Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs tells the story of an eccentric wannabe scientist, Flint Lockwood. His latest contraption is a miraculous device designed to solve the world hunger crisis. But when Flint bites off more than he can chew, he sets in motion a global disaster of epic proportions. Based on the #1 best-selling book by Judi and Ron Barrett
![Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qfw2wrR9L._SL160_.jpg "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]")
Help With This Item 
Ever since it was released back in 1978, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has become a popular children’s book. It’s not only filled with beautiful artwork, but it also showcases some clever ways on how food of gigantic sizes can be dangerous. I remember reading the book repeatedly when I was a little kid, and I always found myself enjoying it. Judi and Ron Barrett have done a wonderful job with this one. Cut to thirty-one years later, and we have a film adaptation. Now, the small kids of today will no doubt admire it for what it is: a fast-paced, ADD-induced animated film filled with food and comedy. Unfortunately, however, those who have actually read the book when they were very young will probably find a part of their childhood obliterated. Sony Pictures has demoted the spirit of the children’s book, and has made a horrible adaptation. It is more of a colossal dissatisfaction at least for me, because it could have been done properly. Now, I have to admit I might sound biased towards the film, considering that the original children’s book played a part in my childhood. But the book had such a huge impact on me when I was a little kid that I simply cannot find the film enjoyable.
So what’s wrong with this animated film? Well, there are four major problems with CWACOM. The first problem can be quite obvious: the horrid look of the film. In the original book, there is a sort of mysticism that surrounded the artwork, and it gave the actual story some capriciousness and charm. In the movie, it’s all quirkiness and NO charm. There is nothing ethereal about the foods that fall from the sky. Nothing is visually stimulating. In fact, it seems like it’s all just an excuse to showcase some of the same tedious CGI animation that we’ve seen many times before (only this one is slightly more mediocre). The second problem with CWACOM is the pacing. Now, the flow of the film is fine during the first half, but the second half is just torture. It’s so fast and so ADD-inducing that it’s almost tiresome. Kids with ADD would enjoy this; I’m not so sure about everyone else. Third, the characters are…..well…..uninteresting. They don’t have any real personas: they lack charisma, wit, and most of all, uniqueness. But what’s worst about these characters is that it’s very hard to look at them. I don’t know who designed these fictional individuals, but they certainly made them look grotesque and uncanny (especially Flint and Samantha). I know it’s supposed to be a family film, but the characters look WAY too cartoonish for their own good. But I think the biggest problem with CWACOM is that it’s really overproduced. I think you’ll notice right away that many scenes involving food are bloated with wall-to-wall action sequences and non-stop comedic segments. There is so much going on, especially in the third act of the film, that it can give you a very nauseous feeling if you’re not accustomed to watching giant-sized cheeseburgers and spaghetti flying everywhere, or pancakes and sandwiches destroying everything they land on.
To be honest, out of all the bad things to have come out of this, it’s not really one of the worst animated films of all time. There were a few jokes that did make me laugh, and I did like the music by Mark Mothersbaugh. Unfortunately, it’s still an animated atrocity. The basic premise of the children’s book remains (food falling from the sky, etc.), but everything else does not. The animation is unpleasant to look at, the characters are unlikable, and all the food and the destruction are just too much to handle. Again, kids will probably love this one, but everyone else might be disappointed. I am. I did not have a fun time watching this movie. Compared to the book, it’s a big letdown. The opportunity to create a great adaptation has been wasted.
Grade: D
Great movie for adults and kids to watch. The kids love the food fight scenes and the action
the movie does play but only in my pc, i cannot watch it any other way i have tried, so please just be aware that the format of the disc may be different to the device you are using to play it. appart from that i am happy with the purchase.
I didn’t think I would enjoy a anime with such a odd concept. I highly doubted that it will add up to anything. But whole thing works. Characters introduced are odd. Almost all the characters are odd. The writer must have had quite a loner life when he was growing up. But all comes together. Storyline with all its oddity comes together to give you a satisfying experience. Very enjoyable movie for the whole family.
This is a great movies. One of the funniest I have ever seen. It will take you back to your childhood.