Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
– Three stars (out of four)
– Rated PG for brief mild language.
– Who’s going to like it: everyone – while it’s definitely a kid’s movie, adults will probably laugh more than the kids will.
It’s like an animated version of Hot Rod made for kids and adults alike
The trailers for Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs made it look like the least entertaining kid’s movie since Ice Age. To say the least, I wasn’t looking forward to the Saturday 10:00 AM press screening – but I went anyways. Just three minutes into the movie, I was sold. My mind was changed and I was glad I had stumbled out of bed for what ended up being my second favorite kid’s flick of the year – even better than Monsters Vs. Aliens, but not quite as good as Up.
Loosely based on the children’s book, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs tells the story of Flint Lockwood (voiced perfectly by SNL‘s Bill Hader) – a nerdy living-at-home twenty-something failed scientist/inventor. When his latest discovery – a machine that turns cloud water into any desired food – turns out successful, Flint’s gloomy mid-Atlantic island town of Swallow Falls looks towards him and his invention to boost their quality of living by bringing to tourists to experience the food rain phenomenon. To show this odd occurrence to the rest of the world, a mainland weather channel sends new anchor Sam Sparks (voiced by The House Bunny‘s Anna Faris). Being both science nerds, Flint and Sam experience a natural attraction towards one another and end up having to save Swallow Falls on their own.
As a kid’s film, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs works perfectly. But at the same time, it’s also absolutely entertaining for adults too. Being from two of the makers of ABC’s How I Met Your Mother, what else would you expect? The laughs never stop and always only seconds away for each other. Unlike the Shrek movies’ use of innuendos to appeal to adults, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs relies on good old classic comedy to keep them entertained and laughing.
Unlike other recent animated flicks – like 9 – Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is appropriately voice cast; they didn’t just look for big, named actors to lend their voices. Along with previously mentioned Hader and Faris are Andy Samberg (Hot Rod, SNL), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness), James Caan (Elf, The Godfather), Mr. T (does he really need an explanation?), Bobb’e J. Thompson (Role Models), Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Law & Order), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Harold & Kumar), Will Forte (SNL) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Bad Santa).
Not matter if you’ve got kids to take the movies this weekend or not, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is a strong choice. I can’t think of anyone who wont love it. It’s pure fun for everyone.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
