Preview This! "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2"

Opening this week at a theater near you:

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2"  (2013)

Flint (Bill Hader) and his friends are forced to leave SwallowFalls so that a team from The Live Corp. can come and clean up the island. Flint then discovers that his invention, the FLDSMDFR, is still working and now instead of creating food, it's creating food that has come alive as animals.  So, Flint, Sparks (Anna Faris), Tim (James Caan), Steve the Monkey (Neil Patrick Harris), Brent (Andy Samberg) and Officer Earl (Terry Crews) must travel back to the island to stop the food-animals from invading the rest of the world. Cloudy with a Chance for Meatballs 2 Website

What to Watch For:  The first film was a big success at the box office and with critics.

Word on the Street:  The film will feature over 39 food-animal hybrids, such as watermelophants, bananaostriches and buffaloaves and, like the first film, will be in 3-D.  Terry Crews is replacing Mr. T as the voice of the lovable Officer Earl.

My Take:  The first film was fun for both adults and kids as it was fast moving with lots of puns.  I am hoping this sequel will capture the magic of the first.

"Rush"  (2013)

The true story of the 1976 Formula One racing season which came down to two drivers, the good looking English playboy, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and the serious, calculating Austrian, Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl).  Can Hunt conquer his partying ways long enough to beat the seemingly unbeatable Lauda? Rush Website

What to Watch For:  Daniel Bruhl, though well known in Europe, is really only known in the U.S. for his role as a German war hero in "Inglourious Basterds"  (2009). He is being talked about as a possible Best Supporting Actor nominee for this role.

Word on the Street:  Critics are already raving about the racing sequences in the film.  Director Ron Howard wanted to "do something that demanded to be seen on the big screen."

My Take:  It's rare that a Ron Howard film gets an R rating, so this might be interesting.

"Don Jon"  (2013)

Don (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), called Don Jon because of his ability to sleep with the best looking woman in the club every night, is devoted to his family, his friends and his church.  He is also devoted to porn.  His world gets turned upside down when he starts dating Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), who has big plans for Don.  Will Don give up porn for the woman he loves? Don Jon Facebook page

What to Watch For:  This film is written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who has graduated to adult roles from his childhood acting roles in A River Runs Through It (1992) and 3rd Rock from the Sun.  Gordon-Levitt wrote the part of Barbara for Johansson.

Word on the Street:  This may not be a film you want to take a date to.  The film has an R rating and contains quite a few short scenes from porn films.

My Take:  The big question is, will women go and see a movie whose main character is addicted to internet pornography?

"Baggage Claim"  (2013)

Fight attendant Montana Moore (Paula Patton) is determined not to be the last in her family to get married.  Her plans go into hyper-drive when she learns that her young sister is getting married in 30 days.  So now she enlists her family, friends and co-workers to help her land a man, even if it means she has to fly around the world to do it. Baggage Claim Website

What to Watch For:  Paula Patton has already proved that she has the romantic comedy touch with her successful stint as Sabrina in the 2011 film Jumping the Broom.

Word on the Street:  The film should be a big hit with women as the cast includes Adam Brody, Djimon Hounsou, Taye Diggs and Derek Luke.

My Take:  It will be interesting to see if David E. Talbert can bring to the screen the success of his best-selling book of the same name.

If you can't make it the theatre this weekend, stay at home and watch movies on CW69.

Sunday

3:00 pm

"Loverboy" (1989)  Randy (Patrick Dempsey) has come back home for the summer after a disappointing year at college.  To make some money for the next term, Randy starts working as a pizza delivery boy for the Senor Pizza shop.  He learns that are a lot of lonely, older woman on his route, and soon the term, "With extra Anchovies" means that the woman on his route want much more than a just a pizza.