeps the tone light, the hair high and the pacing snappy, even while delivering the film's segregation-is-bad message, which seems archaic45 years after the movie's setting.
Shrek the Third
Everybody's favorite green ogre is back, this time embarking on a quest to find a suitable replacement king (besides himself) to rule the land of Far Far Away. This final installment in this 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.
PG-13
1408
John Cusack stars as a jaded ghost-hunting author who stays the night in a haunted hotel room. Adapted from a Stephen King story, this movie is good and scary during its first hour, but then director Mikael Hafstrom fails to reconcile reality and delusion,. But Cusack delivers a credible portrayal of a descent into madness.
Blades of Glory
Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as rival figure skaters, banned from competition, who, in an attempt to make their return, team up to perform as the first male-male pair in the sport. There's enough material 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.
Delta Farce 1/2
Three hapless guys are mistaken for Army Reservists, loaded onto a plane to Iraq, and accidentally ejected somewhere over Mexico, where they save a rural village and become local heroes. It's dopey Army comedy in the tradition of "Stripes," just with the sights aimed lower.
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 thriller is far smarter than most big studio flicks with teen protagonists. LaBeouf comes off as a sturdy leading man.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The many fans of the series can take some satisfaction in a sleek, swift and exciting adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel, playing like a tense and twisty political thriller. The movie depicts a wizard world riven by factionalism and threatened by inflexible authoritarianism. 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 in order to receive pension benefits. Although the two stars make the movie bearable, this is just a middling screwball comedy that grows offensive with its attitude toward homosexuality.
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. This is a fully felt, decently crafted teen B-movie that's plenty preposterous in places but alive to the vibrant miseries of being young and misunderstood.
La Vie en Rose
The story of Edith Piaf, French diva and national symbol, is told here in a sometimes overly complicated style -- and the facts of her tragic life don't need the extra help. But Marion Cotillard gives a breakthrough performance as "the little sparrow," and the soundtrack -- which uses Piaf's original recordings -- is like a voyage to another world.
License to Wed 1/2
Holy matrimony turns into an unholy mess in this comedy about a young couple (Mandy Moore and John Krasinski) who go through a wacky minister's (Robin Williams) accelerated marriage-prep course. Those who will not enjoy watching Williams free-associate one-liners without benefit of a decent script or logical plot should steer clear.
Live Free or Die Hard
Rapid-fire, stunt-stuffed and yet still character-driven enough to maintain a healthy human pulse, this movie is a fire-breathing throwback to the grand action spectaculars of the '80s and '90s and a worthy successor for the "Die Hard" franchise. Bruce Willis returns as New York City police detective John McClane. This time around, the enemy is a group led by a genius who electronically shuts down all U.S. communications systems.
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 that counter-weights the good booty.
Sicko
This documentary about the ills of America's health care system is quintessential Michael Moore: expertly crafted, eminently entertaining, one-sided, overly simplistic and incredibly persuasive. Moore allows regular folk to tell their stories of frustration, pain and loss. But while he tickles the funny bone and tugs at the heart, Moore never suggests that he tried to reach any insurance executives for a response.
Spider-Man 3
This latest installment is a bloated, uneven behemoth of a flick, with more villains, more supporting characters and more plot lines. Not only does Peter Parker/Spider-Man battle human foes and their alter egos, but he also goes to the dark side -- and juggles two love interests as well. As people and threats come and go, the narrative feels scattered.
Transformers
Michael Bay's feature about the popular line of 1980s toy action figures is a screeching-metal, smash-and-crash, extreme-action movie lover's dream. 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. The morphing robots are created with computer animation so impressive it's hard not to believe in them.
R
Hostel: Part II H
Director Eli Roth's horror sequel is about three American women who are lured to the Slovakian torture chamber with promises of rest and relaxation at an "exotic destination." This movie has no moral center, other than slaughter feels good. Roth wants to nauseate the audience into submission with his torture porn.
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 (Seth Rogen) enjoys a drunken romp with an up-and-coming reporter (Katherine Heigl) who's way out of his league. When she realizes she's pregnant from the one-night stand, she decides to keep the baby, and forces major life changes on the both of them.
The Lives of Others
The winner of the best foreign film Oscar gets another theatrical run. The German film takes place right before the fall of the East German government. A surveillance agent, in hopes of boosting his career, finds his own life changing when he takes a job collecting evidence against a playwright.
Mr. Brooks 1/2
Kevin Costner stars as a respected family man trying to hide a deep, dark secret: He's a 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, and a witness who wants to help the next time Brooks kills. And don't forget the tough homicide detective. Really, it's just too much to make this movie work.
You Kill Me 1/2
An East Coast hit man (Ben Kingsley) messes up an assignment due to his drinking, so he's sent to San Francisco to clean up his act. But when an outside gang threatens his mob family, he has to go back, and gets an unexpected assist from a new love (Téa Leoni). This is nothing more than a mildly entertaining if well-made film.
Art House | Revival
Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy Of Arts
900 S. Beretania St.; $7 general; $6 seniors, students, military; $5 Academy members (532-8768):
Into Great Silence
At 12:30, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday, and 7 p.m. Monday.
Princess Tam-Tam
At 1 and 7 p.m. Aug. 2.
Movie Museum
3566 Harding Ave.; $5, $4 members; reservations recommended (735-8771):
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
At 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Friday.
Zodiac
At 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Two of Us (Le Vieil Homme et l'Enfant)
At 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Sunday.
Nine Lives
At 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Monday.
300
At 12:30, 3, 5:30 and 8 p.m. Aug. 2.
MidWeek Music Mixer
Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapiolani Blvd.; $15 (237-5462):
Miles Electric:A Different Kind of Blue (preceded by shorts program)
At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
