And … we’ve officially hit August! While Cowboys & Aliens eventually managed to topple those all-too-confident Smurfs last weekend, they’ll have their work cut out for them this weekend as the latest in the Planet of the Apes franchise unloads its amazing special effects into theaters. Standing in its path of destruction will be an R-rated body-swap flick starring the reliable Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. Who will dominate and destroy? Let’s take a closer look …

 
What’s the Scoop: In this origin story starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis in mo-cap form as Caesar, we learn what happened that lead to an all-out war pitting the apes against humanity.
Why It Might Win the Weekend: The film is getting some tremendous buzz from pretty much everyone, including hardcore fans of the franchise. The special effects from Weta look outstanding (best since Avatar, we hear), to the point where folks are already championing Andy Serkis’ performance for a best supporting actor Oscar. Buzz travels pretty fast, and so we expect this one to have a decent weekend.
 
 
What’s the Scoop: What happens when a boring married guy (Jason Bateman) swaps places with a hot, young single stud (Ryan Reynolds)? Well, we’re about to find out …
Why It Might Win the Weekend: The R-rated comedies have been doing quite well this summer, with Bridesmaids currently in the top ten of summer box office grosses. Could this continue that trend?
 
My Prediction: Considering the relatively weak opening for Cowboys & Aliens – plus the fact that it doesn’t have much buzz going into its second week – I think it’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes all the way. The film is doing fantastic with critics, and that positive energy should help propel it to the top spot.
 
My Pick of the Week: Hey, we need to wash the bad taste of Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake out of our mouths somehow, and this new movie looks to do that and then some. We've had a good amount of blockbuster disappointment this summer, there’s no way you should avoid the one everyone's raving about. Go see Apes, and we’ll discuss on Monday.
 
Now it’s your turn to predict this week’s box office winner by sounding off below …