At the Movies: ‘Lincoln,’‘Red Dawn,’ more

For reviews of movies opening this weekend in theaters, see Friday’s Today section.

OPENS TODAY

‘Lincoln’
As the Civil War continues to rage, America’s president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own Cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves. Steven Spielberg’s film stars Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. (PG-13, 149 minutes)

‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2′
It’s the final chapter of the Gothic tween fantasy/romance story. After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi. (PG-13, 115 minutes)

LIMITED RELEASE

‘Dangerous Liaisons’
This gorgeous, big-scale film, set in 1931 Shanghai, provides juicy roles for China’s Zhang Ziyi and Hong Kong’s Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi. The playboy at the center is Xie Yifan (Korean heartthrob Jang Dong-kun; the director, Jin-ho Hur, is also Korean). The promiscuous Mo (Cheung) bets Yifan that he can’t seduce the chaste Fenyu (Zhang), then dump her. “Men are alike,” Mo says. “When they have money and power, they ruin the lives of young women.” (G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle) (Not rated, 115 minutes)

‘The Sessions’
A beautiful, funny, life-affirming film about the quadriplegic poet and journalist Mark O’Brien, who, at age 38, sought out a sex surrogate to help him lose his virginity. John Hawkes and Helen Hunt star, brilliantly. (Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer) (R, 95 minutes)

OPENS WEDNESDAY

‘Life of Pi’
Ang Lee’s latest film is about a young man who 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. (PG, 127 minutes)

‘Red Dawn’
Teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers. Chris Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas and Josh Hutcherson star in this remake of the 1984 original. (PG-13, 114 minutes)

‘Rise of the Guardians’
The latest project from DreamWorks Animation is about a group of immortal beings who team up to protect the innocence of children around the world when an evil spirit launches an assault on Earth. (PG, 97 minutes)

‘Silver Linings Playbook’
After a stint in a mental institution, a former teacher moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when a beautiful young woman with problems of her own enters his life. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro star. (R, 122 minutes)

NOW PLAYING

‘Alex Cross’
Based on the character from the best-selling novels by James Patterson, Tyler Perry plays the homicide detective/psychologist who meets his match in a serial killer (Matthew Fox). This movie is a good example of what a seriously talented director — in this case, Rob Cohen — can do with a terrible script. Cohen compensates by taking every bit of action and pumping it up, making something that could have been unwatchable into almost something worth seeing. (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle) (PG-13, 101 minutes)

‘Argo’
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador. Ben Affleck directs and stars in this seamless blend of detailed international drama and breathtaking suspense, with just the right amount of dry humor to provide context and levity. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) (R, 120 minutes)

‘Chasing Mavericks’ 1/2
When a young surfer discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his home, he enlists the help of a local legend to train him to survive it. The mentor-student relationship works here and the surfing footage is awe-inspiring, but the movie is a bit overlong. (Roger Moore, McClatchy Newspapers) (PG, 116 minutes)

‘Cloud Atlas’ 1/2
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives affect one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry star in this bloated, pseudo-intellectual, self-indulgent slog through some notions that are really facile. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) (R, 172 minutes)

‘The Details’
Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks star in this dark comedy about how a home pest problem sets off a wild chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity and murder. This surreal moral fable cloaked as a romantic comedy is a tough examination of karma and maintains its artistic integrity. (Stephen Holden, New York Times) (R, 91 minutes)

‘Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel’
This dizzily enjoyable documentary is a look at the life and work of the fabulous wit and influential fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue magazines. (Manohla Dargis, New York Times) (PG-13, 86 minutes)

‘Flight’
Denzel Washington plays an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling. This is a thrilling, engrossing and even darkly funny movie, anchored by a tremendous performance by Washington. (Christy Lemire, Associated Press) (R, 138 minutes)

‘Here Comes the Boom’
Kevin James plays a high school biology teacher who tries to become a successful mixed martial arts fighter in an effort to raise money to prevent extracurricular activities from being axed at his financially strapped school. The movie’s attempt to balance silliness and seriousness is undermined by the flat-out absurdity of the premise, and considering how inevitable the story is, the movie feels long. (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle) (PG, 105 minutes)

‘Hotel Transylvania’ 1/2
In this animated movie, Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count’s teenage daughter. Veteran Cartoon Network director Genndy Tartakovsky brings an undeniable visually zippy style to the movie, but the ghost of a script provides him with little substance. (Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter) (PG, 91 minutes)

‘Keep the Lights On’
This harsh yet delicate impressionistic drama is an accomplished work, chronicling an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship and addiction. (David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle) (NR, 101 minutes)

‘The Man with the Iron Fists’ 1/2
Wu-Tang Clan rap leader RZA makes his debut as a director-leading man in this epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in 19th-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all. It’s a goofily entertaining movie, if also lunatic, slipshod, absurdly violent, horribly acted (despite the presence of Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu) and borderline incomprehensible. (Ty Burr, Boston Globe) (R, 96 minutes)

‘Paranormal Activity 4′
It’s been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter in the second sequel, and a suburban family witnesses strange events in the neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in. This new installment adds little new information while playing out the inevitably unpleasant outcomes that await the characters, preferring to recycle plot elements from previous films. (Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter) (R, 88 minutes)

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’
An introvert high school freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller star in this funny and touching coming-of-age story which is principally a showcase for the pretty young cast, notably Miller, who brings texture to his witty if sensitive gay quipster. (Manohla Dargis, New York Times) (PG, 87 minutes)

‘Pitch Perfect’ 1/2
A college freshman is cajoled into joining her school’s all-girl singing group, where the Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition. This is a frothy, funny, dizzy and derivative farce stuffed with comic caricatures, hilarious one-liners and blessed with a cast that’s up to a little song-and-dance. (Roger Moore, McClatchy Newspapers) (PG-13, 112 minutes)

‘Seven Psychopaths’
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster’s beloved Shih Tzu. Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken star in this profane, gruesome and hysterically over-the-top movie. (Roger Moore, McClatchy Newspapers) (R, 109 minutes)

‘Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D’ 1/2
In this sequel to the popular horror video game, Heather Mason is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. The movie quickly devolves into a smorgasbord of sutured faces and blades poking the viewer in the eye. (Ethan Gilsdorf, Boston Globe) (R, 94 minutes)

‘Sinister’ 1/2
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity. This modestly creepy blend of “The Ring” and “The Shining” whiffs on a horror film fundamental: Nobody seems that scared. (Roger Moore, McClatchy Newspapers) (R, 110 minutes)

‘Skyfall’
In the latest James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, Bond’s loyalty to his boss M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, Agent 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. This movie is a mixed bag: Some of it is terrific and some of it is spectacular. It succeeds in restoring the Bond saga to life, delivering all the kinetic satisfaction of a taut action thriller with a mature sophistication rare in blockbuster films. (Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune) (PG-13, 143 minutes)

‘Smashed’
A married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of alcohol gets their relationship put to the test when the wife decides to get sober. This is a concise and focused character study, opting for realism and modesty instead of sensation. There are no harrowing tragedies or depressing plot twists, the way most films about alcoholism force their protagonist to get sober. (Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald) (R, 85 minutes)

‘Tai Chi Zero’
A young man who travels to a peaceful village to learn a powerful martial arts form becomes the town’s best hope for survival when a man arrives with a plan to build a railroad through the village. This cross-cultural steampunk/martial arts/comic-book Sino-Anglo mash-up is visually entertaining, littered with in-jokes and references to other movies. (Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram) (PG-13, 100 minutes)

‘Taken 2′ 1/2
Liam Neeson stars in the sequel to the 2008 hit. In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter. The movie turns out to be a lethargic retread and is strikingly unoriginal. (Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram) (PG-13, 91 minutes)

‘Wreck-It Ralph’ 1/2
The latest Disney animated feature is about a video game villain who wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. The studio takes a page out of Pixar’s well-worn playbook and ends up with a screwball farce with a novel setting and more edge than your average Disney ‘toon. (Roger Moore, McClatchy Newspapers) (PG, 108 minutes)

ARTHOUSE

DORIS DUKE THEATRE

Honolulu Museum of Art, 900 S. Beretania St., entry on Kinau Street (532-87680; $10 general, $8 museum members (tickets also available online at www.honolulumuseum.org):

‘Last Call at the Oasis’
1 p.m. today; 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
The documentary makes the argument why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century. (105 minutes)

Bank of Hawaii Family Sunday: ‘Tales of the Night’
11:10 a.m. Sunday ($3 adults, $1 children 13 and under)
An animated film that weaves together six fables from Tibet, medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains and even the Land of the Dead. (2011, 84 minutes)

Opera in Cinema: ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ from the Royal Opera House, London
1 and 6 p.m. Sunday
A revival of David McVicar’s celebrated 2006 production of this Mozart-Da Ponte classic. (200 minutes)

MOVIE MUSEUM

3566 Harding Ave. (735-8771): $5 general, $4 members; reservations recommended:

‘Sorry, if I Love You’
Noon, 2, and 8:30 p.m. today; and 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Monday
In this Italian romantic comedy, mayhem ensues when a 37-year-old ad executive on the rebound falls for a bubbly high school senior. (2008, 103 minutes)

‘I, the Other’
4, 5:30 and 7 p.m. today; and noon, 1:30, 3 and 8:30 p.m. Monday
A terrorist attack changes the relationship between a Sicilian and Tunisian who have become good friends while working together for 10 years on a fishing boat. (2006, 78 minutes)

‘The Singer’
Noon, 1:45, 3:30, 5:15, 7 and 8:45 p.m. Saturday
Gerard Depardieu plays an aging chanson singer who falls for a young and beautiful businesswoman (Cecile De France). (2006, 100 minutes)

‘I Wish’
Noon, 2:30, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday
In this Japanese family drama, a boy, who has been separated from his brother because of his parents’ divorce, begins to believe that the new bullet train service will create a miracle when the first trains pass each other at top speed. (2011, 128 minutes)

‘Tampopo’
6 and 8:15 p.m. Thursday
The stories in Juzo Itami’s popular comedy are intertwined by the love of food, as a truck driver and his sidekick decide to help a fledgling family-run noodle shop. (1985, 114 minutes)

BODY & SPIRIT DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES

Still & Moving Center, 1024 Queen St. (397-7678); $5:

‘Words, Earth & Aloha: Source of Hawaiian Music’
6:30 p.m. Sunday
Eddie Kamae’s documentary pays tribute to a range of composers who flourished between the 1870s and 1920s. (1995, 60 minutes)

MONDAY MOVIE CAFE

TheVenue, 1146 Bethel St. (436-4326); $10, $5 students:

‘Carmen’
6:30 p.m. Tuesday
The second of Carlos Saura’s heralded flamenco dance trilogy finds a group of dancers rehearsing for a version of the famous opera, where the choreographer falls in love with his leading lady. (1983, 98 minutes)