Weekend box office preview: Animation domination

In a summer that saw a slew of family-friendly animated movies, the quality of the films left something to be desired. None of the biggest "hits" were all that great. We've had a bit of a break from animation in recent weeks, but it's time to fire things right back up again: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is out in theaters this weekend, and I suspect it will dominate the box office.

I don't know about you guys, but I just loved the first Cloudy movie. It was a huge hit and the critics loved it. I fully expect this sequel to do equally as well (and possibly better) than the original did back in 2009. If you've got a house full of kiddos and you are looking for a fun way to entertain (and be entertained), I'd say you're in luck. Reviews for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 are okay - not as good as the original by any stretch - but I still say give this one a chance.

As far as other new movies opening this weekend, things look promising: Director Ron Howard's long-awaited, very well-reviewed sports drama Rush hits theaters. This one is a must see for me. If you're at all interested in Formula One driving, I suspect you'll wind up loving it. I'm not a racing nut, but I do like a great sports drama. Let's hope this one delivers. Stay tuned, because I'll have a review up as soon as possible.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon is also out now. This is Gordon-Levitt's first foray into directing, so I'll be interested to see how he does. Don Jon is a dramedy about a guy who, despite his abiltiy to romance a different woman every single week, is addicted to online porn. He meets a nice girl, Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) who is a romantic comedy movie fan - and expects that her life will someday mimic those of her favorite on-screen characters. In other words, this is a hot mess type of situation.

All of these movies look pretty good, but I think I'm going with Rush first and foremost, Don Jon as a backup option. How about you guys?

Photo courtesy of Cinema Blend