Rated PG for brief mild language.
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Starring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, and Andy Sandburg.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is one pleasant surprise after another.
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 (voice of Bill Hader) who tries to solve his small town’s food crisis and invents a machine that ¬transforms water into food. When the brainy weathergirl, Sam Sparks (voice of Anna Faris) arrives, food begins to fall from the sky and she breaks the story of her life. Meanwhile, lifelong bully Brent (voice of Andy Samberg) relishes in tormenting Flint like he did when they were kids, and Mayor Shelbourne (voice of Bruce Campbell) schemes to use Flint's latest invention for his own personal gain.
I guess I’m sometimes surprised when Hollywood releases a movie that I can enjoy with my kids, but when I enjoy it as much as them…now that’s a real surprise.
Although Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is visually spectacular, it’s the solid story from beginning to end that really stands out. As my family and I watched Flint and his long line of failed inventions we were rolling around laughing – the walking TV, the hair growing solution…so funny. But it’s not long before we were really feeling sorry for him, especially as he tries so hard to gain the approval of his father (yeah, I totally used this moment to tell my kids how proud I am of them…and that I always will be proud of them). Then we see an invention finally work and the world is his oyster. But even in the mist of his greatest success, Flint and his dad grow farther apart – heart breaking. Cloudy has some of the funniest and some of the most gut wrenching scenes I have ever seen in a cartoon. I definitely was not prepared for that emotional rollercoaster ride.
Besides a great story and a very witty script, this movie has a ton of valuable life lessons. From perseverance and self control to the importance of family and teamwork, this one has it all.
I think the biggest surprise was the cast. I was pretty sure that Bill Hader, Anna Faris and Andy Sandburg would make me laugh (and they did). What surprised me was how clean they were. Oh yeah – Mr. T and James Caan…they were big surprises too.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a shoe-in for one of the best movies in 2010 – “Worth Buying” for sure!
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yes! Everyone should see it!
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
