Weekend box office preview: Will 'White House Down' beat everyone else?

As we bask in the glow of the wonderful summer blockbuster movie season, I've got to tell you that not one, but two potentially new big films hit theaters this weekend: Roland Emmerich's latest action drama, White House Down, and Paul Feig's new comedy The Heat. Personally, I know what I'm seeing, but before I tell you that, let's take a look at how things look, shall we?

White House Down is getting a lot of publicity. Trailers have been running for weeks, almost non-stop on my local stations, and with big names like Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, this film should do pretty well at the box office. Reviews for White House Down, however, aren't so great: The movie didn't even have a 50 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer at last check (if it goes down even more, beware).

One thing that concerns me, and has for a while: The plot of White House Down seems remarkably similar to another 2013 action flick, Olympus Has Fallen. In short, the White House is under attack, and it's up to a buffed hero to save everyone. I actually liked Olympus Has Fallen, much more than I thought I would. Even with just so-so reviews, I thought it was fun. That may be the case with White House Down too, though to be honest I'm much more excited about the other major box office movie opening this weekend: The Heat.

The Heat, directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, which should immediately get your attention), stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as a pair of totally mismatched law enforcement agents who are pursuing an evil drug lord. The previews for this one look really, really funny and I have to admit, I love Sandra Bullock movies (even if they aren't that great). Plus, there's this piece about the greatest things Feig has said about working with women on comedy films.

See, America? Women can carry a comedy film. Paul Feig proved this beautifully with Bridesmaids, and I hope he does it again with The Heat - though I'm not sure the film can gain a huge foothold with so many other major summer blockbusters as competition. After all, we've still got Monsters University, World War Z and Man of Steel going strong - not to mention some potential competition from another well-received comedy movie, This Is The End.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm seeing The Heat for sure, and I might take in White House Down if I have time. While I don't think White House Down will bomb at the box office, I don't see it beating Monsters University.

What summer blockbusters do you want to see this weekend, if any?

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