Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
PG for brief mild language
I can't remember the last time I both laughed and cried during a movie about giant food falling from the sky. But I do remember the last time I both laughed and cried (in a very restrained, manly way) during an animated movie while wearing giant 3D glasses. It was called "Up," and "Cloudy" might be the most fun I've had at a film since Pixar's much-loved hit.
The Story
This tale is based on the much-loved-forever kids' book of the same title, but it's not the same story. Where the book is an understated (by comparison) yarn about a town first blessed and then afflicted by food inexplicably falling from the sky like rain, the movie is all about who makes it happen.
Flint Lockwood (voiced by SNL's Bill Hader) is a would-be inventor with a lot riding on his latest gadget, a machine designed to turn water into food. He needs a win to reverse his reputation for failed and destructive experiments. He hopes to live up to his late mom's faith in him and finally hear his tough fisherman dad (James Caan) say he's proud of Flint.
Accompanied by his faithful monkey sidekick Steve -- given the gift of unremarkable speech by one of Flint's inventions -- Flint risks big and plugs the machine in, immediately igniting it into a rocket that nearly destroys the town before disappearing into the clouds. Everyone is mad at him, including Sam Sparks (Anna Faris), the cute and smart weather girl Flint falls for on sight.
But then it starts raining food, and everything changes. Flint's invention works, and he quickly becomes the town's hero. From his home lab, he can program his stuck-in-the-clouds machine to rain down any food he wants: hamburgers, ice cream, candy, hot dogs. The mayor (Bruce Campbell) is thrilled and immediately initiates a plan to turn the town into a tourist destination.
Sam the weather girl is especially impressed, and the pair begin to make a deeper connection. But Flint's dad still can't say he's proud of his son. In fact, he doesn't think the food machine is good idea, at all. And dads are often right.
The Verdict
What we thought of the film on its own terms
What Works: Having somehow just discovered the charming children's book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" last year, I was disappointed when I heard they were making a movie based on it. Judging by the goofy-looking animation, I expected it to ruin the book's off-kilter sense of wonder.
Instead directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller create such a different experience from the book that its almost a completely separate thing -- and that's good. From the opening credits, it's clear they're going for a smart and goofy sense of humor that subverts all your expectations for a kids movie about a plucky inventor and food falling from the sky.
The biggest laughs don't necessarily come from jokes so much as surprises hidden in the dialogue and in the riot of brightly colored animation scattered all over the screen. The characters themselves are exactly who you expect them to be in an animated kids movie, but the world they exist in is just twisted enough to keep catching you off guard.
By the story's last act, everything about this universe is wildly absurd, but you still find yourself rooting for these true characters to succeed somehow (even if one of them has become a roasted chicken). And, strangest of all, the emotional payoff at the very end of the film is truly moving, at least for me.
Also, the 3D effect really delivers depth to the animation without becoming overly distracting. In all, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is an unexpectedly funny, effectively-animated, goofy good time.
What Doesn't Work: Frankly, I don't know how successful the movie will be with little kids. All the weirdness piles up after a while, and it actually feels kind of scary by the end when the "perfect food storm" is hitting the town and Flint is being chased by sentient food through a giant meatball in the sky. The tots in my screening seemed a little overwhelmed by it all.
Content: Very mild harsh language and lots of crazy, non-lethal, food-related violence contribute to the film's PG rating.
Worldview
How the film's take on life compares to a biblical perspective
The movie's worldview is built on a four-legged stool of solidly delivered positive messages. One is common to nearly all kids' movies: Keep believing in yourself even when nobody else does. One is for the dads: Your sons are desperate to hear that you're proud of them; find a way to tell them you are.
A third is found in Flint's choice to keep listening to the gluttonous mayor's appeal to his pride: "Keep the machine going, and everyone will love you." Flint's arrogance and hunger for acceptance overwhelms his judgement and nearly destroys the town.
A final message is powerfully delivered without ever being spoken outright: Too much junk food is bad for you. In fact, it might kill you if you can't find a way to control it.
In that last message, "Cloudy" comes close to echoing another Pixar story -- "Wall-E's" anti-consumerist warning that indulging in too much of anything always has a downside. At first attracted to all the yummy-looking food falling from the sky in "Meatballs," it gets less and less appetizing as the stuff piles up and becomes lethal. By the end of the film, I wasn't hungry, at all.
Biblical wisdom warns us about the dangers of both seeking our own glory and overindulging in yummy food in one convenient verse: "It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor." (Proverbs 25:27)
Wisdom trusts God to provide us with all the glory -- and good food -- we need in His perfect timing. He's a good Dad, after all. He likes to give us good gifts, including the gift of the ability to say "no" when we've had enough.
Questions
- Do you like the book "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is based on? Why or why not?
- Was the movie what you expected it to be?
- Did you enjoy the film's sense of humor and general weirdness? How did it stack up to some of your favorite animated films from the last few years?
- How did the 3D effect work for you? Was it worth wearing the glasses? (Actually, mine were much lighter and more comfortable than I've had in the past.)
- Did you find the very end of the film moving? Did that surprise you?
- Did "Cloudy" make your hungry -- or did it make you feel like not eating anything for a while? Which food looked the best to you? The worst?
- If you could make any food rain from the sky, what would you pick? Can you imagine such a thing ever going well in real life?
- How do you know when you've had enough? How are you at stopping when you've had enough? How could you get better?
Comments
Christopher Lyon on Sep 22, 2009 said...
Now that you ask the question, that is an odd phrase, isn’t it? The language is mild by comparison to most other films we see, but one character does mutter something about a “hellhole of a town.” Another says “jeeze.” That’s probably about as harsh as it gets.
anita matejka on Sep 24, 2009 said...
This better be good! We’re going tonight based on your review! OK, maybe the real reason we’re going is because it’s free, and you can’t beat a free movie for a family of 6. But I’m hoping it’s as good as you say it is because I was thinking it looked a little cheesy! Thanks for the review, Chris 
Lee Seese on Sep 25, 2009 said...
Free? How can you go FREE?
robert on Jan 30, 2010 said...
The movie’s worldview is built on a four-legged stool of solidly delivered positive messages.One is common to nearly all kids’ movies: Keep believing in yourself even when nobody else does.One is for the dads: Your sons are desperate to hear that you’re proud of them; find a way to tell them you are.Facebook Backgrounds
Hayden on Feb 15, 2010 said...
Well…. I did enjoy the movie on DVD but.. the movie was not the same as the book. I think I liked the movie better than the book. I have the movie and the book. You know whats CRAZY? The book showed that it rained food with no one to make it happen. But in the movie, Flint Lockwood made it happen. Now that is crazy!
Lee Seese on Sep 22, 2009 said...
What is the very mild harsh language? I have a 6 & 7 year old.