OPENING

“THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG” (PG-13) (2:41) Stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Ken Stott. Directed by Peter Jackson. The long-standing quest to reclaim their homeland, Erebor, has the dwarves, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey continuing their adventure, and Bilbo is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

Additional Photos

Will Farrell, left, as Ron Burgundy and Steve Carell as Brick Tamland in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," opening Wednesday.

Opening at: Brunswick 10 (also in 3D); Nickelodeon (Portland); Nordica (Freeport) (also in 3D); Cinemagic Grand (South Portland) (also in HFR 3D); Cinemagic (Saco) (also in IMAX and HFR 3D); Cinemagic (Westbrook), (also in HFR 3D); Smitty’s (Biddeford), Smitty’s (Sanford); Smitty’s (Windham)

“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES” (PG 13) (1:59) Stars Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Christina Applegate. Directed by Adam McKay. Ron Burgundy returns to the news desk with his co-anchor and wife Veronica Corningstone, weather man Brick Tamland, man on the street Brian Fantana and sports guy Champ Kind, ready to take the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm, but not so classy.

Opening at: Brunswick 10, Cinemagic Grand (South Portland); Cinemagic (Saco); Cinemagic (Westbrook); Smitty’s (Biddeford), Smitty’s (Sanford); Smitty’s (Windham)

“TYLER PERRY’S A MADEA CHRISTMAS” (PG 13) (1:45) Stars Tyler Perry, Chad Michael Murray, Tika Sumpter and Larry the Cable Guy. Directed by Tyler Perry. Madea helps a friend undertake a surprise Christmas visit to the friend’s daughter, who lives in the country.

Opening at: Cinemagic (Saco); Cinemagic (Westbrook) 

SPECIAL SHOWINGS

“THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY” (PG 13)

Opening Thursday only at: Brunswick 10 (Hobbit Marathon in HFR 3D); Nordica (Freeport) (in 3D)

“PUTTING IT TOGETHER: A MUSICAL REVIEW” (NR) (1:36) Stars Carol Burnett, George Hearn.

Showing Thursday only at: Cinemagic Grand (South Portland); Cinemagic (Saco); Cinemagic (Westbrook)

“THE POLAR EXPRESS“ (G)

Showing Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday only at: Smitty’s (Biddeford), Smitty’s (Sanford); Smitty’s (Windham)

“THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: FALSTAFF” (NR) (3:20) Stars Ambrogio Maestri, Stephanie Blythe, Lisett Oropesa, Angela Meade and Jennifer Johnson Cano. Directed by Robert Carsen. Giuseppe Verdi’s final comic opera presented live in HD. The blustery Sir John Falstaff intends to seduce two wealthy women in order to stabilize his finances. The women learn of the plan and arrange a plot of revenge to teach a lesson. Sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Opening Saturday with encore on Wednesday at: Brunswick 10; Cinemagic Grand (South Portland)

THE LESSER BLESSED (R) (1:26) Stars Joel Evans, Kiowa Gordon and Benjamin Bratt. Directed by Anita Doron. A First Nations teenager tries to find his place in the modern world.

Showing Monday only at: Cinemagic Grand (South Portland); Cinemagic (Saco); Cinemagic (Westbrook)

“ROYAL BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER” (NR) (2:10) Stars Roberta Marquez and Steven McRae. Produced by Peter Wright. Tchaikov-sky’s classic holiday story of mystery and magic unfolds when young Clara receives a nutcracker doll, setting off a series of adventures.

Opening Tuesday only at: Brunswick 10, Cinemagic Grand (South Portland)

NOW SHOWING

“12 YEARS A SLAVE” (R) (2:14) Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. Directed by Steve McQueen. In upstate New York before the Civil War, Solomon Northup, a free black man, is abducted, sold into slavery and struggles to stay alive. Based on a true story.

“BAD GRANDPA” (R) (1:32) Stars Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll, Spike Jonze and Georgina Cates. Directed by Jeff Tremaine. Irving Zisman, 86, takes his 8-year-old grandson on a journey across America.

“THE BOOK THIEF” (PG 13) (2:11) Stars Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie Nelisse. Directed by Brian Percival. Young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others amid the horrors of World War II Germany, while a Jewish refugee is being sheltered by her parents.

“CAPTAIN PHILLIPS” (PG-13) (2:14) Stars Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi and Barkhad Abdirahman. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Based on the true story of Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the MV Maersk Alabama.

“DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” (R) (1:57) Stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Based on the story of hard-living Texas electrician Ron Woodroof, who was diagnosed as HIV-positive in the mid-1980s, and his battles with the medical field and pharmaceutical companies while searching for alternative treatments.

“DELIVERY MAN” (PG-13) (1:43) Stars Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders and Jack Reynor. Directed by Ken Scott. An affable underachiever finds out he’s fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years ago. Now he must decide whether or not to come forward when 142 of them file a lawsuit to reveal his identity.

“ENOUGH SAID” (PG-13) (1:33) Stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini and Catherine Keener. Directed by Nicole Holofcener. A divorced woman decides to pursue the man she’s interested in, but learns he’s the ex-husband of her new friend.

“FREE BIRDS” (PG-13) (1:31) Animated, with the voices of Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Dan Fogler and Amy Poehler. Directed by Jimmy Hayward. Two turkeys put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history by getting turkey off the holiday menu for good.

“FROZEN” (PG) (1:42) Animated with the voices of Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel. Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Fearless optimist Anna teams up with Kristoff in a race to find Anna’s sister, Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Along the way they encounter severe conditions and the zany snowman, Olaf.

“GRAVITY” (PG-13) (1:30) Stars Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris and Orto Ignatiussen. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

“HOMEFRONT” (R) (1:40) Stars Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth. Directed by Gary Fleder. Soon after moving his family to a quiet town, a former DEA agent becomes entangled with a local meth druglord.

“THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE” (PG 13) (2:26) Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. Directed by Francis Lawrence. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games starts a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

“LAST VEGAS” (PG-13) (1:45) Stars Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline. Directed by Jon Turteltaub. Three 60-something friends throw a bachelor party in Las Vegas for their last remaining single buddy.

“LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER” (PG-13) (2:12) Stars Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Lenny Kravitz and John Cusack. Directed by Lee Daniels. An African-American’s eyewitness accounts of notable events of the 20th century during his tenure as a White House butler.

“OUT OF THE FURNACE” (R) (1:56) Stars Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana and Woody Harrelson. Directed by Scott Cooper. When his younger brother mysteriously disappears and law enforcement fails to follow through, Russell sets out to find justice on his own.

“PHILOMENA” (R) (1:34) Stars Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark and Mare Winningham. Directed by Stephen Frears. A journalist picks up the story of a woman’s search for her son, who was taken away from her decades earlier after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

“THOR: THE DARK WORLD” (PG-13) (1:52) Stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgard. Directed by Alan Taylor. Thor begins a perilous journey when faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, and he sacrifices everything to save us all.

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