This must be a week for laughter with four comedies opening this week (with only 21 Jump Street is getting a full wide release).

Last week wasn’t strong for new releases, with The Lorax remaining in the top spot. Meanwhile the Sci-Fi spectacle John Carter opened to only a lacklustre $30 million. Considering the movie’s $250 million budget, that is not good news. Silent House and A Thousand Words both opened around $6 million.

21 Jump Street – This movie is definitely the most anticipated comedy of 2012 and has opened to high praise thus far. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as two cops who get involved in a revamp of the 80’s TV show plot. This is the sort of R-rated humor that people mostly seem to enjoy, while some find crass. Undoubtedly it will make a killing at the box office.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home – The Duplass brothers, champions of “mumblecore” films (for better or worse), direct this comedy starring Jason Segel and Ed Helms as brothers who have their issues. The titular character Jeff has a feeling that signs are all around him pointing him to his unforeseen destiny, while his brother Pat is dealing with a rocky marriage to Linda (Judy Greer), and their mother (played by a charming Susan Sarandon) is dealing with the bittersweet emotions of another birthday. We had a chance to catch this film and we completely fell for the clever script, endearing characters, and carefully injected humor. It’s really a fun film that has an emotional depth that catches you off guard. If you like quirky comedies we think you’d really enjoy this one.

Friends with Kids – Another film that we had a chance to see, this one a take on the romantic comedy which is seeing a theater expansion this week. It boasts a strong cast lead by Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt (who also wrote and directed) with supporting roles by Bridesmaids alums, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, and Chris O’Dowd. Scott and Westfeldt are two 30-something best friends who decide to have a child together since they don’t seem to be having much luck with finding prospective partners. They also see that their friends’ relationships struggle under the stress of parenting, and think they can do better as friends. This is a romantic comedy so the familiar tropes can be found, but the script is rather smart and original for the genre. Elements of drama make the film well-rounded, and the cast brings it to life in a way that doesn’t make you mind any reminiscent territory. It also manages to not completely trivialize the female characters as romantic comedies seem prone to do.

Casa de mi Padre – Will Ferrell starring in a Spanish language film? Like seriously, this is the sort of brilliant idea that Adam Sandler only thinks he has. Whether you want to see this completely depends on how much you love Ferrell and his antics. If you think this sounds stupid then you will definitely feel the same after seeing it.

What do you plan to see in theaters? What do you think about any films you have seen lately?