Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Truly great animation, with the expressions of the eyes reminiscent of anime. A story that is about the child within each of us, yet all the while considering the risks involved during the whole of life. This is a story about innocence, in the true meaning of "knowing oneself completely" and all that this implies. It is also a story very much about the importance of imagination and creativity.

I am a child and an adult. What I've been taught, not entirely by just my fellow human beings, is that judgment is never productive. At its best, it is a desire to share with others something we do or do not appreciate. At its worst, it is a shutting down of the connection we have with each other. Perhaps a more productive way of sharing opinions about anything might be making distinctions between what is appreciated about the thing, and what is not, and the reasons for both aspects of these thoughts/feelings. This story actually addresses this tough issue, while entertaining us with a romp and a grand adventure.

My appreciation of this film is that it inspires me to laugh at myself (it's quite funny), at us, and my culture. And all the while, it is kind. The story and animation are tremendously imaginative, a quality I've found missing in many stories, animated or not. One of the themes, if not the main thread of the story, is that we humans are creative beings, and that, while this involves risks, we must express our imagination or take the greater risk of becoming stuck, stale and static, living only in the past tense.

The greatest compliment I can give this film is that I want my 2-year-old granddaughter to see it, for I am absolutely sure she will enjoy it almost as much as I have at age 61.

Greg Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

An exuberant and quite entertaining little feature- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs can feel a little too safe at times- but does anage to be quite an enjoyable ride. First off, the animation is very well developed, very original, and very easy to look at. From its popping colors and cartoon like expressions, it's a refreshing take on the often mimicked-like animation style so many people want to copy from brands like Pixar- and truly feels like its own thing. As for the plot and story of the film- it can be interesting- but it never really feels like it takes any leaps. Yes, it has some bold ideas, but even those ideas tend to play it safe from time to time. Its sense of humor also feels the same way, pure wackiness- which is very enjoyable to watch- but never made me laugh out loud like many other animated films i've come to love. Its soundtrack is very bright and cheery, and its score is surprisingly epic- and I would be lying if I said some of the themes used in this film wouldn't be stuck in my head until the next day. The voice cast is impressive and everyone does a really good job- my personal favorites being James Caan as Tim Lockwood and Bruce Campbell as the Mayor. It does seem to follow quite a few animated cliches, which i've honestly come to expect with these films, but nothing that ever truly weighs it down. In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a fun and solid animated flick. It never wows or amazes like Toy Story or makes me crack up like Shrek, but it manages to be a decent watch and be pretty sweet in the end- and that is completely fine with me.

My Rating: 6.8/10.

Sony Pictures Animation have had mixed success in comparison to the more established studios like Pixar, Dreamworks and Blue Sky with their films coming out at the wrong time with Open Season opening after the glut of talking animal films and Surf's Up which opened after Happy Feet but with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, SPA has finally found a hit film, the animation is stunning especially the water and the food weather and unlike say, Shrek the look is cartoony but works in its favour, the voice actors are equally as good with Bill Hader as Flint, Mr T as Earl and Anna Faris as Sam but it's Steve the Monkey who steals the film. The story itself works very well expanding on the original book and while the second half lags a bit, overall I left the cinema both with a smile and hungry.

If The Smurfs and Hotel Transylvania are half as good as Cloudy then Sony Pictures Animation will continue to thrive.

Just to set the record straight, I'm not a fan of most non-Disney Animation, non-Pixar animated films being released these days, and even my faith in the former was just recently renewed with last year's Bolt (which has topped Pulp Fiction as my personal favorite movie of all time). Sure, every once in a while, a brilliant piece such as Coraline will come along, but honestly, I find that to be one of the relatively few exceptions from this decade. So, with that said, I initially wasn't looking forward to seeing Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. What further detracted from my excitement were the trailers, which led me to believe that the film was going to be strictly targeted towards children. Having just seen the film, though, I am happy to say that all of my fears were put to rest.

Visually, this is perhaps one of the most spectacular animated movies I've ever seen, with literally every frame being a feast for the eyes. There were moments, especially throughout the movie's undeniably thrilling climax, in which my jaw just dropped in amazement. Not to throw in so much hyperbole, but this truly is one of the best animated films in terms of pure eye candy. While there's so much else in this movie to enjoy, the visuals alone make it worth the price of admission.

The vocal performances in Cloudy are some of the most impressive ones I've heard in quite some time. Both Bill Hader and Anna Faris as Flint and Sam, respectively, capture the essence of these two socially-awkward, smarter-than-you-might-think type of characters perfectly. Overall, I felt these two characters had some real chemistry, and as a result, I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship evolve throughout the course of the film. Mr. T is also terrific as the city cop, Earl, delivering some of the most gut-bustingly hilarious lines in the entire film. With that said, this is quite possibly the funniest animated movie that I've ever seen. To put it simply, there were a couple of moments in which I literally thought that I was going to be ill.

I walked out of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with very much the same feeling as I did with '08's aforementioned Bolt: astonished by how mediocre I initially expected the film to be, and how enjoyable it actually ended up being. The only thing keeping this film from getting a 10/10 in my book is – even with the few scenes that managed to tug at my heartstrings - the lack of an emotional punch powerful enough to get me choked up. However, given the film's quirky nature, I view that as a mild complaint at best. Go see it, folks.

From the title through every character right to the end this film is a roller-coaster ride of absolutely ridiculous fun that will have kids and adults alike doubled over with laughter. I personally nearly choked from laughing so hard at one particular point.

What makes this movie so great is the characters...you can't go wrong with Bill Hader ever and Anna Faris I wouldn't be a fan of at all but she is cast completely out of character here and you would never guess it is her. The real entertainment lies in the support cast though. James Caan is outstanding as the father and Mr. T as the loving father and over enthusiastic local cop will have you in tears. Benjamin Bratt and Neil Patrick Harris didn't have much work to do with their characters but even with so few lines they are stars, particularly Steve the 'talking' monkey. There was one bit character that I found highly entertaining who had the best line in the whole thing when referring to hamburgers as tasting "significantly better than sardines".

I would consider myself a bit of a movie buff and my leaning is very much toward the art-house. On a recent Saturday afternoon, I choose to take a risk and cross the sticky floor, trying to avoid stepping on one of the many screaming kids running around, my heart beating fast and hard with nervousness and anxiety that maybe this was a mistake. When the time came I casually donned my 3D glasses and 90minutes later with a pain in my side I wanted to go again... It's been an long time since that has happened!