Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

I was charmed by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs from the moment the movie began with the following screen credit: “A Film By A Lot Of People.” How refreshing it is to see that acknowledgment of the massive team effort it takes to put together nearly every movie these days? Co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller may not be taking the front-end “a film by” credit, but they, along with their cast and crew, should be proud of serving up one of the funniest, sweetest, and most visually dazzling films I’ve seen in ages.

Based on a popular children’s book I am admittedly unfamiliar with, the story takes place on an industrious island community small enough to be covered by the “A” in “Atlantic Ocean” on the map — just one of many little ridiculous details that succeeded in cracking me up. Their economy, based on sardine fishing, has dried up because the world has realized that sardines are, well, gross.

An aspiring young inventor named Flint Lockwood (voiced by Saturday Night Live cast member Bill Hader) hopes to create something that will help his ailing community, and perhaps also bring him closer to his widower father, Tim (James Caan), who thinks Flint’s destiny should be stacking sardine cans in his father’s bait and tackle shop. After building a series of odd inventions with varying degrees of success — including a rudimentary translator for his monkey assistant, Steve (Neil Patrick Harris) — Flint invents what could be the island’s saving grace: a machine that converts water into food. When he finds the gigajoules needed to really power it up, the machine rockets away into the clouds, and within moments it’s literally raining cheeseburgers!

That meat-eorological phenomenon is fortuitous not just for the island’s population, but also for a bookish young intern named Sam (Anna Faris) from Weather News Network, who shows up just in time to broadcast the phenomenon across the globe. She’s drawn to the wild-haired inventor, as are the increasingly fat mayor of the town (Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell) who envisions a tourism boom, a jealous and washed-up sardine spokesmodel (another SNL star, Andy Samberg), and a local policeman (Mr. T) who’s very protective of his son, Cal (Bobb’e J. Thompson). Flint serves up a special treat for Cal’s birthday at his dad’s request, but despite his success and newfound fame, can’t seem to make peace with his own father. Meanwhile, the steaks and hot dogs and other foods keep raining down from above. And they all seem to be getting bigger…

This eye-popping, candy-colored romp may seem a titch formulaic to some, but the writers skillfully integrate what predictable elements there may be to keep the characters and story fresh. Details are established, and their payoffs later in the film are smart. I had a hunch, for instance, that the peanut allergy Flint and Sam mention in an early scene would figure into the story later, but I didn’t anticipate how or when, nor how cleverly it would resurface. The dialogue is entertaining for adults, and doesn’t talk down to the kid audience either. Flint’s relationship with his father is played with surprisingly believable emotion, without becoming cloying. This film plays its tender moments deftly, and never so long as to overwhelm the sheer fun of the whole experience.

And believe me, this film is a lot of fun. The gags come at such a frenzied pace, in both background and foreground action, that you shouldn’t be surprised if you miss some of the crazy details densely packed within the movie. For instance, blink and you may miss a quick visual homage to a famous Twilight Zone episode. I was tickled by a brief shot, after Flint produces an ice cream snowstorm, of a swarm of children making snow angels — face down. Cal’s first line–only one word–made everyone laugh, and keep an eye out for the funny storefront names which arise in the wake of the town’s edible precipitation.

The hilarity is amplified by the superb voice cast, which also includes Benjamin Bratt, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, and Will Forte. Throw in a great musical score by Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, with tunes by Lesley Gore, Miranda Cosgrove, and The Alan Parsons Project, and it truly becomes a film for kids of all ages.

From the tornado of spaghetti to the mountain of leftovers, from father Tim’s push-broom eyebrows to a spectacular sequence involving a giant fishbowl, the visual design of every part of this movie is outsized and cartoony, yet constantly wow-inspiring. I also liked the attention paid to smaller details, such as the picture briefly reverting to 2D when a TV screen is being shown.

The “lot of people” who created Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs are savvy to realize that visual effects extravaganzas — especially in 3D — are ultimately forgettable without an interesting story and compelling characters. They got it right this time, with a film that touched my heart a little, dropped my jaw at its visual splendor, and exhausted me with laughter.

One bit of advice: Don’t make the mistake I made by skimping on the concession stand. For some reason, I only bought a soft drink. After watching food rain down from the skies, boy did I get hungry!