By Ryan Michael Painter
(KUTV) Recommended films showing in Salt Lake City for the week of February 22-28, 2013.

Mainstream
1. Zero Dark Thirty (R)
2. Lincoln (PG-13)
3. Silver Linings Playbook (R)
4. Warm Bodies (PG-13)
5. Les Miserables (PG-13)
 
Family
1. Frankenweenie (PG)
2. Life of Pi (PG)
3. Rise of the Guardians (PG)
4. Wreck-It Ralph (PG)
5. ParaNorman (PG)
 
Art House
1. Argo (R)
2. Amour (PG-13)
3. The Impossible (PG-13)
4. Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13)
5. Quartet (PG-13)
 
Snitch
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Ric Roman Waugh
Starring • Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Those looking for a generic, but fairly entertaining action film.
 
When his son is imprisoned on drug charges, John Matthews (Dwayne Johnson) is forced to go undercover for the DEA to set him free.
 
There’s nothing particularly new about “Snitch.” It is essentially a by-the-numbers action film that finds blue-collar characters pushed into increasingly extreme situations. There are gunfights, car chases and car chases with gunfights. A few things explode, a father reconnects with his son and everything turns out far better than they probably should. It’s not a bad film; it just feels like something watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon from the comfort of your couch. Dwayne Johnson is a decent action star. He’s just not enough to keep “Snitch” from feeling like a diversion rather than a destination. If you want something less over-the-top than “A Good Day to Die Hard,” but aren’t up for something serious like “Zero Dark Thirty” then I suppose “Snitch” will keep you distracted.
 
John Dies at the End
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director • Don Coscarelli
Starring • Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti
Rated • R
Recommended to • Fans of horror comedies filled with bizarre plot twists and terrible special effects.
 
A new drug is turning its users into monsters and the only thing that can save the world are Dave and John, a pair of deadbeats. And, of course, John dies at the end.
 
Director Don Coscarelli isn’t exactly known for making high art, but he’s churned out a pair of cult classics in “Phantasm” and more recently the hilarious “Bubba Ho-Tep.” So when his new film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 it was a film I wasn’t going to miss. Sadly the low-budget shtick of “John Dies at the End” isn’t nearly as charming, funny or engaging as “Bubba Ho-Tep.” It has some clever moments and the presence of Paul Giamatti helps, but the special effects, particularly towards the end of the film, are ridiculous to the point of absurdity. It’s more fun than it has any right to be, but I’d still rather watch “Evil Dead,” “Cabin in the Woods,” “Zombieland” or “Tucker and Dale vs Evil” for gory laughs.
 
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcast Group)

Recommended Films: February 22-28, 2013