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Technically, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a science-fiction movie, continuing the super sci-fi streak of 2009.
But, for most, it’s a beloved children’s book brought to life.
And it’s done very well. About the film The Movie Man is constantly amazed that he’s often never heard of books that are “beloved children’s classics.”
While only a hermit wouldn’t be aware of recent popular books aimed at youth – the Harry Potter and Twilight novels come to mind – some recent cinematic adaptations are ones the Movie Man, who is incredibly well-read of course, seems to have missed. Like The Golden Compass. That controversial series cruised under the Movie Man’s radar. He saw the picture (2007, Movie Man No. 749, a 7), but he’d never heard of the book. Same thing with the “beloved” The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008, MM #759, 5). Never heard of it. Now, here’s yet another “classic”: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. As is often the case with the Movie Man, he reviews the movie untainted by having read the book. (But that’s about to change when The Road arrives in November. The Cormac McCarthy apocalyptic novel is one two books that ever made the Movie Man weep. The other, coincidently, is a true children’s classic. The Movie Man guarantees that the kids book, Someday by Alison McGhee will have you tearing up in the 40 seconds it takes to read – especially if you’re a parent. It’s a great example of conciseness paired with perfect visuals to create a powerful piece.) Meatballs came out in 1978 and has a generation of fans. Somehow, the Movie Man missed this one even though he had kids around that time. A super cast and excellent 3-D animation help Meatballs stand alone as a movie. The plot Flint (voiced by Bill Hader who does such a killer Vincent Price impersonation on Saturday Night Live) is a young man whose whole life is wrapped up in inventing. But his inventions seem to go haywire. Spray-on shoes seemed like a good idea but you can’t take them off. And does the world really need a critter that is part bird, part rat? His town – an island located under the ‘A’ in Atlantic Ocean on the map – once thrived on sardines. But now, the mayor (Bruce Campbell), needs a new way to attract visitors. A Hader creation finally succeeds – turning water into food. But for it to work, the device got catapulted into space where it rains down whatever kind of food Hader types into his computer. An aspiring weather girl Sam (Anna Faris), who is secretly smart but hides it, arrives to report on the proceedings and she and Hader get sweet on each other. After enjoying all the benefits of having food fall from the sky – cruise ships jammed with tourists fill the harbor – the space-bound creation goes haywire thanks to Campbell’s interference. Hader, Faris, and a former child star, Baby Brent (Andy Samberg), zoom into space to try and stop the out-of-control spewing of food that’s about to over take the planet. Those old inventions come in handy. What works All the voices are strong, especially Hader’s stoic technophobic father Tim played by James Caan. Another standout is a by-the-book cop voiced wonderfully by, of all people, Mr. T. What Meatballs really gets right is the steady stream of humor throughout the story. From sight gags to one-liners, there’s never a long lull between chuckles which is essential for adults in a “kids” animated movie. The movie also earns kudos for really going out-there (literally) in its conclusion. It gets silly – Samberg ends up a plucked chicken – yet stays funny all the way through. Another blast is the explosion of colors and the time-era-leaping visuals in the credits that ricochet from the 60’s to 70’s to 80’s. A final plus: a very funny monkey, Steve (Neil Patrick Harris). Best scene Hader tries to impress Faris by creating a monstrosity out of her favorite food, Jello. They leap in it and bounce in the giant molded entity with the 3-D effects terrific. What doesn’t work There’s really little to dislike here, but Meatballs is still not worthy of being placed in the upper realm with the Toy Storys and Shreks (well maybe Shrek the Third [2007, MM #718, 6]). Filmmakers missed a chance to harp on how bad junk food is – people want pancakes and ice cream and steaks, not salads – but at least there was no Happy Feet lecture. This being a kids movie, you expect a bit of schmaltz and it’s ladled on. It sure takes Caan a long time to come around to appreciate Hader. The rating The PG for Meatballs is certainly fine. Except for late in the movie up in space where the machine has mutated into a sometimes-scary entity, the rating is no problem for kids. Summing up The Movie Man liked Meatballs and the 3-D, while not eye-popping, was better than average. (The 3-D previews of Avatar and A Christmas Carol [both 8s] were more impressive.) On the horizon Here’s how the rest of the year will most likely shape up for the Movie Man (dates are opening days): Sept. 25 – Surrogates Oct. 2 – Zombieland (great trailer) Oct. 9 – Couples Retreat (looks bad but it’s the only major release) Oct. 16 – Where the Wild Things Are (speaking of beloved children’s books) Oct. 23 – Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (a funny trailer – could be a sleeper) Oct. 30 – Saw VI (?) Nov. 6 – A Christmas Carol Nov. 13 – 2012 Nov. 20 – Planet 51 (or the Movie Man might suffer through the Twilight sequel, New Moon) Nov. 25 – The Road Dec. 4 – a bad week, probably catch up Dec. 11 – The Lovely Bones Dec. 18 – Avatar Dec. 25 – Sherlock Holmes |
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