Friday movie roundup: Catch up on 2011'..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Imagine you're a Hollywood studio executive, and you have to plan for a holiday weekend.

You know that your movie will make the bulk of its money on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You also know on this particular weekend, your potential audience will be partying on Friday, partying harder on Saturday, and recovering from hangovers on Sunday — all activities that don't involve buying movie tickets.

What do you do? You punt.

That's what Hollywood has done this New Year's Eve weekend, as no new movies are being released in theaters.

You could, if you're not engaged in the champagne-fueled revelries of saying goodbye to 2011, catch up on the better movies of 2011 that are still in theaters.

If you do, you may be seeing a lot of matinees, since three of the best are rated PG.

• "The Muppets," the lively and unabashedly nostalgic return of Jim Henson's beloved felt-and-fur characters.

• "Hugo," Martin Scorsese's fond and technically astonishing 3D adventure, about a mechanically inclined boy and an old master of illusion.

• "Arthur Christmas," the charming and funny holiday adventure about the son of Santa Claus having to save Christmas for one little girl.

Also, be sure to check out "War Horse," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "The Descendants."

Friday movie roundup: Catch up on 2011's best