Gnomeo and Juliet

Gnomeo & Juliet

James McAvoy and Emily Blunt voice the love-struck characters of Gnomeo and Juliet in this animated send-up of Shakespeare's classic work, only with (you guessed it) gnomes. The lovers are from opposing gardens, in which one group of gnomes wears blue hats, and the other wears red. The garden denizens compete in lawnmower races and despise each other until the title characters unite (without the original story's tragic ending). The family film also features new songs by Elton John. The DVD extras include deleted scenes, an alternate opening, and two alternate endings.

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I Am Number Four

In this action saga, Alex Pettyfer plays a teenage alien being hunted by an enemy who wants to wipe out his kind. The aliens are being eliminated according to the number they're assigned, and Pettyfer is next, so he's hiding in small-town Ohio to evade them. There, he's guided by an alien mentor (Timothy Olyphant) and falls for a human, played by Dianna Agron. It's not the deepest movie ever made, but the nonstop action makes for fun, mindless entertainment. The DVD features a blooper reel, deleted scenes, and a making-of featurette.

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Animated films have been landing on the top of the box office heap for the past couple of weekends now. While Gnomeo and Juliet won last week, this weekend's new release Rango claimed the number one spot. The Johnny Depp-voiced flick earned $38 million, while Matt Damon and Emily Blunt's romantic thriller The Adjustment Bureau trailed it with $20.9 million.

Beastly managed to get third place with $10.1 million, followed by the Farrelly brother's crass comedy Hall Pass, which brought in $9 million. Completing the top five was last week's champ Gnomeo and Juliet with $6.9 million. Newbie Take Me Home Tonight had a rough go, making just $3.5 million and landing it in the 11th spot.

Looks like audiences decided to pass on the Farrelly Brothers' Hall Pass at the box office. The film only took in $13.4 million this weekend, making way for Gnomeo & Juliet to steal the No. 1 spot. The animated family film has been in theaters for three weeks, but it brought in $14.2 million for first place; Hall Pass followed behind in second.

Last week's champ Unknown slipped to third with $12.4 million, while Just Go With It trailed behind with $11.1. That was just enough to squeak by I Am Number Four, which rounded out the top five with $11 million. The weekend's other newcomer, Drive Angry 3D, made a measly $5.1 million for the ninth spot. Perhaps audiences just aren't into Nicolas Cage.

Audiences wanted to unravel the mystery of Unknown over Presidents' Day weekend. The thriller, starring Liam Neeson and January Jones, topped the box office with $21.8 million, while I Am Number Four, another action-packed new release, trailed behind it in second place with $19.5 million.

Gnomeo and Juliet came in the third spot, as it did last weekend, with $19.4 million, beating out last week's box office champion, Just Go With It, which pulled in $18.2 million. Finally, fifth place was taken by Martin Lawrence's comedy Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son with $17 million. Surprisingly, it edged out Justin Bieber's documentary Never Say Never, which was so close to the top spot at the box office last weekend, but only charted in sixth place this week.

It was a photo finish at the box office this weekend between Just Go With It and Justin Bieber's Never Say Never. As of Sunday, the teen idol's documentary had raked in an estimated $30.2 million, and was nipping at the heels of Just Go With It, which took in a reported $31 million. Even though Sandler and Aniston are at No. 1 for the time being, the films could swap first and second place once final numbers are announced. Are you surprised to see Bieber's doc perform so well?

Gnomeo and Juliet also received its own sizable piece of the pie; the kiddie flick took in $25.5 million for third place, making it the biggest February opening ever for an animated film. Lagging behind in fourth, Channing Tatum's The Eagle had a dismal opening of only $8.6 million. Last week's champ, The Roommate rounded out the top five with $8.4 million.

Go gnome this weekend! I'm not a fan of watching movies more than once, but I've already seen Gnomeo & Juliet twice (Disney flew me down for the premiere). And I can't wait to take my kids and see the animated musical again from their perspective. As a mom, I take a chance every time I head to the theater with my three children — ages 6, 4, and 1 — and cross my fingers that my littlest guy sits still. If any film can create the glue to keep him in his seat, it's this movie. Based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this quirky 3D version involves British garden gnomes, Elton John cameos, and an upbeat soundtrack, but it also artfully delivers the message that love conquers all in a more positive and age-appropriate fashion than the penned original. Gnomeo & Juliet does so by being clever.

The highlights of this movie are all in the details — from the clinking sound that occurs when the adorable gnomes touch to a well-choreographed, romantic ninja scene. The film fully embraces the entire family because as much as it caters to children with its animated eye candy, there's also plenty of over-their-heads innuendo to keep adults laughing heartily. I don't want to give anything else away, but if you're looking for a feel-good and engaging family flick, buy tickets.