Movie Review: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Phil Lord, Chris Miller Direct Sony Pictures Animation Film
Sep 17, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann
When the writing/directing team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Clone High) decided to adapt Judy and Ron Barrett's 1978 bestselling kids' book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, they re-imagined it as a spoof of Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer/Roland Emmerich-style disaster movies.
"There's certainly a little bit of Twister in there," Lord told Sci-Fi Wire in 2006. "Independence Day. There's quite a bit of Armageddon. We cite Michael Bay as a huge influence."
Mission accomplished: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is the funniest disaster-film parody since the original Airplane. Although many of the jokes appeared lost on the kids at the preview screening, their parents were rolling on the floor laughing.
Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Mr. T, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Prolific inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) don't get no respect. The other kids in Swallow Falls mock his countless inventions, his gene-spliced rat parrots infest the skies, his ambulatory TV wreaks havoc, the town stud (Andy Samberg) torments him at every opportunity, the suspicious cop (Mr. T, stealing nearly every scene he's in) thinks he's a "shenaniganizer" and his long-suffering father (James Caan) wishes Flint would join him in the family business.
But Lockwood has a plan to re-energize the moribund town of Swallow Falls: his latest invention will cause food to fall from the sky instead of rain. Lockwood goes from zero to hero, with the local mayor (Bruce "The Chin" Campbell) taking full advantage of the situation, and the smarter-than-she'd-like-to-admit weather reporter (Anna Faris) becoming attracted to him.
But will Lockwood's invention suddenly turn from dream to nightmare? Ya think?
What sets Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs apart from other parodies is that it's smart enough to reference what it's spoofing, but still be funny if you haven't seen the original. You don't need to have seen Twister to find the pasta tornado funny, and you don't need to know Independence Day or Transformers to giggle at the "dodge flying objects while fleeing down a street" sequence.
This film represents a great leap forward for Sony Pictures Animation, which only has the semi-hit Open Season and the bomb Surf's Up in its back catalogue. Much credit goes to Lord and Miller, who have crafted a film that's smarter than most summer fare. The script is imaginative, witty, and even manages to make the inevitable poop joke funny.
Also, serious kudos for making Faris' character a realistic love interest for Lockwood. Far too many writers insert a love interest because it's the thing to do, and they don't give the audience a compelling reason why the girl would want the guy. Faris' Sam Sparks is a science geek disguised as a perky ditz, and the fact that she can be herself around Lockwood gives her attraction much-needed realism. It helps that the cast is uniformly solid: yes, there are some Hollywood names in here, but they hold their own as voice actors.
Animation-wise, SPA has come a fair way: while the characters still look elastic and cartoon-y, the animators have tightened up the images and sequences, making the flying food look more real.
The Final Analysis
In a perfect world, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs would put Sony Pictures Animation over the top with audiences. It's a sharply observed script with some wonderful characterization and hilarious moments. Although the kids were suspiciously silent during what was ostensibly a family comedy, there were laughs a-plenty for their parents.
It gets a 8/10.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs poster
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