These are Maui Scene's mini-reviews, excerpts of wire service reviews and previews provided by studios and other sources.
*****
Opens Friday
Article Photos
Chris Hemsworth is the evil queen in “Snow White and the Huntsman.”
Universal Pictures photo
"Snow White and the Huntsman" PG-13, 2:07, Front Street Theaters, Kaahumanu 6, Kukui Mall
Snow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen. Unable to tolerate the insult to her vanity, the evil queen decides that Snow White must die. The queen sends a huntsman to kill Snow White. However the huntsman finds himself unable to murder the innocent young woman, and instead ends up training her to become a warrior capable of threatening the queen's reign. Stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman and Charlize Theron as the evil queen. Rupert Sanders directs.
*****
Still playing
"Men in Black III" PG-13, 1:45, Kaahumanu 6, Front Street Theaters, Kukui Mall
An alien criminal kills the young Agent K in 1969, altering the timeline, changing the Agency and placing the Earth in danger. Veteran Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back in time to 1969 to before the murder and work with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save him, the Agency, the Earth and humanity itself.
In this third sequel, director Barry Sonnenfeld recaptures the old chemistry between Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (the older Agent K) even though Jones has barely 10 minutes of screen time before Smith travels back in time.
As Jones' younger incarnation, Brolin delivers a performance that is strangely a better Tommy Lee Jones than Tommy Lee Jones. Even Smith looks at him sideways with an "I can't believe it" grin.
Every opportunity for action is fully exploited with stunning visual effects. More importantly, unlike the second film, Director Barry Sonnenfeld allows the flesh-and-blood characters to remain the stars of the show.
"Chernobyl Diaries" R, 1:30, Maui Mall Megaplex, Lahaina Wharf Cinema Center
A group of six young vacationers who, looking to go off the beaten path, hire an "extreme" tour guide. Ignoring warnings, he takes them into the city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, but a deserted town since the disaster more than 25 years ago.
After a brief exploration of the abandoned city, however, the group soon finds themselves stranded, only to discover that they are not alone. They are being hunted by strange beings, who appear to have mutated due to radiation exposure. They must escape by finding a route out of the city to the outer regions of the area.
Stars Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski and Olivia Dudley. Bradley Parker directs.
"The Dictator" R, 1:23, Front Street Theaters, Maui Mall Megaplex and Kukui Mall.
The Dictator is the latest comedy from Sacha Baron Cohen, co-starring Anna Faris, John C. Reilly, and Ben Kingsley. The story is about a fictional dictator, Haffaz Alladeen. The movie blurs the line between a "mockumentary" style movie and a fictional story of a dictator visiting the U.S. for the first time. Haffaz Alladeen (Cohen) is the hilariously bizarre dictator of the oil-rich African nation of Waadeya. As egotistical and ruthless as dictators come, Alladeen executes anyone who disagrees with him. He is also a Waadeyan Olympic Gold medalist, having won a variety of events including the 100 metre dash (where he shot all of his competitors). Movie viewers are treated to goofy laughs as The Dictator risks his life to ensure that democracy never comes to the country he so lovingly has oppressed. Larry Charles directs.
"What to Expect When You're Expecting" PG-13, 1:50, Maui Mall Megaplex and Front Street Theaters.
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name, What to Expect When You're Expecting is a heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. A kaleidoscopic comedy as universal as it is unpredictable, What to Expect When You're Expecting finds humor and uplift in all the unexpected trials and triumphs of welcoming a child into the world. Stars Cameron Diaz, Matthew Morrison and J. Todd Smith. Kirk Jones directs.
"Battleship" PG-13, 2:11, Lahaina Cinemas, Maui Mall Megaplex and Kukui Mall.
Based on the classic Hasbro naval combat game, Battleship is the story of an international fleet of ships who come across an alien armada whilst on a Naval war games exercise. An intense battle ensues over sea, land and air. Those looking for big, loud sci-fi action will find plenty of it here. Three ships are left stranded inside a gigantic alien spaceship's force field during what was supposed to be a routine exercise between Japanese and American sailors off the coast of Hawaii. What do they aliens-known as 'The Regents'-want? Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn Decker and Liam Neeson star. Recording artist Rihanna plays a plucky weapons specialist who scampers about the USS John Paul Jones making things go boom. Peter Berg directs.
"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," PG-13, 2:04. Kaahumanu 6
A group of British retirees decide to outsource their retirement to India, where it is less expensive and seemingly exotic. They are enticed by advertisements for the newly-restored Marigold Hotel and are bolstered with visions of a life of leisure. They arrive in Mumbai, after an arduous journey, to find the palace a shell of its former self. The phones don't work, the building is run-down, and the food isn't to their liking. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past. Stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. John Madden directs.
"Dark Shadows" PG-13, 1:53, Kaahumanu 6
In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy... until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better and are in need of his protection. Director Tim Burton brings the cult classic series "Dark Shadows" to the big screen.
"The Avengers" PG-13, 2:38, Maui Mall Megaplex, Kukui Mall and Lahaina Wharf Cinemas.
The hype has been building for years and it couldn't possibly be more deafening at this point. After a series of summer blockbusters that individually introduced Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America, all these characters come together alongside several other friends and foes in "Marvel's The Avengers." And with director and co-writer Joss Whedon, they couldn't be in better hands. He's pulled off the tricky feat of juggling a large ensemble cast and giving everyone a chance to shine, of balancing splashy set pieces with substantive ideology. Stuff explodes in beautifully detailed 3-D.
"The Five-Year Engagement" R, 1:64, ends tonight at Kaahumanu 6.
The writing team of Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel are aware of the typical pitfalls of the romantic comedy genre, but just as they did with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," they have crafted another charming story with "The Five-Year Engagement." The comedy charts the ups and downs of an engaged couple's relationship. Tom (Jason Segel) proposes to Violet (Emily Blunt). She says yes, but as the title implies, there are going to be some roadblocks along the way to these nuptials. The movie also stars Chris Pratt. Nicholas Stoller directs.
"Think Like a Man" PG-13, 2:17, Maui Mall Megaplex
In adapting Steve Harvey's funny best-seller to the screen, the producers left out the first half of the title: "Act Like a Lady." That's the premise for the comedy as a group of girlfriends including Gabrielle Union, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson and Jennifer Lewis buy the book and use its advice to keep their men in check until the men (including Chris Brown, Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy and Terrence Jenkins) catch on and try to turn the tables. Tim Story directs.
"The Hunger Games" PG-13, 2:22, Maui Mall Megaplex
Continuing its record-setting roll at the box office in its fourth week, writer-director Gary Ross' adaptation of the first of Suzanne Collins' trio of best-sellers is a hit with critics and social observers as well as its target teen audience. "Winter's Bone" Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence seems born to play Katniss Everdeen, a bow-and-arrow warrior in a futuristic world where North America has become a post-apocalyptic tyranny. The annual "Games" choose a male and female teen from each of 12 districts to duel to the death on the ultimate in reality TV shows, providing entertainment for the masses. Twinkly-eyed Woody Harrelson is the secret weapon in the strong, eccentric supporting cast also featuring Stanley Tucci, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland. While the themes strike uncomfortably close to home, it's the performances by Lawrence and company that make the film resonate powerfully. Recommended.
"The Three Stooges" PG, 1:47, ends tonight at Kaahumanu 6.
Sean Hayes is Larry, Will Sasso is Curly and Chris Dimantopoulos is Moe in this ill-advised update of ridiculous behavior for a new millennium. The plot has them trying to save an orphanage but winding up instead stumbling into a murder plot and a reality TV show. While it seems somewhat irreverent getting the new guys to play the real guys, directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly have never let good taste or decorum get in their way in a string of raunchy and sometimes hilarious comedy hits. Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara and Jennifer Hudson co-star, but to no avail.
* Movie listings are subject to last-minute changes. Visit www.mauigateway.com/~rw/ movie/ for updates.
