Prepare to get served

Rating: 8/10 (19 September 2009)

Inspired by Ron and Judi Barrett's beloved children's book of the same name, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS follows inventor Flint Lockwood and brainy weathergirl Sam Sparks as they attempt to discover why the rain in their small town has stopped while food is falling in its place. Meanwhile, lifelong bully Brent relishes in tormenting Flint just as he did when they were kids, and Mayor Shelbourne schemes to use Flint's latest invention--a device designed to improve everyone's lives--for his own personal gain.
OK, I admit it. The trailer for this film looked average, compared to other animated flicks, especially the films from Pixar. I thought the film would be too kiddy for me and that the storyline was beyond lame. I mean, food falling from the sky doesn't draw people in, does it? Oh, how wrong I was. I think we just found the third contender for the best animated movie section in the Academy Awards, people! Not only is this much better than non-Pixar animated films that has been released in SOME time (I think the last was HAPPY FEET?), but it's also one of the most visceral, inventive, entertaining, ingenious, silly movies that I've seen this year! Oh, wait. This is the only one.
I felt like a kid again when I put my 3D glasses on. Things popped out in a flashy fashion and the movie told in a quick pace with zippy dialogue! I wanted to grab the delicious-looking foods on the screen, from hotdogs to ice cream! It's like being a kid in a candy store! There's so much craziness here that I can't even dare to describe! When was it the first time that you saw a talking monkey that ripped a heart out from a live gummy bear?! When was it the first time that you saw a live turkey eating a human being?! Everything in this film is so ridiculous and preposterous that you have no choice but to go along with the ride
This is also a very, very funny film with a laugh per minute with some really clever jokes scattered throughout the film. But don't worry. There's a story in here too. It's been quite a while since I've seen a good father-and-son film (the last was FINDING NEMO?), but this film succeeded in that department as well. The message is by no means blatant and preachy at all. The cast is also a splendid delight, Mr. T standing out as one of the top characters because you can never really escape his noticeable voice. Bill Hader and Anna Faris did a wonderful job in their roles as well.
Oh, and did I mention the film was a visual feast (no pun intended)? You will see things in here that you have NEVER seen and probably will never see again in any other film. This should automatically get you a ticket to the theaters because when are you ever going to see a talking monkey grabbing a heart out of a live gummy bear?! WHEN?! The 3D technology is near flawless. It's probably the best looking 3D I've ever seen, the image looking very sharp from background to foreground. I also found the score by Mark Mothersbaugh to be amazing and exceptionally memorable.
If there's one bad thing I have to say about the movie, it isn't as good as Pixar's storytelling. However, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS should be a movie you should watch in theaters because it's unlike any movie you have ever seen. There's a lot of ingenuity and inventiveness and cleverness that is warped around the movie. The film is entertaining for both the kids and the adults to enjoy, so there's no need to worry. But wow, was this film a spectacle. If you have the chance to see this in 3D, see it but I'm sure the 2D version works just as well. If you're iffy about the trailer, I guess that's a good thing because the movie surpasses the trailer by ten times. Prepare to get served...literally.