Despite it being officially fall, families are still looking for movies to take their kids to.

This is what is being credited as to why Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, a sequel to the 2009 hit, did so well at the box office this weekend, bringing home $35 million, based on studio estimates.

The debut weekend for the animated sequel met and even surpassed most analyst's expectations. The figures were especially welcome, as September is normally considered a very sluggish month for the box office.

Most analysts are saying that Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 satisfies that hunger that many families have to see something compelling with their children.

However, critics wise, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 didn't do so well. Only 58% of the country's film reviewers gave it a positive review. The audience had a different reaction. About 80% of audiences supposedly liked the movie, which gives the film even more of a boost as it continues to show for a couple more weeks.

In comparison, the first installment of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, quietly built up its good reputation with adults when it was first released. The film apparently sat well with adults and parents, which is crucial for family films to succeed.

It's the parents and the adults that are responsible for making ticket sales go up. They will also be the ones that will determine if movies that will be released in the upcoming fall, all through the holidays, and even in the Oscar season, will do well.

In that department, early contenders, Ron Howard's Rush and Hugh Jackman's Prisoners, all did well over the weekend. Prisoners came in second to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, while Rush rounded up the top three.