Should you watch thisin 3D? If you like 3D, yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? Yes.
Running time: 95 minutes (~ 1.5 hours)
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” is an animated, 3D sci-fi comedy about a goofy but talented scientist who deals with the repercussions of creating a machine that creates weather storms made of food. It stares the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and Neil Patrick Harris.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
I liked it very much. Well, I liked the first movie very much too, and was rather impressed by how the father-son relationship between the Lockwoods was depicted. At heart, the first movie was really about a son trying to win his father’s respect. And here, Flint Lockwood (the main character, pictured above) is trying to do something similar, which keeps to his characterisation.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
So what makes “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” an animated movie that seems like every other, worth watching?
Jokes come hard and fast
The funnies are strong with this one. Puns, visual gags, character-based laughs – the humour comes at you from all different levels. They really kept to the three jokes per page guideline here. All the way from the pre-credits Columbia scene to the post-credits scene.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
Wordplay
Puns have always been my favourite kind of lame joke. Because one of the plot points is how the food has evolved into foodimals, there are so many food puns like the susheep (sushi that looks like sheep), mosquitoast (toast that looks like mosquitoes), watermelophant (watermelons that look like elephants), and so on. That, plus the actual visuals of the foodimals. And a leek keeps appearing – know any homonym for leek?
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
Fast paced
There are pros and cons to this, of course, but the plot moves at a very chipper pace. It’s pretty easy to follow and this also means that movie engages your interest all the way – you’re not left wondering about the intricacies of some establishing shots or why some plot point is taking so long.
Colours
It’s a show about food. Literally. They really put in the effort to make the food look cute and appetising. Even the fries have salt on them. Salt! That’s the level of detail the animators put into the rendering 3D foodimals for us all.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
But no movie is perfect. What could “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” have improved on?
Consistency of the main character
Flint Lockwood, the title character, seems very easily swayed by the villain, then his friends, then the villain again. I get it that he’s characterised as naive, but his massive swings in personality aren’t done too well.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
Everyone has ADHD
My viewing partner said that of the show’s characters. Which is true, they’re incredibly hyper, though not in a screechy, annoying way. More of the “they always have to be doing something” way. They don’t make pointless actions though, they’re always interesting to watch. It’s just that they’re so many of them.
Plot is very straightforward
You can see it coming from about 10-15 minutes in. It is a kid’s show, however, so I guess it can’t have the same depth as a novel (which is what the first movie was based on). I did wish there was more emotional resonance in this movie – Flint Lockwood’s relationship with yet another parental figure doesn’t quite touch me as much as the first one.
(Image from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 official site)
But I liked it. For something that is ostensibly silly, it is pretty enjoyable, has a lot of funnies, and isn’t as silly as it looks.
Go watch “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!”
Leave a Reply