Review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) by George B — 10 Jun 2014

I was pretty sure I didn't fit into the target audience for this kids' movie, but since I heard dozens of people say that it is a great one for adults as well, I decided to give it a shot. It does have a fun, farcical style to it so I did have some genuine laughs. I think I can see why adults like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs but it felt a bit like the Lego Movie to me, something that I watch and feel like I should find it more amusing than I actually do. There's just something about the frenetic pace to the humor. It gives me a chuckle occasionally, but eventually starts to grate on my nerves. As if they are throwing jokes at you rapid-fire, hoping that one will eventually stick. They also had a tendency to keep hitting on the same joke repeatedly hoping for more laughs. I get it, Flint likes to shout the things he's doing excitedly no matter how mundane they are, it was funny the first 5 times but now it's just silly. Yes, Steve doesn't think much of anything worthwhile, I got it an hour ago.

I'm sounding overly harsh on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, when I really shouldn't. It was still a very entertaining film, with a truly unique premise. The "science" behind it all is just stupid, but it is allowed to be in a kids' movie. Some of the humor of how people deal with food falling from the sky is great. They also have a villain who is one of the funniest characters in the movie. I'm not sure if the love interest was a necessary element to the story, but it tends to work well in most kids' movies. The animation was very colorful, and worked well for this style of film. I'm not sure how I feel about the odd proportions of the human characters. It was like a town full of caricatures. Although I can completely forgive any of that whenever the policeman Earl and his son Cal are on screen. These 2 characters were my favorites. I never even put 2-and-2 together to realize Earl's voice was provided by Mr. T, but now that I know that makes total sense. Cloudy is a decent film, and should be a winner for most children. Just be warned that the jokes come flying at you at a very rapid pace, kind of scattershot, and it is possible only every 10th one will warrant a chuckle.