CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009)

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (2009)

Tagline: Prepare to get served

(Animation, Comedy, Meatballs) [PG]

This contact lens represents you! And my eye represents my eye!

After watching PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, I started thinking about how far back I would have to go to find a truly genius heartfelt animated flick that also was a total blast and had intriguing characters and top-notch storytelling. As it turns out it would be right around 14 years. This is not to say there are no other great animated flicks out there. I actually really loved some of the along the way after this one, but this freaking thing is incredible and more well-rounded than most. 

The story revolves around Flint Lockwood who is kind of a nerdy recluse whose contraptions always seem to go wrong. His mother has passed away and his father doesn’t quite know how to support him so he’s trying to get him to work at his failing tackle shop. Meanwhile, a freak accident leads to one of his machines being launched into the atmosphere. Later it is discovered that the machine is producing food from water particles in the air and Flint can actually make it rain food. This draws the attention of weather reporter Sam Sparks who is a lot like Flint. The two hit it off, but Flint’s ambition starts to get the best of him. On top of this, the town’s Mayor has ambitions of his own that could seal the fate of the entire planet as the food Flint is having rained down on the town starts to mutate. 

One thing I loved about this movie is the narration to open it which is provided by Bill Hader who does the voice of Flint Lockwood. The humorous approach kinds of helps temper down some of the darker emotional tones of the film. Hader also did the voiceovers for SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD and has been involved in a bunch of animated films since this one came out. Prior to CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS he was also involved in DOOGAL and ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS. This movie also does a killer job in the area of creativity. We get everything from attack gummy bears to spray on shoes and it’s all done with a hint of playfulness and drama to draw you into embracing these characters. The backstories feel well thought out and none of the characters feel like they were just thrown into the movie for the heck of it. It should be noted that while there is a book named “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” it really has very little to do with the movie other than the central concept of food falling from the sky and the name of the town they are in. 

This voice cast is incredible and includes Mr. T (ROCKY III) voicing Earl Devereaux. I thought it was rad that they gave him some great lines because he’s my favorite character in the movie. Anna Faris (SCARY MOVIE) does a great job as Sam Sparks. Bruce Campbell does the voice work for Mayor Shelbourne, James Caan voices Tim Lockwood, and rounding out the main cast Andy Samberg voices ‘Baby’ Brent. 

Animation-wise, this might not be everyone’s style, but I really liked it and even by today’s standards it doesn’t feel clunky or incomplete. Sony Animation has racked up quite a few great animated films including OPEN SEASON, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, and SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, but this thing is actually my favorite of all of them. I think its partly because I am an artist and I love taking over-the-top risks. Those other films are each creative in their own right, but this thing is over the top. I also love how rich the story is. 

Overall this thing is just really fantastic for kids and adults. I don’t want to say it got unfairly overlooked, but I can say that it is one of the better-animated films in the past 20 years. Probably in my TOP 10. 

This one gets a solid 6 out of 7. If anything would have helped this out it would have been including Manny’s character a bit more.
 

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