These are Maui Scene Editor Rick Chatenever's mini-reviews, excerpts of wire service reviews and previews provided by studios and other sources.
Opening Friday
"In Time" PG-13, 2:04, Maui Mall Megaplex, Kukui Mall 4 and Front Street Theaters.
Article Photos
Antonio Banderas asks, “Who’s your kitty?” as “Puss in Boots” takes over the Shrek franchise
Paramount photo via AP
Justin Timberlake and Maui Film Festival honoree Olivia Wilde star in this futuristic drama set in a time when time, not money, is the currency of the realm. Wilde plays his mother, but since no one ages past 25, it gets a bit confusing. The wealthy in this world can buy more time, or immortality if they've got enough, but the poor, like Timberlake have to scramble - especially when they get on the wrong side of the forces in control. Visionary Andrew Niccol directs a cast also featuring Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Galecki and Cillian Murphy.
"Puss in Boots" PG, 1:45, Maui Mall Megaplex (2-D and 3-D), Kukui Mall 4 and Lahaina Wharf Cinemas.
Mike Meyers' Shrek was always the least interesting thing about the "Shrek" franchise, so after Eddie Murphy's Donkey had his chance to shine, it's time for the greatest scene stealer of them all, Antonio Banderas' Puss. This prequel reboots the series with energy, creativity and Banderas' charisma, flashing back from the kitty's life as a Spanish outlaw to his days growing up in an orphanage. There he and his best friend, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), dreamed of stealing the magic beans, climbing the beanstalk and getting rich off some golden eggs. That life in crime brought Puss in contact with dangerous master thief Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek). At first they're adversaries, but Puss' charms tend to be irresistitible for fellow felines as much as the families in the audience.
"The Rum Diary" R, 2:00, Kaahumanu 6.
Johnny Depp once again channels gonzo journalist -and his late pal - Hunter S. Thompson in Bruce Robinson's adaptation of Hunter's autobiographical novel, written when Thompson was 22 in the early 1960s. It finds him in his pre-gonzo days, working for a dying newspaper in Puerto Rico run by exasperated editor Richard Jenkins but thrust into the sleazy realm of a wealthy American developer (Aaron Eckhart), building a giant resort. Amber Heard nearly steals the show as the developer's fiancee, who, of course, becomes the object of the journalist's love and lust. Michael Rispoli and Giovanni Ribisi co-star. (See the review on Page A12 of today's Maui News).
Special showing
"Ghostbusters" PG, 1:55, Kaahumanu 6, 7:30 tonight.
Just in time for Halloween, and before the release of "Part III" next year, Kaahumanu 6 is showing this horror-comedy classic about parapsychology professors who set themselves up to battle unwanted ghosts and the like, which eventually gets them transported to another dimension. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis star and many of them share in the the writing. Ivan Reitman directs.
Still playing
"50/50" R, 1:55, Maui Mall Megaplex.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in comedy writer Will Reiser's autobiographical script about being diagnosed in his 20s with a rare form of spinal cancer with a 50 percent chance of survival. Despite the daunting premise, the film is sometimes uproariously funny and sometimes just witty, brimming with humanity, insight and compassion. Seth Rogen plays his usual potty-mouth sidekick role in a cast also featuring the movie-stealing Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard and Angelica Huston. Jonathan Levine directs. Recommended.
"The Big Year" PG, 1:55, ends tonight at Kaahumanu 6 and Front Street Theaters.
This buddy comedy starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black is literally for the birds as the trio set off cross-country in competition to spot the most bird species in North America during a calendar year. In fact, there really is such an event, and director David Frankel based their fractured adventures in the wild on a nonfiction account. With lots of voice-over on the soundtrack, expect some meaningful midlife male epiphanies amidst all the hijinx and bonding.
"Courageous" PG-13, 2:09, Maui Mall Megaplex.
Alex Kendrick heads the cast, directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Kendrick for this Christian-themed cop drama from Sherwood Baptist Church's film ministry. The story has to do with four police officers discovering that their roles as fathers require more courage and character than their daily duty putting their lives on the line. Renee Jewell, Rusty Martin Jr., Ken Bevel, Eleanor Brown, Robert Amaya, Angelita Nelson, Kevin Downes and Ben Davies co-star.
"Dolphin Tale" PG, 2:08, Kaahumanu 6 and Front Street Theaters.
Maui's Kris Kristofferson is part of the all-star ensemble in this heart-warming, tear-jerking, feel-good story directed at every member of the family. Its success at the box office adds to its inspirational quality that goes through lots of tears en route to an ending that makes audience members more than glad they came. Young Nathan Gamble plays a school failure with no friends who accidentally gets involved with a dolphin trapped in a crab net. Freeing the creature entails removing its tale - leading a wonderful cast including Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman -to put the animal back together again. Charles Martin Smith leaves his iconic film credits as an actor behind to direct this heart-friendly fable based on a true story. Recommended.
"Footloose" PG-13, 2:08, Maui Mall Megaplex and Front Street Theaters; ends tonight at Kukui Mall 4.
Kenny Wormald steps into Kevin Bacon's dancing shoes to play the big-city high schooler who gets involved with a small-town Georgia preacher's daughter (Julianne Hough), putting him on a collision course with her dad (Dennis Quaid). The problem? He's gotta dance, but the town banned dancing after a tragedy it supposedly caused. "Hustle & Flow's" Craig Brewer directs this frequently scene-by-scene remake of the 1984 original, letting the dance moves tell the story as much as the words in the script. Miles Teller and Ray McKinnon co-star. Recommended.
"The Ides of March" R, 138, Maui Mall Megaplex; ends tonight at Kukui Mall 4.
George Clooney gets back into politics on the big screen playing a presidential candidate in this topical drama he also directs and co-wrote. Ryan Gosling, in his third memorable role of the year, plays his idealistic press secretary surrounded by a dream cast featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Jennifer Ehle and Evan Rachel Wood as an intern who threatens all the spin-doctors' best-laid plans. The film is smart and captures the pot-boiling pressure and sexually charged chess game always going on behind the scenes in a political campaign. It also almost subconsciously registers frustration with the Obama administration from those who had such high hopes for it. But while almost all the film's performances are gems, the script could use a better third act to make up for the cynical aftertaste it leaves behind.
"Johnny English Reborn" PG, 1:41, Maui Mall Megaplex.
Rowan Atkinson returns in this sequel (read the title) to the 2003 British spy parody "Johnny English." Consider Mr. Bean tripping into James Bond territory, literally, and you'll get the concept following his return to the secret service after a few years away after massively messing up his Mozambique assignment. His boss, Pegasus (Gillian Anderson), won't tolerate any more mistakes, which adds to the tension as he tries to crack a plot to assassinate the Chinese premier. Oliver Parker directs, taking his cues from Austin Powers. Rosamund Pike and Dominic West co-star.
"Killer Elite" R, 2:10, Maui Mall Megaplex
Jason Statham plays a highly trained killing machine trying to get out of the special-ops profession who gets drawn back in for one last job after his mentor (Robert De Niro) is kidnapped by an Omani sheik. He has to exact revenge on the men who kidnapped the sheik's sons to secure De Niro's release, but he's got sinister Clive Owen on his tail to deal with first. Gary McKendry directs this showcase of A-list talent engaging in head butts, pistol whippings, gut punches and other things they probably didn't learn in acting school.
"The Mighty Macs" G, 1:37, ends tonight at Maui Mall Megaplex.
The latest feel-good bit of cinematic inspiration is based on the true-life 1971-'72 Immaculata College women's basketball team that set all sorts of records despite the impossible odds they were up against. Carla Gugino plays the fiery feminist coach, co-starring with Ellen Burstyn, David Boreanaz, Katie Hayek, Kim Blair and Marley Shelton. Tim Chambers writes and directs, avoiding the temptation to fall into "Sister Act" slapstick or easy religious platitudes.
"Paranormal Activity 3" R, 1:39, Kaahumanu 6 and Lahaina Wharf Cinemas.
This third installment of the ultrasuccessful franchise once again relies on letting the home furnishings and stationary security cameras do most of the "acting" to build the suspense. Based on the first two, it's a formula that works well, turning minimal investments into maximum box office profits. This prequel features two teenage sisters who would grow up to be the hapless heroines of the earlier "Paranormal Activities"and the forces that sent them to the dark side. It's all captured in the films within the film by their videographer dad (Chris Smith), trying to figure out what's going bump in the night. Katie Featherson and Sprague Graydon star with Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman sharing the directing duties. Based on the fundamental rule of suspense -what we can't see is scary indeed -the concept is showing its age and running out suspense in its third installment.
"Real Steel" PG-13, 207, Kaahumanu 6, Kukui Mall 4 and Lahaina Wharf Cinemas.
Hugh Jackman co-stars with a bunch of hardware as a former fighter who has turned manager now that robots have climbed into the ring to do the actual boxing. Learning to be a good dad to his troubled son (Dakota Goyo) proves as challenging as getting his pile-of-junk 'bot transformed into a title contender. Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis and Kevin Durand co-star. Shawn Levy directs. Its formulaic script relies on the bots for the action, despite the fact that they've got neither brains nor hearts to make any of it make much sense.
"The Thing" R, 1:58, Kaahumanu 6; ends tonight at Lahaina Wharf Cinemas.
This new prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 monster classic provides the back story about an alien frozen in Antarctic ice that gets loose in a research station, killing the humans there and then replicating them. Who's real and who's not is at the core of the paranoid frenzy generated among the cast led by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton under first-time director Matthijz van Heiningen.
"The Three Musketeers" PG-13, 2:05, Maui Mall Megaplex (3-D and 2-D), Kukui Mall 4 and Front Street Theaters.
It's Mortal Kombat with swords by men in plumed hats in this latest version of the cinematic staple directed by violent action master Paul W.S. Anderson. Logan Lerman, Matthew MacFadyen and Ray Stevenson head the cast, along with the director's wife and "Resident Evil" star Milla Jovovich in the story that has the musketeers down on their luck before being pressed back into service to stop a nefarious plot to engulf Europe in war.
"Warrior" PG-13, 2:19, ends tonight at Maui Mall Megaplex.
The rough-edged brotherly love and dysfunctional family dynamics of "The Fighter" get moved into the mixed-martial-arts arena in this gritty drama. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play the two estranged brothers whose paths lead into the arena to fight for the championship. Nick Nolte plays their very flawed dad, who doesn't have to act very hard to look right for the role. Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Dunn and Frank Grillo co-star; Gavin O'Connor directs.
"What's Your Number" R, 2:01, ends tonight at Maui Mall Megaplex.
Anna Faris has to be way smarter than the roles she picks. How else to explain how she makes all those ditzes as lovable as they are cute? This time around, co-starring with Chris Evans under the direction of Mark Mylod, she goes through her little black book of the 19 guys she has slept with to pick a husband before she hits No. 20, which, apparently will qualify her as a slut in her own mind. Evans plays her neighbor who helps her find the guys on the list, not noticing he's a far more appealing candidate for the job.
* Times in the movie ads are subject to change on the weekend. For up-to-date movie time changes, visit www.mauigateway.com/ ~rw/movie/.
