Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Just to set the record straight, I'm not a fan of most non-Disney Animation, non-Pixar animated films being released these days, and even my faith in the former was just recently renewed with last year's Bolt (which has topped Pulp Fiction as my personal favorite movie of all time). Sure, every once in a while, a brilliant piece such as Coraline will come along, but honestly, I find that to be one of the relatively few exceptions from this decade. So, with that said, I initially wasn't looking forward to seeing Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. What further detracted from my excitement were the trailers, which led me to believe that the film was going to be strictly targeted towards children. Having just seen the film, though, I am happy to say that all of my fears were put to rest.

Visually, this is perhaps one of the most spectacular animated movies I've ever seen, with literally every frame being a feast for the eyes. There were moments, especially throughout the movie's undeniably thrilling climax, in which my jaw just dropped in amazement. Not to throw in so much hyperbole, but this truly is one of the best animated films in terms of pure eye candy. While there's so much else in this movie to enjoy, the visuals alone make it worth the price of admission.

The vocal performances in Cloudy are some of the most impressive ones I've heard in quite some time. Both Bill Hader and Anna Faris as Flint and Sam, respectively, capture the essence of these two socially-awkward, smarter-than-you-might-think type of characters perfectly. Overall, I felt these two characters had some real chemistry, and as a result, I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship evolve throughout the course of the film. Mr. T is also terrific as the city cop, Earl, delivering some of the most gut-bustingly hilarious lines in the entire film. With that said, this is quite possibly the funniest animated movie that I've ever seen. To put it simply, there were a couple of moments in which I literally thought that I was going to be ill.

I walked out of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with very much the same feeling as I did with '08's aforementioned Bolt: astonished by how mediocre I initially expected the film to be, and how enjoyable it actually ended up being. The only thing keeping this film from getting a 10/10 in my book is – even with the few scenes that managed to tug at my heartstrings - the lack of an emotional punch powerful enough to get me choked up. However, given the film's quirky nature, I view that as a mild complaint at best. Go see it, folks.

Although - as many people do - I generally prefer Pixar films to the animated fare created by other companies, I can't deny that a film like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is very hard not to love. Although it isn't particularly complex, thought-provoking, beautiful or masterful, it's a very entertaining, funny, cute-as-hell and effective animated film. Children with definitely love it, and adults... well, that actually depends on the adult in question. Although I certainly enjoy all kinds of movies, there's always - for me - some satisfaction to be had when watching something so obviously goofy and kiddy. Meatballs is kiddy, and that's precisely what I loved about it. It may not be this year's best animated movie - that honour goes to Pixar's Up - but it certainly is better than the likes of Monsters vs. Aliens.

The film tells the story of Flint Lockwood (voice of Bill Hader), a young inventor who dreams of, someday, creating something that will be loved by everyone and make him more popular and, most importantly, improve the lives of everyone in town. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to do so, and his technofobic father (voice of James Caan) doesn't really help at all. One day, though, he manages to invent something that will change the lives of everyone in town forever: a machine that makes food fall from the sky. Everybody seems to be happy with him now - including mayor Shelbourne (Bruce Campbell) and the by-the-book police offer, Earl (Mr. T) - but, predictably enough, something goes wrong: excess amounts of food start to overload the island where the town is located, and now Flint, along with TV reporter Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) has to try to solve their problem.

Yes, the plot is pretty predictable, and it certainly won't make anyone above the age of 5 be shocked with surprise or anything of the sort, but it certainly is very imaginative, and it should work in a very "oh, it's sort of nice" kind of way. I liked the way Flint was portrayed - Hader's wacky and not-so-recognizable voice is perfect for the character - and the fact that, although most characters are either archetypes or stereotypes - consider, for the example, Bruce Campbell's greedy and - eventually - obese mayor - they are all voice so professionally and characterized in such an naive and cute kind of way, that one just doesn't care. I rooted for Flint the whole way, and I actually thought that the romantic sub-plot between him and Sam was cute and funny.

Visually, I don't think the movie is on par to the likes of Wall-E or Up, but I think that comparing it to those productions would be a bit unfair. Wall-E had a sort-of realistic kind of look, and Up, while a little more cartoonish, had a very realistic flair to it. On the other hand, there's something very old-fashioned in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' look and the way it is animated. Characters behave and move the way old TV cartoons behaved forty or more years ago, and I like that. They jump a lot, are very "agile" and are just... cartoonish. Clearly, the animators didn't want the movie to give a palpable sense of realism; in a way, they were trying to craft an old-fashioned cartoon with the latest technological tools, and they have done it very successfully.

What else can I say about the movie? It certainly is very naive, and it doesn't explore any deep themes or moral problems, but that's just OK. While this year's mediocre Monsters vs. Aliens was terribly simplistic, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is just simple, and there's nothing wrong with that. Of course, there's nothing wrong with movies like Wall-E having very significant messages and complex love stories and such, but if a parent wants to go with their toddler to see a movie that isn't very complicated but that isn't stupid or boring either, then Meatballs is an excellent choice. After all, even if there isn't much beneath the surface, I can't imagine a single adult maintaining a straight face throughout the film's runningtime. The movie is hilarious, - just remember Flint's father's eyebrows! -, it's inventive, it's imaginative; it's also pretty gorgeous and it features some effective voice acting and interesting, wacky characters. It's not dumb and it doesn't pander to the least common denominator. Most interestingly, though, it made me hungry. That's not a quality many movies posses.

In the small island of Swallow Falls, the outcast boy Flint Lockwood is a clumsy inventor encouraged by his mother. When the island is not capable of exporting the production of sardine, the fish becomes the basis of the alimentation of the locals that have to consume it all the times. Years later, Flint's mother dies and his skeptical father Tim Lockwood, who is an old fisherman that has a store that sells sardine, gives a partnership in his store and invites Flint to work with him. But Flint has just invented a food processor that converts water into food and decides to test the piece of equipment. However, he accidentally launches it to the space and begins to rain hamburgers and other food in the island. A television sends the trainee of the weather department Sam Sparks to cover the phenomenon and Flint becomes famous. However, the greedy and glutton Mayor Shelbourne overworks the machine and the food becomes a menace to the human race.

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is an animation silly for adults but also funny and entertaining. The satire with the world of destructive fast food loses the opportunity to give a message to children about the wrong type of food and prefers a naive and foolish story with a beautiful visual. But children will certainly love this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Tá Chovendo Hamburguer" ("It Is Raining Hamburguer")

Truly great animation, with the expressions of the eyes reminiscent of anime. A story that is about the child within each of us, yet all the while considering the risks involved during the whole of life. This is a story about innocence, in the true meaning of "knowing oneself completely" and all that this implies. It is also a story very much about the importance of imagination and creativity.

I am a child and an adult. What I've been taught, not entirely by just my fellow human beings, is that judgment is never productive. At its best, it is a desire to share with others something we do or do not appreciate. At its worst, it is a shutting down of the connection we have with each other. Perhaps a more productive way of sharing opinions about anything might be making distinctions between what is appreciated about the thing, and what is not, and the reasons for both aspects of these thoughts/feelings. This story actually addresses this tough issue, while entertaining us with a romp and a grand adventure.

My appreciation of this film is that it inspires me to laugh at myself (it's quite funny), at us, and my culture. And all the while, it is kind. The story and animation are tremendously imaginative, a quality I've found missing in many stories, animated or not. One of the themes, if not the main thread of the story, is that we humans are creative beings, and that, while this involves risks, we must express our imagination or take the greater risk of becoming stuck, stale and static, living only in the past tense.

The greatest compliment I can give this film is that I want my 2-year-old granddaughter to see it, for I am absolutely sure she will enjoy it almost as much as I have at age 61.

Greg Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

An exuberant and quite entertaining little feature- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs can feel a little too safe at times- but does anage to be quite an enjoyable ride. First off, the animation is very well developed, very original, and very easy to look at. From its popping colors and cartoon like expressions, it's a refreshing take on the often mimicked-like animation style so many people want to copy from brands like Pixar- and truly feels like its own thing. As for the plot and story of the film- it can be interesting- but it never really feels like it takes any leaps. Yes, it has some bold ideas, but even those ideas tend to play it safe from time to time. Its sense of humor also feels the same way, pure wackiness- which is very enjoyable to watch- but never made me laugh out loud like many other animated films i've come to love. Its soundtrack is very bright and cheery, and its score is surprisingly epic- and I would be lying if I said some of the themes used in this film wouldn't be stuck in my head until the next day. The voice cast is impressive and everyone does a really good job- my personal favorites being James Caan as Tim Lockwood and Bruce Campbell as the Mayor. It does seem to follow quite a few animated cliches, which i've honestly come to expect with these films, but nothing that ever truly weighs it down. In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a fun and solid animated flick. It never wows or amazes like Toy Story or makes me crack up like Shrek, but it manages to be a decent watch and be pretty sweet in the end- and that is completely fine with me.

My Rating: 6.8/10.