film review: Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
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For whatever reason, I missed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs when it first came out. It was a decision I regretted, I go to a lot of kids films and by all accounts Cloudy, along with How To Train Your Dragon was one of the best in recent years.
Thankfully though, through the miracle of Netflix, I was able to catch up in time to go see the much anticipated (by others) sequel. The first Cloudy was a riotous, fun, colourful adventure, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 ramps that up and adds an all new dimension. Cute.
Super cute.
Uber cute you might say.
It’s so cute, I was glad I was eating popcorn, I don’t think I could have taken more sweetness. Especially not marshmallows, that would have been a crime after seeing those little smiling marshmallow faces.
For those unfamiliar with the first film, I have to recommend you watch it as this is a direct sequel, picking up straight after the events of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. You might still enjoy 2 but it’ll definitely make much more sense if you see this first. It’s currently available on Netflix so there’s really no excuse not to take a look.
If you’re going to choose to eschew it though, here’s the gist…
On the tiny island town of Swallow Falls, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, lives Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) – our friendly neighbourhood inventor. The town is on the verge of collapse after its only source of income, the local sardine cannery, closes down. With no way to buy food the town’s only food source is the see, and that means… sardines. Ever the inventor, and hater of sardines, Flint tasks himself with inventing a machine that can turn water into food. He calls it the FLDSMDFR. As you do.
Somehow, he accidentally launches his machine into the sky, and it starts raining food. Which is fine, till the food starts to mutate into GIANT food, threatening to crush the town. An adventure to stop the machine ensues… and this being a kids film, all’s well that ends well.
Except that their town is now covered in an avalanche of food.
This is where Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up.
With the town a disaster zone, super-inventor Chester V, CEO of Live Corp (kind of like a science-based hybrid of Apple and Google) sweeps in to tidy up the town. Stuff happens (no spoilers here!) and 6 months down the line Flint and co. go back to the island to discover that’s it’s been taken over by a host of colourful living food. Cue the Jurassic Park references. And yes, some of it is monstrous. And some of it is incredibly cute. Uber cute.
I loved this film. It’s funny, adorable, exciting and, above all, beautiful. It’s a stunning looking film. And so imaginative, the introduction of the “foodimals” gives the artist a chance to let their imaginations run wild. Shrimpanzees, tacodiles, watermelophant, mosquitoast, susheep and many many others all populate this colourful, exciting world. We also get some new characters, in the form of “food people”. Look out for the Pickles, Barry, Leek and the aformentioned Marshmallows on the go.
The makers of Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs 2 have not rested on their laurels, this is no re-hash of the first film, they’ve really built on the rich world created in Cloudy. This is definitely one of the best kids film sequels I’ve seen.
There’s no reason not to go to this film, adult or child alike. Unless of course you don’t like fun. Or cute things. So cute.
Watch the first film right now and get thee to a cinema from this Friday, 25th October 2013.
8.5/10
PS. If anyone could send me on a plush Barry the Berry toy that would just make my life. You couldn’t eat those little smiling faces!
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