Movie Review: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Another film review for you today. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was not a movie I expected to really like. I’m not even sure why–I hadn’t read any reviews, I hadn’t talked to anyone who’d seen it . . . Something about the title just said “this is going to be a stupid movie” to me, so I wasn’t eager to watch it. However, I thought TRC would get a kick out of it, so I ordered it on Netflix.

I was very pleasantly surprised.

It tells the story of a young inventor who just isn’t that successful at inventing things. Case in point: he invents impervious spray-on shoes, but once they’re on you, there’s no way to get them off. That sort of stuff. Finally, he comes up with an invention that turns water vapor into food. Thus, you have raining pizza, or a cheeseburger drizzle. Trouble ensues.

The film was very well done. The plot makes sense, the characters have believable arcs, and it has Mr. T in it voicing one of the characters. That’s basically the formula for a successful movie right there. In the end, it hits on the “It’s OK to be a Nerd” theme a touch too hard, but I forgave it. I’ll say that the climax–and how it’s resolved–was a wonderful example of how to properly resolve a major plot line in an unexpected–but believable–manner.

Three stars. Maybe three and a half. Strongly recommended for anyone looking for a fun family film.