These are Maui Scene's mini-reviews, excerpts of wire service reviews and previews provided by studios and other sources.
Opens Friday
"Dead Man Down" R, 1:10. Action, crime drama. Kaahumanu 6.
Article Photos
Nicholas Hoult stars in “Jack the Giant Slayer,” a modern version of the classsic fairy tale
AP photo / Warner Bros. Pictures
Victor (Colin Farrell), a rising gangland player, has infiltrated the crime empire run by ruthless kingpin Alphonse (Terrence Howard), with the single purpose of making Alphonse pay for destroying his once happy life. As he meticulously orchestrates his vengeance from his high-rise home, Victor watches and is watched by Beatrice, a mysterious young woman who lives in the apartment across from his. On the surface a fragile woman-child, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) seethes with a rage of her own. When she uncovers Victor's dark secrets, she threatens to expose him unless he helps her carry out her own campaign of retribution. Each fixated on avenging the past, they devise a violent and cathartic plan that could change their worlds forever. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
"Emperor" PG-13, Drama, History, war. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Starring Academy Award-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox, and newcomer Eriko Hatsune, Emperor brings to life the American occupation of Japan in the perilous and unpredictable days just after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender. As General Douglas MacArthur (Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation, he assigns an expert in Japanese culture - General Bonner Fellers (Fox), to covertly investigate the looming question hanging over the country: should the Japanese Emperor, worshiped by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or saved? Peter Webber directs.
"Oz the Great and Powerful" PG, 2:10. Action, Adventure Fantasy. Lahaina Wharf Cinema and Kaahumanu 6.
Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes, however, when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well. Directed by Harald Zwart.
Still Playing
"A Good Day to Die Hard" R, 1:37. Action, crime thriller. Kaahumanu 6 (ends tonight).
John McClane travels to Russia to help his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces. This action-filled crime thriller stars Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney and Sebastian Koch. John Moore directs.
"Beautiful Creatures" PG-13, 2:04. Drama, fantasy romance. Kaahumanu 6 (ends tonight).
Ethan longs to escape his small Southern town when he meets a mysterious new girl, Lena. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town. This drama fantasy romance stars Alice Englert, Viola Davis and Emma Thompson. Directed by Richard LaGravenese.
"Dark Skies" PG-13, 1:35. Horror, sci-fi thriller. Kaahumanu 6.
As the Barret family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to discover that a terrifying and deadly force is after them. Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton and Dakota Goyo star in this horror supernatural thriller. Scott Stewart directs.
"Escape from Planet Earth" PG, 1:29. Animation, adventure comedy. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Astronaut Scorch Supernova (voice of Brendan Fraser) finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from a notoriously dangerous alien planet. Also lending their voices to this animated adventure comedy are Sarah Jessica Parker and Jessica Alba. Cal Brunker directs.
"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" R, 1:28. Action, fantasy horror. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Tommy Wirkola directs this new spin on the famous fairy tale in which Hansel and Gretel are now bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, the siblings encounter a new form of evil that might hold a secret to their past.
"Identity Thief" R, 1:51. Comedy, crime. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Miami to confront the deceptively harmless-looking woman who has been living it up after stealing Sandy's identity. Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy and John Cho star.
"Jack the Giant Slayer" PG-13, 2:02. Adventure, drama fantasy. Lahaina Wharf Cinema and Kaahumanu 6.
The ancient war between humans and a race of giants is reignited when Jack (played by Nicholas Hoult), a young farmhand fighting for a kingdom and the love of a princess, opens a gateway between the two worlds. Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor also star in this adventure filled fantasy drama.
"Life of Pi," PG, 2:07. Adventure, drama. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Academy Award winner Ang Lee directed this adventure-drama starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan and Akil Hussain. A young man survives a disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor -a fearsome Bengal tiger.
"Phantom" R, 1:37. Thriller. Maui Mall Megaplex.
The haunted Captain (played by Ed Harris) of a Soviet submarine holds the fate of the world in his hands. Forced to leave his family behind, he is charged with leading a covert mission cloaked in mystery. Inspired by actual events. Starring Julian Adams and David Duchovny and directed by Todd Robinson.
"Safe Haven" PG-13, 1:55. Drama, mystery romance. Maui Mall Megaplex.
A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, N.C., where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her. Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel and Cobie Smulders star in this drama-mystery romance. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom.
"Silver Linings Playbook" R, 2:02. Comedy, drama romance. Maui Mall Megaplex.
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
"Snitch" PG-13, 1:35. Action, drama thriller. Kaahumanu 6 and Lahaina Wharf Cinema (ends tonight).
Dwayne Johnson stars as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug distribution crime and is looking at a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Joining Johnson in this action drama thriller are Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon and Michael Kenneth Williams. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh.
"The Impossible" PG-13, 1:54. Drama, history thriller. Maui Mall Megaplex.
Nothing is more powerful than the human spirit in this true-life tale of surviving the tsunami in Thailand. Stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
"The Last Exorcism Part II" PG-13, 1:28. Horror thriller. Maui Mall Megaplex.
As Nell Sweetzer tries to build a new life after the events of the first movie, the evil force that once possessed her returns with an even more horrific plan. Ashley Bell, Julia Garner and Spencer Treat Clark star in this horrifying thriller. Ed Gass-Donnelly directs.
"21 and Over" R, 1:33. Comedy. Lahaina Wharf Cinema and Maui Mall Megaplex.
The night before an important medical school exam, a promising student Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) celebrates his 21st birthday with his two best friends played by Miles Teller and Skylar Astin. What was supposed to be a quick beer becomes a night of humiliation, over indulgence and utter debauchery. Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
"Warm Bodies" PG-13, 1:37. Comedy, horror romance. Maui Mall Megaplex.
John Malkovich stars with Teresa Palmer and Nicholas Hoult. Director Jonathan Levine takes audiences on a comedic romp laced with horror and romance in this film about R (a highly unusual zombie), who saves Julie from an attack. The two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
"Zero Dark Thirty" R, 2:37. Drama, history, thriller. Maui Mall Megaplex (ends tonight).
For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. "Zero Dark Thirty" reunites the Oscar-winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal ("The Hurt Locker") for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man.
* Movie listings are subject to last-minute changes. For updates, visit www.mauigateway.com/~rw/movie/.
