Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Notable Cast: Voices of Bill Hader, Anna Farris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker
Sony Pictures isn’t a studio famous for its animation. It doesn’t have franchises like Ice Age or Madagascar to help yearly grosses. Yet even as Sony Pictures Animation competes against Pixar’s global dominance in the arena of computer animation, the studio has produced two offbeat gems in recent years, Monster House and Surf’s Up.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the studio’s latest animated offering, is based on the popular children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett. Stuffed aplenty with food and sight gags, kids will be amused and may even experience hunger pains – the feature is a visual cornucopia of sweets and other foodstuffs. And for parents, there’s loads of subversive humor for them to enjoy as well.
Flint Lockwood (voiced by Saturday Night Live regular Bill Hader) has spent most of his life trying to make something that would put him alongside the likes of Edison, Einstein and Tesla, inventors he’s idolized since childhood. Among his early busts: a remote-controlled television that gets up and walks away; spray-on shoes that can’t be removed; monkey thought translator; and rat birds. (Rat birds?!) Flint’s a smart kid who remains resilient despite his numerous failures. He’s also the joke of his hometown, Swallow Falls, a coastal island that, if you were to locate it on a map, is just below the “A” in Atlantic Ocean.
But when this sardine capital falls on hard times after the rest of the world discovers sardines are super gross, Flint toils away in his laboratory to solve the problem. His creation is a machine that can turn water into food. Anything a stomach craves, the device can create.
Hooking into the town’s power supply sees the invention take off faster than an ACME space rocket straight into the clouds. Moments later, townspeople stare up to the skies, mouths agape, like they were extras in Armageddon or Independence Day, unable to comprehend the sheer awesomeness that is unfolding before their eyes. One resident is so shocked he removes his beard.
What is the awesomeness? Rain in the form of cheeseburgers.
Perky Weather News Network intern Sam Saprks (Anna Faris) is there to cover the phenomenon. Under her bubbly persona hides a nerdy girl that Flint falls head over lab coat in love with. But love will have to wait as his device gets overworked at the expense of the mayor (Bruce Campbell) and his burgeoning waistline. The device eventually goes berserk, wreaking havoc on the community while threatening the rest of the world. Meteor-sized meatballs, a school besieged by pancakes dripping with maple syrup, killer ears of corn on top of the Great Wall. Oh my.
In a year that’s already made us crave French cuisine (Julie & Julia), Meatballs is the dessert portion of a five-course meal. The food may be animated, but glancing down at a tub of popcorn and then back to the screen, you’ll be wishing you had doughnuts, ice cream, and pizza in your snack arsenal.
Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (of the short-lived animated series Clone High) rely on visual gags occurring so fast and so often that multiple viewings of the movie may be warranted. The makers also refrain from celebrity voices and instead have a varied ensemble that includes James Caan as Flint’s dad; Mr. T as the town’s top cop; and Neil Patrick Harris as the voice of the monkey thought translator (repeating words like “Lick” and “Steve”).
The animation, while odd, is well drawn. Particularly good is Tim, Flint’s poor fish father. His greatest feature is his bushy monobrow and matching mustache. Mr. T as Earl the Cop is a fit of athleticism, doing multiple flips at all angles. He also does one act that’s so funny I care to not spoil the surprise. You’ll know it when you see it.
With some good one-liners, talking monkeys, and Al Roker insulting weather girl interns, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has a weird sense of humor that snaps, crackles and pops like a bowl of Rice Krispies. It’s unpredictable and zany. And while there’s morals for children to learn, it isn’t to the point of finger wagging. Just be cautious when it comes to junk food. Or an army of killer Gummi Bears may come after you.
FINAL RATING (ON A SCALE OF 1-5 BUCKETS):
