Yes, yes, yes, I know how insanely late I am in my movie reviews, but I seriously have no time lately to watch movies in the theaters. So here's my opinion of this nice little film I saw just a few days ago.
Hilarious and wonderfully animated, this film serves up just the right amount of food jokes without becoming ridiculous. The structure is nice, familiar father/son territory that for obvious reasons is a favorite of the animation community that creates these films. What is particularly nice though, is the resolution of their relationship; we know it’s coming, but it is handled in a way that is unique and charming, not false and forced as it could have been. Another bonus for avoiding the headache usually associated with zippy/poppy animation (it is used to support character, rather than becoming an annoying character itself). A wonderfully unpretentious animated film.
Writer-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (creators of the cult series Clone High) had expanded a 30-page children’s book by Judi and Ron Barrett into a 3D animated feature which boasts intricate design and goofy humour, fabricating a slick, computer-animated family flick, paying homage to the disaster genre through the use of some great humor and wit.
It’s rare for a family film to deliver the goods with both story and visuals, but this insanely fun and fast-paced flick doesn’t skimp on either. Complimented by a killer voice cast – with Bruce “have you seen my boomstick” Campbell, and a blathering Mr T. as standouts. The one thing I loved most about it is that it was a CARTOON! John K bashed this movie on his blog, but I'm so glad that Sony Animation stayed away from the usual stiff, lifeless, and lacking any substance, and don't get me started with all this motion-capture craze.
Loosely based on the popular and enduring children’s book, this vibrant adventure tells the tale of aspiring young inventor Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader).
Unfortunately, Flint finds his rampant creativity forever stifled by his gruff father (James Caan) and the severe isolation of the sardine fishing isle on which he resides. After a string of spectacular failures, the hyperactive Flint successfully concocts a device that can generate food out of water vapour.
But before the idealistic designer can reveal his prize invention it is accidentally rocketed into the atmosphere. It’s then that the simple-minded folk of Swallow Falls are first besieged and then treated to a wide variety of delectable food descending upon them from the heavens.
Thanks to the greedy mayor (Bruce Campbell), the once-antiquated settlement is quickly transformed into a tourist mecca while the increasingly indulged townsfolk ravenously request and devour the non-stop smorgasbord from the skies.
But when the orbiting food processor begins to malfunction, Flint is forced to snap out of his stupor and, with the help of studious weather presenter Samantha Sparks (Anna Faris), save the town from a catastrophic deluge of destruction.
Writer/directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller gleefully toy with the source material and the disaster pic genre delivering an endless barrage of gags courtesy of their offbeat voice talents – Mr T even makes a contribution!
Lord and Miller also take great delight in creating seamless culinary visual set pieces culminating in the Armageddon-inducing giant strings of spaghetti and rancid meatballs.
They also have time to inject many an ingrained but not so subtle life lesson, in particular society’s unhealthy obsession with junk food – squarely aimed at the kiddies.
Additional swipes at the planet’s waste epidemic, parents’ overindulgence of their offspring and the superficial nature of modern media will also hopefully not be lost on the accompanying adults.
I thoroughly enjoyed Cloudy, in a different way then I did for Kung Fu Panda, in that case the entertainment value lied in Jack Black on the cool action sequences. For Cloudy It was the fast paced story progression and fantastically exaggerated and energetic character animation and incredible disaster movie style FX.... and it didn't hurt that my pal Jacques Daigle was an animator on it too. I hope they make more like these.
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