Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Release Year: 2009

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Review: I grew up reading the book, but held off watching the movie for a while because I didn't see how the premise could translate well to the screen.  In the book the plot is simple.  There is a town where it rains food, and this eventually leads to some problems.  To make this exciting and viable for a full length movie, there had to be a bit more stuffed in.  Enter a dysfunctional inventor and his strained relationship with his father and a crush on the weather woman.  Everything seems to be turning around for the accident prone tinkerer when he invents a machine which makes it rain food.  It's going great until the machine gets out of control and threatens to destroy the whole world.

The plot is a little over the top and far reaching.  Considering there seems to be very little stakes the entire film, it never really works as a disaster type movie, which is the plot arch.  To be fair, its going for more a spoof, but it felt a little half hearted since they ask you to buy into meaningful relationships.  If I'm going to buy into a spoof, then don't try to hook me in emotionally.  It just doesn't work.  Where it does work however, is the effects and imagination of the actual food storms.  The meat of the book is what saves the film.  Playing very much like a Looney Toons cartoon, nothing is taken too seriously..  at least not until the end.  There are countless sight gags which wink at the audience.  The premise is where the movie shines, but it loses track trying to retrofit an action plot.  All the same, its a good time and encourages the audience to have fun with the material.
Rating: 3/5