Box office preview: Another crowded weekend

As we continue winding down the summer blockbuster movie season, we still have a ton of decent options at theaters. This weekend looks to be a battle for the top spot between Kick-Ass 2 and Lee Daniels' The Butler, though these aren't the only two notable new wide releases that might be of interest.

Let's be honest: Kick-Ass 2 is one of those movies you're either dying to see - or you're not. I'm in the latter category, but I have no doubt plenty of people are strongly in the former camp. Three years (plus) since Kick-Ass made its theatrical debut (and went on to become a huge sleeper hit), a sequel has finally arrived. Unfortunately, reviews for Kick-Ass 2 aren't great. In fact, they're pretty awful. Still, I'm betting Chloe Moretz gives a great performance, and I seriously doubt bad reviews will keep the fanboys away from this one. If you see it, be sure to let me know in the comments if it lived up to the first film.

Now, on to a movie I probably will see this weekend: Lee Daniels' The Butler. Sure, this is a huge Oscar-bait kind of movie, but it features a tremendous cast and I'm particularly intrigued by the subject matter. Forest Whitaker stars as Cecil Gaines, a man who served as a White House butler for decades. That's all I need to know: Forest Whitaker has never let me down. He's one of the finest actors of my generation and I'll see anything he's in, period. Expect a review, because I'm getting over my sucky summer cold and I'm more than ready to settle in and escape to the movies for a few hours. The major critics are giving The Butler generally favorable reviews, FYI.

Two other new releases are worth noting this weekend: the biopic Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, and Paranoia, a thriller starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Liam Hemsworth and Amber Heard, among others. Neither of these movies are getting good reviews, in fact, Paranoia's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is in the single digits (and Jobs isn't doing much better). I don't know about you guys, but any film that features the likes of Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford getting those kinds of terrible reviews is pretty shocking (and depressing). I'm going to just try and pretend Paranoia never happened. Skipping both of these movies in theaters and waiting for the DVD releases isn't a terrible idea.

I think it's safe to say you have two decent movie options this weekend in The Butler and Kick-Ass 2, and of course Elysium and We're the Millers are both still out, too. What will you see?

Photo courtesy of CinemaBlend.com