Ratings by the Motion Picture Association of America are: (G) for general audiences; (PG) parental guidance urged because of material possibly unsuitable for children; (PG-13) parents are strongly cautioned to give guidance for attendance of children younger than 13; (R) restricted, younger than 17 admitted only with parent or adult guardian; (NC-17) no one younger than 17 admitted.
Opening this week
"Big Miracle" -- Amid the Cold War, a small-town reporter and his environmentalist ex-girlfriend lead an unlikely international coalition to save a family of gray whales trapped in the Arctic circle. With Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell and Dermot Mulroney. Written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. Directed by Ken Kwapis. (1:47) PG.
"Chronicle" -- After making a surprising discovery, three high school students develop uncanny powers and begin to lose control. With Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan. Written by Max Landis. Directed by Joshua Trank. (1:24) PG-13.
"Crazy Horse" -- This documentary goes inside the famous Crazy Horse cabaret club in Paris during rehearsals for a new show. Directed by Frederick Wiseman. In English and French with English subtitles. (2:14) NR.
"The Innkeepers" -- In the final days before a 100-year-old inn closes, two employees who are amateur ghost hunters try to find proof the hotel is haunted. With Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Alison Bartlett. Written and directed by Ti West. (1:42) R.
"Kill List" -- Months after a botched job, an out-of-work hitman has an opportunity to get back in the game and earn a big payoff, but things go south quickly. With Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley and MyAnna Buring. Written by Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump. Directed by Wheatley. (1:35) NR.
"W.E." -- In 1998, an unhappily married woman in New York City becomes obsessed with the love story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, whose estate is being auctioned off. With Andrea Riseborough, Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy and Oscar Isaac. Written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian. Directed by Madonna. (1:58) R.
"The Woman in Black" -- When a widowed lawyer is sent to a remote village to settle the affairs of a deceased eccentric, he discovers the place holds a deadly secret. With Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer and Liz White. Written by Jane Goldman. Directed by James Watkins. (1:36) PG-13.
Also in theaters
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" -- A group of talking chipmunks and their human companions get shipwrecked on a remote island. With Jason Lee, David Cross, Jenny Slate and the voice of Justin Long. Written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. Directed by Mike Mitchell. (1:25) G.
"Beauty and the Beast 3D" -- A 3-D version of the classic animated tale about a princess taken captive by a monster who may be more than meets the eye. With the voices of Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White and Jerry Orbach. Written by Linda Woolverton. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. (1:24) G.
"Contraband" -- A former international smuggler is forced to re-enter the criminal underground to settle his brother-in-law's debt and protect his own family. With Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster and Giovanni Ribisi. Written by Aaron Guzikowski. Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. (1:49) R.
"The Descendants" -- An indifferent father of two girls is forced to re-examine his life when his wife suffers a boating accident and he's confronted with a big decision. With George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges and Robert Forster. Written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Directed by Payne. (1:55) R.
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" -- After finding a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, a young boy goes on a journey across the five boroughs of New York City. With Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn and James Gandolfini. Written by Eric Roth. Directed by Stephen Daldry. (2:09) PG-13.
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" -- A journalist and a hacker search for a woman who has been missing for decades in this adaptation of the novel by Stieg Larsson. With Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgard. Written by Steven Zaillian. Directed by David Fincher. (2:38) R.
"The Grey" -- When their plane crashes in the remote Alaskan wilderness, a group of roughneck oil rig workers struggle to survive injuries, the elements and a vicious pack of wolves. With Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo and Dallas Roberts. Written by Joe Carnahan and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers. Directed by Carnahan. (1:57) R.
"Haywire" -- An elite black-ops soldier seeks vengeance after being betrayed and set up during a mission. With Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender and Ewan McGregor. Written by Lem Dobbs. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. (1:33) R.
"Hugo" -- In 1930s Paris, an orphan living in a train station tries to unlock a mystery left behind by his late father. With Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen. Written by John Logan. Directed by Martin Scorsese. In 3-D. (2:06) PG.
"The Iron Lady" -- This biopic presents a portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the only woman to be prime minister of the United Kingdom. With Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Harry Lloyd and Alexandra Roach. Written by Abi Morgan. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. (1:45) PG-13.
"Joyful Noise" -- The two leading ladies of a small-town Georgia choir butt heads while trying to win a national singing competition. With Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer and Courtney B. Vance. Written and directed by Todd Graff. (1:58) PG-13.
"Man on a Ledge" -- As a police negotiator tries to talk a fugitive former cop off a ledge, she discovers he may have a plan to prove his innocence and reveal an NYPD conspiracy. With Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Anthony Mackie. Written by Pablo F. Fenjves. Directed by Asger Leth. (1:42) PG-13.
"Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" -- After being blamed for a terrorist bombing of the Kremlin, a secret agent and his team must clear their organization's name and prevent another attack. With Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton. Written by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Christopher McQuarrie. Directed by Brad Bird. In Imax. (2:07) PG-13.
"One for the Money" -- A newly divorced, recently laid-off woman lands a job with a shady bail-bond business and gets swept up in a world of murder and deception. With Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara and Daniel Sunjata. Written by Liz Brixius. Directed by Julie Ann Robinson. (1:46) PG-13.
"Red Tails" -- This World War II historical drama tells the story of the black fighter pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen. With Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Ne-Yo and Terrence Howard. Written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. Directed by Anthony Hemingway. (2:05) PG-13.
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" -- The famous detective Sherlock Holmes meets his match in the criminal mastermind known as Professor Moriarty in this sequel to the 2009 film. With Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris. Written by Michele Mulroney and Kieren Mulroney. Directed by Guy Ritchie. (2:09) PG-13.
"War Horse" -- During World War I, a horse is separated from the young man who tamed and trained him, threatening their special bond and sending the animal on an extraordinary journey. With Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson and David Thewlis. Written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis. Directed by Steven Spielberg. (2:26) PG-13.
