BAD GRANDPA (R) Much funnier and more poignant than one would expect from a production company named Dickhouse, Bad Grandpa expounds upon the “Jackass” sketch featuring Johnny Knoxville’s elderly alter ego, Irving Zisman. Like Borat, Knoxville and company (including director-cowriter Jeff Tremaine and cowriter Spike Jonze) capture people’s real reactions to the interactions of a naughty, oversexed grandfather and his eight-year-old grandson, Billy (Jackson Nicoll). Knoxville tests just how much patience people have for old people in sketches narratively connected as grandpa Irving takes his grandson to live with his father. The credits offer a glimpse into the fascinating filming. (A behind the scenes doc about Bad Grandpa’s making would be worth a watch.) Sure, it’s raunchy, but Knoxville never breaks character, even when Zisman’s all alone. As a result, he gives a transformative, Sellers-like performance. Jackass has also been shockingly effective comedy, and if one can laugh at (or simply ignore) their new flick’s sophomoric hijinks, one will find the crew’s grown up…a little.

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY (R) Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Terrance Howard and Harold Perrineau return as the former college pals audiences first met in 1999’s The Best Man. Now all are married (besides Howard’s sex-obsessed Quentin) and facing numerous grown up problems ranging from money to kids to illness. A well-appointed holiday movie (every outfit and every room is catalog ready) clad in melodrama and mostly on target humor, The Best Man Holiday is the sort of film Tyler Perry has never quite made. Writer-director Malcolm D. Lee (Spike’s cousin) handles the tonal shifts from laughter to tears much more deftly, and his very pretty cast (rounded out by Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa and Eddie Cibrian) is far from painful to watch. This sequel has a fairly focused appeal that should not disappoint moviegoers looking for some adult fare during this opening salvo of the holiday season.

BLACK NATIVITY (PG) Kasi Lemmons, whose debut feature Eve’s Bayou must be seen, bravely brings Langston Hughes’ musical version of the Nativity story to the big screen for a modern audience. A young mother (Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson) sends her troubled teenage son (Jacob Latimore) to live with his estranged relatives (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett). The musical’s cast is rounded out by Tyrese Gibson, Mary J. Blige and Nas (billed as Nasir Jones). I’m intrigued.

THE BOOK THIEF (PG-13) I always intended to read Marcus Zusak’s novel before I saw the filmed adaptation. That does not look like it’s going to happen now. A tale set in Nazi Germany and narrated by Death, The Book Thief stars Monsieur Lazhar’s Sophie Nelisse as young Liesel Meminger, who steals books. “Downton Abbey” director Brian Percival’s previous feature film was A Boy Called Dad. Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson star as Liesel’s foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann.

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (PG-13) Paul Greengrass is Hollywood’s most effective director of tense docudramas. (Apologies to Kathryn Bigelow, but it is true.) Recounting the real life story of Captain Richard Phillips, who was kidnapped by Somali pirates and held hostage in a claustrophobic lifeboat for several days, Greengrass crafts his best film since United 93. Tom Hanks stars as Captain Phillips, and he loses his typical Hanks-ness in the dramatized reality realized by Greengrass. The lack of almost any other recognizable supporting actors (that guy, Chris Mulkey, is as familiar as it gets) helps Hanks slide deeper into a role than he has since Road to Perdition. Barkhad Abdi, who plays lead Somali pirate Muse could be one of those fun Oscar dark horses. The taut effectiveness of Billy Ray’s script certainly should not be undervalued but will be due to the incredible work done by Greengrass, whose greatest films seem like reality unfolding before our eyes. Captain Phillips should nab the British filmmaker another Oscar nod. As a word of advice, one may wish to watch Captain Phillips and Gravity on different weekends; otherwise, we are talking about the most intense double feature ever.

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (R) Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto have been hogging a lot of the recent buzz for their performances in The Young Victoria director Jean-Marc Vallee’s mid-80s AIDS drama. After being diagnosed with the deadly disease, a hard living electrician Ron Woodruff (McConaughey) overcomes his homophobia and attempts to beat the system while getting necessary medications for himself and others struggling to survive the burgeoning epidemic. With Jennifer Garner, David O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) and Steve Zahn. (Ciné)

DELIVERANCE (R) 1972. Just when you thought it was safe to get back in a raft, the legendary film that frightened an entire generation of men out of the woods shows in Ciné’s Southern Classic Film Series. Considering the Peach State connections (it stars Waycross native Burt Reynolds, is based on a novel by Georgia-born James Dickey and was shot on the Chattooga), an Athens-town screening seems fitting. Four friends’ decision to spend a weekend rafting rather than golfing ends in “Dueling Banjos,” pig-squealing, compound fractures and that eerie hand in the lake. After watching this film, no one ever looks at Ned Beatty the same way again. (Ciné)

DELIVERY MAN (PG-13) In Ken Scott’s remake of his own Canadian hit, Vince Vaughn stars as Dave Wozniak, a guy who, 20 years earlier, donated nearly 700 samples to a sperm bank. Now, the 500 plus kids that resulted from his sperm want to know who their daddy is via a class action lawsuit. Dave’s girlfriend (“How I Met Your Mother”’s Cobie Smulders, who is pretty much wasted) is pregnant with the first of his kids that he’ll get to raise. Vaughn gets to show a touch more vulnerability as Dave, who’s more of a woebegone charmer than his typical fast talkers. The true standout of the movie is Chris Pratt, who’s hopefully set to blow up after muscleing up for James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Pratt already steals the show on “Parks and Recreation;” now he steals the feature from star Vaughn. Polish actor Andrzej Blumenfeld also owns his few scenes as Dave’s sweet father. Still, Pratt and Vaughn are not enough to make this likable, comedic slacker worth a theatrical viewing. This cute, intriguing story, which already played better in a smaller movie, might be better off on a smaller screen.

DESPICABLE ME 2 (PG) As far as animated sequels go, Despicable Me 2 has more creative life in it than might first be thought. Gru (v. Steve Carell) may no longer be a master criminal, utilizing his freeze rays and other diabolical inventions to raise his three adopted daughters—Margo (v. Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (v. Dana Geier) and Agnes (v. Elsie Fisher). When a new super villain steals a dangerous, experimental serum, the Anti Villain League – represented by sweet potential love interest Lucy (v. Kristen Wiig) – enlist Gru’s assistance. Watching this enjoyable kiddie flick with a kid definitely increases the appeal of the little yellow Minions, whose roles have been enlarged with their own spinoff in the works for 2014. Carell’s Boris Badunov accent still entertains and warms the heart, as does little Agnes. A little long, even at 98 minutes (remember when Disney cartoons clocked in under 80?), Despicable Me 2 has no shot at surpassing expectations like its underdog predecessor, and its appeal to anyone over ten probably depends on one’s tolerance for the Minions. Still, it’s a funny movie for kids and parents.

DON JON (R) So actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt can do little wrong in my opinion, and his feature writing/directing debut absolutely succeeds despite its strange late film tonal shift. Jersey boy Jon (Gordon-Levitt) loves the ladies, his pad, his car, his family, his boys, his church and his porn. But when he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), Jon learns he might have to give up his favorite pastime. Jon makes further discoveries when he meets a sad, community college classmate, Esther (Julianne Moore). JG-L proves a technically superb filmmaker in his rookie outing. Don Jon is excellently, stylishly composed and edited without being over-directed. This awfully adult dramedy might make some viewers uncomfortable with its rather frank sexuality, especially regarding Jon’s porn watching habits. But mature audiences will enjoy an all too topical discussion of how the Internet has potentially changed young people’s sexual expectations with its easy access pornography. Plus, the movie’s funny. Just witness a few of Jon’s weekly shouting matches-cum-dinners with his parents (Tony Danza and Glenne Headly) and always silently texting sister (Brie Larson, The Spectacular Now). Don Jon will be remembered as one of 2013’s more unsung cinematic heroes. 

ENDER’S GAME (PG-13) The filmed adaptation of Ender’s Game, written and directed by X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s Gavin Hood, is not an adequate replacement for reading Orson Scott Card’s modern science fiction classic. (I would feel remiss if I completely ignored Card’s intolerance. While I don’t condone it and wholly disagree with it, I enjoyed his work of fiction and highly recommend it.) Young Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield, Hugo) is handpicked by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) to be the potential savior of humanity, which is being threatened by an alien race, and must complete against a school of young starship troopers (including True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld) on a simulated battlefield in order to fulfill Graff’s prophetic belief. The look of Ender’s Game is strong, as are the bulk of the performances (Ford remains a commanding sci-fi presence). Hood struggles to adapt Card’s more complex ideas, but he wisely chooses to jettison his brother’s Earthbound shenanigans. He also fails to adequately portray Ender’s grueling exhaustion in the Command School finale, which seems much more like a middle school graduation play than a warm-up for the potential end of humanity. Maybe that’s the movie’s biggest problem; it fails to realize that it’s more than a game.

THE FAMILY (R) The untimely, much too soon death of James Gandolfini ensured that fine actor will never have to mock his greatest role in a lukewarm (or worse) mob comedy as Robert De Niro has. As Fred Blake nee Giovanni Manzoni, De Niro continues his slide into irrelevance. Fred and his family—wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter Belle (Diana Agron of “Glee”) and son Warren (John D’Leo)—are in international witness protection under the gruff, watchful eye of Tommy Lee Jones’ FBI agent, but the real people who need protecting are the Blake/Manzoni’s neighbors. The Blake/Manzoni family are all sociopathic gangsters. Talk about ugly Americans. Gallic filmmaker Luc Besson has spent recent years focusing on writing and producing such hits as The Transporters and the Takens and less time directing the action movies upon which he built his name (standouts being La Femme Nikita, The Professional and The Fifth Element). Despite its game cast and R-rated violence, The Family will not be remembered as one of Besson’s stronger efforts. Great mob movies are a treasure; mob comedies, as a genre, need to be buried.

FREE BIRDS (PG) More an oddity than a cute family movie, Free Birds features the voices of Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson as two turkeys, Jake and Reggie, that travel back in time to stop turkey from making the Thanksgiving Day menu. Released a few weeks too early, this kiddie cartoon seemed to get more laughs from the adults in the audience. Harrelson’s militaristic idiot is much more entertaining than Wilson’s too talky turkey. Wilson is not only outdone by this co-lead, supporting voices Amy Poehler, George Takei, Keith David and Dan Fogler are all more entertaining. The strange Free Birds will not become a new holiday viewing tradition, but it’s pleasant enough to be watched once, if one has no other choice.

FROZEN (PG) Disney returns with a newfangled computer animated feature that feels very old school. A young princess, Anna (v. Kristen Bell), must venture into the frozen wilds to save her sister, recently crowned Queen Elsa (v. Idina Menzel), who has lost control over her icy powers. Anna is assisted in her search by ice salesman Kristoff (v. Jonathan Groff, “Glee”), his reindeer, Sven, and a goofy, talking snowman named Olaf (v. Josh Gad). The narrative, adapted from Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen” by Wreck-It Ralph scripter Jennifer Lee (who co-directed), is as Disney formulaic as they come, and the animation shines without standing out. Nonetheless, the characters, especially Gad’s silly snowman, are winning. The songs are catchy, as is their diegetic musical inclusion. Little kids will love Frozen, and parents who grew up on Disney classics will not feel left out in the cold. 

GRAVITY (PG-13) Yes. Children of Men filmmaker Alfonse Cuaron’s latest film is as great as you have heard. An astronaut (George Clooney) and a doctor (Sandra Bullock) must work together to survive an accident in the cold, silent confines of space. Gravity is an acting tour de force by Bullock (this  movie is essentially her Cast Away) and the most incredible special effects driven film I have ever seen. See it in 3D/IMAX if you can, as the film reminded me of Six Flags’ Chevy Show. You feel like you are in space, which is simultaneously awe-inspiringly beautiful and coldly dangerous. Though a science fiction film, Gravity is the most harrowing cinematic experience I can remember. It’s often more terrifying than any recent horror film. Cuaron has cured me of any lingering desires to travel into space. He has also proven himself to be the single most intriguing major filmmaker working today. Taking two mega-stars and placing them in a straight up disaster movie that is heavily reliant on special effects takes so much vision and control to keep the spectacle from overwhelming the humanity. Gravity is heavyweight genre filmmaking that never lets up. It is intense, but you cannot miss it.

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG-13) Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth continues with the middle installment of his three-part Hobbit adaptation. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and his new possession, a magic ring, continue working with the Dwarves and Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) to recover Erebor from Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The first film failed to recapture the magic of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy without being disappointing. Look for the return of some familiar faces (Orlando Bloom) amidst the new ones (Evangeline Lilly of “Lost”).

HOMEFRONT (R) So the best thing about this Jason Statham actioner, written by Sylvester Stallone, is the casting of James Franco as the meth-cooking local baddie, Gator Bodine. He menaces with the proper combination of charm, crazy and family values. Retired DEA super-agent Phil Broker does nothing unexpected of a Statham hero. He kicks small-town, “Loo”-siana ass with relish, even when his impressionable, motherless daughter (Izabela Vidovic) is looking on with awe. A supporting cast that includes Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth and Clancy “The Kurgan” Brown elevates this standard action fare, but Franco is the only reason anyone will remember this Statham flick over another. In a year of quirky turns by Franco, Homefront’s Gator is not his most outstanding (see Alien in Spring Breakers), but he is an actor always worth the attention. The fact that Stallone contributed the script, an adaptation of a Chuck Logan novel, is merely another entertaining footnote for a working class, action-heavy crime thriller that gets the job done without ever excelling.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG-13) The Hunger Games returns, and its sequel, while more a formality setting up the series’ final, revolutionary entry, improves upon an original that was more of a visual book report than an exciting cinematic adaptation. (Original director Gary Ross’ absence was addition by subtraction.) After surviving the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are the Capitol’s newest celebrities. But all is not well in the Districts, and creepy President Snow (Donald Sutherland, who I’ve only just noticed resembles Sid Haig) lets Katniss know it by putting her back in the next year’s Games. New director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) paces the film better once we escape District 12 (every scene in it is so drab and boring), and the Quarter Quell is excitingly envisioned with deadly fog, killer monkeys and fun new faces like Finnick (a key new role well played by Sam Claflin) and Johanna (Jena Malone). Largely dismissed as repetitive upon the novel’s release, the underrated Catching Fire successfully adds more wrinkles to the Suzanne Collins’ formula than its more straightforward predecessor. However, it’s about time Katniss take more charge of her situation, a flaw hopefully remedied by the franchise finale, Mockingjay.

INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 (PG-13) As a horror filmmaker, James Wan, who made his debut with the low budget smash Saw, has grown as a stylist. See The Conjuring or this sequel to his 2009 hit, Insidious. Insidious: Chapter 2 continues the Lambert family’s ghost story. When Josh (Patrick Wilson) returned from the spirit world at the conclusion of the first movie, he didn’t return alone, and his family—wife Renai (Rose Byrne) and sons Dalton (Ty Simpkins) and Foster (Andrew Astor)—is in danger. Fortunately, his mom, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), and a team of bumbling Scoobies (including screenwriter Leigh Whannel) are on the job, searching for the supernatural solution via some poor comic relief. Chapter 2 is like a reverse Insidious. Chapter 1 had its chilling, mysterious first two acts bogged down by Josh’s blah final stroll through the spirit world. The sequel painfully explicates a dumb story for two acts, relying on trite haunted house tropes like slamming doors and flying household objects, before a strong final act that finally brings the scary and some nifty callbacks to the first movie. Insidious: Chapter 2 is no The Conjuring, where Wan proved he’s got the goods. Now he needs to show some consistency.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946. Frank Capra’s holiday classic gets the big screen treatment at Ciné as part of a seasonal fundraiser. George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) reconsiders suicide after Clarence (Henry Travers), an angel seeking his wings, shows George the difference he’s made on the world. This admission is free with an unwrapped, new toy for Toys for Tots or a cash donation to Ciné. Complimentary popcorn and refreshments will be provided while they last. You know you’re going to watch it, so why not do it for charity and on the big screen? (Ciné)

KILL YOUR DARLINGS (R) Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, continues to distance himself from the Boy Who Lived. (Too bad it doesn’t matter what roles he plays; he will never escape that career defining character.) In Kill Your Darlings, Radcliffe plays famed beat poet Allen Ginsberg, in director John Krokidas’ feature debut. Also appearing are fellow legends, Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston, who is so good on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) and William Burroughs (Ben Foster, who makes another strong casting choice). With Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Jason Leigh. (Ciné)

LAST VEGAS (PG-13) What can one say about Last Vegas? The comedy is funnier than expected, and the drama is worse than one can imagine. Four old friends—Paddy (Robert De Niro), Billy (Michael Douglas), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline)—head to Vegas for Billy’s bachelor party. Hilarity ensues as horndog Sam hits on all the ladies, Paddy gripes and grimaces, Archie drinks and gambles, and engaged Billy romances an older woman, lounge singer Diana (Mary Steenburgen). Astonishingly, the gags that ensue from the aforementioned clichés are funny. The forced melodrama between Billy and Paddy, who have been fighting over girls since they were little boys, drags the entire movie down, as does the unenlightened view of old people and young people, wholly represented by hot young women and “Entourage”’s Turtle (Jerry Ferrara). Director Jon Turteltaub smartly lets his four strong leads do their thing, and they are an appealing quartet. They work well together, no matter how unimaginative the script. However, the comedy will naturally play better to older audiences; cinematically uneducated youngsters will just be left wondering who all these old fogies are.

LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER (PG-13) I wonder if Lee Daniels now wished he’d followed up Precious with this crowd-pleasing slice of historical nostalgia, chronicling the major events of the second half of the 20th century through the eyes of White House butler Cecil Gaines (Forrest Whitaker). Were this film released later in the year, I’m sure Whitaker would be in the awards hunt; however, this August release date didn’t hurt The Help. With its exceptional cast—Robin Williams, James Marsden, Liev Schreiber, John Cusack and Alan Rickman appear as Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Reagan, plus there’s Oprah, Terrence Howard, Mariah Carey, Melissa Leo, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave—The Butler overcomes the natural tendency of such films to drift into sentimental nostalgia. Daniels never sugarcoats the Civil Rights Movement, especially impressive for its PG-13 rating. The Butler’s anecdotal narrative inevitably draws comparisons to Forrest Gump, but Daniels’ film is more complicated. Too bad the scenes of Gaines’ home life, dominated by Oprah as his unhappy wife, lack the strength of those set in the White House and the Deep South. (Note: The title was changed to Lee Daniels’ The Butler for reasons of copyright, not ego.)

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (G) So let’s call it a slump. Cars 2 was a clunker; Brave was good verging on really good but not close to great; and Monsters University lacks the Pixar pop of their undeniably great features (Up, Wall-E, Toy Story 3). In this prequel to Monsters, Inc., we learn how Mike (v. Billy Crystal) and Sully (v. John Goodman) met. Apparently, the two scarers didn’t start as best buds. First, they were scaring rivals at Monsters University. This Revenge of the Monster Nerds doesn’t creatively bend college life for monsters as one would expect from Pixar. The life lesson is trite—don’t let others define your limits or some similar sentiment—and is taught as cleverly as an inferior animation studio’s Monsters, Inc. knockoff. Fortunately, the animation, especially the creature design, is as lush and lifelike as ever, and the voicework from Pixar newcomers like Nathan Fillion and Charlie Day saves the comic day. Kids will love the silly, low scare fun, and parents will be happy it’s not Cars 3. 

• OUT OF THE FURNACE (R) Like an episode of “Justified” minus the deft, light touch of Elmore Leonard, Out of the Furnace focuses on working class heroes and backwoods baddies. After a tragic accident, steel mill worker Russell Baze (Christian Bale) faces more bad news as his soldier brother, Rodney (Casey Affleck), runs afoul of a meth-ed up MF-er named Harlan DeGroat (a natural role for Woody Harrelson). Despite warnings from the local policeman (Forest Whitaker), who just so happens to be dating Russell’s ex-girlfriend (Zoe Saldana), Russell tackles Harlan head-on. Crazy Heart filmmaker Scott Cooper follows up his Academy Award-winning debut, mostly renowned for its performances, with another heavy drama whose best feature is its actors. Bale and Harrelson are standouts, though Harrelson nearly succumbs to hamminess with his lollipop routine. Clumsy plot devices and characters (cough, Rodney, cough) that almost erase all of their sympathy recur, but the tension of Russell’s sad world will suck you in. Plus, the soundtrack features Pearl Jam; it’s hard to say no to Pearl Jam.

PHILOMENA (PG-13) Dame Judi Dench stars as Philomena Lee, a woman looking for her long lost son with the help of BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan). This film is based on Sixsmith's book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, a true story about Philomena's 50 year search for her son.

PLANES (PG) What with its Cars pedigree and Dane Cook voicework, Planes could have been a lot worse. It’s no more disagreeable than Turbo, a kiddie flick with which it shares some central DNA. A cropduster named Dusty Crophopper (v. Cook) longs to race across the skies. Unfortunately, he’s afraid of heights. With the help of his friends—including a Mater stand-in named Chug (v. Brad Garrett)—and mentor, Skipper (v. Stacy Keach), Dusty conquers his fears and the skies. It’s cute, sweet, and maybe a smidge direct-to-DVD; the voice cast—Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer and Sinbad (?!)—is a step below the usual Pixar crop (though John Ratzenberger does pop by for his obligatory vocal cameo). Kids that love Cars will not care and will most likely fall for Planes. What’s next? Ships?

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG-13) Marvel’s sequel to the surprisingly entertaining 2011 hit should have built on its predecessor’s success. Instead, the movie’s generic plot—an evil villain seeks to destroy the universe—and its science fiction aesthetic resemble an even-numbered Star Trek movie (Malekith even looks like a Romulan) more than a Marvel superhero feature. With frequent “Game of Thrones” director Alan Taylor at the helm, the movie’s Asgard could have benefitted from a grittier, Westeros look; instead, Asgard could be any Naboo-like world from the Star Wars prequel. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor remains as easily charming, and one wonders if the series should have allowed him to be single for a bit. Imagine Thor as an unbound lothario. Oddly enough, what seemed like a weakness of the first film—Thor’s unpowered banishment to Earth—is exactly what’s missing from its sequel. How can you tell? When Thor finally arrives on Earth, the quips fly faster and the gags land more soundly. Thor: The Dark World simply becomes more entertaining when the action leaves Asgard. Apparently, nothing about Thor should ever be serious. After all, he’s a god with flowing blond locks and a giant hammer. Oh, and more Loki please.

12 YEARS A SLAVE (R) Will art house sensation Steve McQueen (the filmmaker behind Hunger and Shame, not the quintessentially cool actor) succeed on a larger scale? Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Solomon Northup, a free black man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Screenwriter John Ridley has a spotty filmography (U Turn, Three Kings and Undercover Brother). As glad as I am to see Ejiofor in a starring role, I’m equally jazzed about Quvenzhané Wallis, Michael K. Williams (aka Omar Little), Scoot McNairy, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt.

TYLER PERRY’S A MADEA CHRISTMAS (PG-13) Uber-hyphenate Tyler Perry unleashes his matronly alter ego, Madea, on the holiday season. Madea travels to the country with a friend (Anna Maria Horsford, Thelma Frye from “Amen”), who wishes to surprise her daughter, and runs into Larry the Cable Guy. After Madea’s Witness Protection, Perry continues to expand his white casting in increasingly odd directions (Chad Michael Murray, Alicia Witt and Kathy Najimy?).  A holiday Madea was bound to happen sooner or later.

WE’RE THE MILLERS (R) We’re the Millers doesn’t break any laugh records, but after a few laughless weeks at the cinema, it more than accomplishes its goal. Its silliest problem is its star, the hilarious Jason Sudeikis, who comes off far too smug far too easily. (One wonders how this movie would have played with a more sympathetic David Clark, played by Jason Bateman or Jason Segel, etc.) After running afoul of his drug kingpin pal (Ed Helms), Dave (Sudeikis) must smuggle a smidge that turns out to be a lot more than a smidge of marijuana across the border. Dave hatches a brilliant plan to fake a family with stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston, who is getting hotter with age), runaway teen Casey (Emma Roberts) and virginal Kenny (Will Poulter, Son of Rambow). Everything works out great until he runs into a swell DEA agent and his wife (Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn) and the big-time Mexican drug lord to whom the weed really belongs to catches up with them. We’re the Millers will probably gain popularity once it starts airing non-stop on FX. Still, it’s a funny afternoon diversion, thanks mostly to its clever cast, not its familiarly sitcom-ish script.