Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The movie starts off by introducing us to Flint Lockwood, a self-proclaimed outsider who desperately wants to live out his dream as a well-renowned inventor. His first line of the film sets up his character nicely as he asks, 'Have you ever felt a little different, like maybe you didn't fit in?" It is at that very moment that you realize that unlike other airy animated features, this one is going to possess some heart. Flint then takes us through his childhood memories of sharing his inventions at school, each resulting in some style of mass embarrassment. His mother, the more encouraging parent, presents our lead protagonist with his first lab coat, rejuvenating him as he comes to the table with a new sense of determination.
It is at that point that the story begins to take off as Flint finally connects on one of his inventions, receiving accolades for his work and finally reaching the height of a superstar. But just as they always do, the invention backfires, sending the entire world into a state of shock as they prepare to weather the 'storm’ that Flint has created. At this point Flint realizes that in order to be the true hero, he must destroy his greatest invention of all, the invention that seemed to transform him from "nerdom" to stardom!
These days, it seems the new movie trend is to make a film out of some type of previously published content. Whether it is a children’s book, a comic book, or a true depiction of real events, originality is lacking in the world of motion cinema. Sadly, most projects fail to live up to the previous work, disappointing fans with their ‘updated’ portrayals. However, this time, the movie is what makes the book.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the book as a child, and felt that it had all the necessary ingredients to make a sugarcoated delight, but the illustrations were missing something. The movie goes along with the story line well, but the bright colors, witty characters, and ageless humor is what makes this film work – not to mention the delectable 3-D sights.
Pay close attention to Flint's creativity and imagination, it's what makes him a true scientific genius! His friend, Steve the Monkey, holds his own as well, whether he is the scene’s focus or stuck bouncing around in the background, you quickly find yourself impulsively looking for his next move! Then there is Sam, the local dumb blonde weather girl, and diamond of Flint’s eye. How he could ever go for a girl like that I have no idea, but it is what it is in Hollywood I guess.
Between the spaghetti tornadoes, nacho cheese hot springs, and the ice cream snow angels, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a creative, funny, visually stunning piece that is sure to please viewers of all ages. Its heartwarming approach and likeable lead character allow you to connect with the story and its many side dishes, teaching everyone that no matter what, they must stay true to themselves.
As I watched the movie I sat between a young boy around 10 years old and a grown man in his 40s; they each had the same response... "AWESOME!!!!" So make tonight a true "dinner and a movie" night by going to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! As your waitress, I highly recommend it! Tips appreciated! Enjoy!
