If you aren’t interesting in heading to the theatre to watch a movie star play an MMA pro, then maybe you’d prefer to stay home and watch an MMA pro play a movie star? That’s the oddball gimmick behind ‘Haywire’ (R), which casts female MMA star Gina Carano as secret agent Mallory Kane, a highly trained operative who becomes the target of a double-cross from someone in her own agency. Left for dead and surrounded by skilled enemies who can anticipate her every move, Mallory goes on the run to find the truth.

Steven Soderbergh might seem like a surprising choice to direct such a straight-on genre thriller, but he manages to imbue the film with fast-paced frenetic energy and a sense of dry humor that makes it fun to watch, even if the script and the actors are slightly lacking. Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, and Michael Fassbender also star as some of Mallory’s fellow operatives-slash-targets.

Ti West (‘The House of the Devil’) returns to the haunted house genre with ‘The Innkeepers’ (R). When a historic inn shuts its doors for good, two employees (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) are determined to discover whether their inn was indeed haunted. Well, duh, you say—of course it’s haunted; but West has fun with what’s become a rather tired genre, and he’s talented enough to make it spooky rather than laughable.

Madonna can’t seem to stop catching flack for her movies, but at least ‘W.E.’ (R) has one thing going for it: the lovely new actress Andrea Riseborough, who plays the star-crossed American divorcee Wallis Simpson in this lush-looking period piece. A modern woman (Abbie Cornish), unhappy with her own life and marriage, becomes obsesses with the story of Wallis Simpson and her illicit lover, King Edward VIII (James D’Arcy), who gave up the throne for love. If the film isn’t always as passionate as it could be, the story is beautifully layered and well-shot, and Riseborough gives one of the most engaging performances of the season.

Apparently one lackluster ensemble flick wasn’t enough for director Garry Marshall, because he follows up ‘Valentine’s Day’ with the even less appealing ‘New Year’s Eve’ (PG-13). The plot is so blase it’s hardly worth a mention—assorted people cross paths on New Year’s Eve, with all of their assorted hopes and dreams, yada yada—and the result is more of a parade of famous faces than anything resembling a coherent feature-length film. Among the celebs in tow are Jessica Biel, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michelle, Katherine Heigl, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

It’s hard to get very joyful about ‘Joyful Noise’ (PG-13), which wants to be glitterific but is mostly dull and flat. When the small town of Pacashau, Georgia falls on hard times, they count on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits. But the choir itself is torn apart by internal strife as their two leading ladies, G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton) and director Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah) duke it out for control of the choir program. Further raising the stakes: a shot at a national competition and a budding romance between G.G.’s rebellious grandson (Jeremy Jordan) and Vi’s daughter (Keke Palmer).

For all of that conflict, the movie is so lacking in real drama that it winds up being little more than a formulaic showcase for Parton and Latifah to show off their singing chops. Unless you’re a fan of one of these ladies, it’s probably barely worth a rental.