“You may have seen a meteor shower, but I bet you’ve never seen a shower ‘meatier’ than this.”

Justin’s rating: STEVE!

Justin’s review: What is rarely acknowledged among moviegoers is that a slam-bang awesome, moving soundtrack can be the deciding line between a good movie and a great one.  A masterfully composed theme can get your feet tapping, speed your heart up and pull you into the scene – not to mention help you to recall the film years after if you hear just a scrap of the score.  Hear someone whistle the Jurassic Park theme, or the Harry Potter music (thank you John Williams), and you’ll know what I mean.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has a score that summer epics should be rightfully envious of – it’s sweeping, stirring, playful and energetic, and if by the time the opening technicolor credits pop on the screen you haven’t been sucked into the movie by the music alone, you’re… well, dead inside.  Or wearing earplugs.

Not to say that CWACOM (Cwa-Com!) solely rides on Mark Mothersbaugh’s score; as a matter of fact, it’s an all-around terrific animated flick that makes you recall some of your favorite childhood books: colorful, wacky, imaginative and silly.  Loosely based off the 1978 book of the same name, CWACOM has no problem starting us with an idea so ludicrous, it helps us to proceed to super-ludicrous later on.

Meet Flint Lockwood, a wacky inventor-slash-nerd whose inventions never quite work right.  But when he constructs a device that turns water into food and then accidentally shoots it up into the clouds, it suddenly starts raining food.  Yum.  Forget all the logistics of rotting leftover food, ants and your favorite aunt being brained into a coma by a falling crouton, the town of Swallow Falls thinks it’s just ducky – and the town mayor (Bruce Campbell) thinks it might put them back on the map.

Flint’s life, which already wasn’t that normal, becomes all twisty-turvy with newfound fame and the attraction of a weathergirl (Anna Faris).  But things go bad, as you’d expect, and Flint eventually discovers that he might have doomed the entire world – starting with the landmarks first – to a foodocalypse.  Man, my spellchecker did not like that last word.  You know what, Mr. Spellchecker?  Shakespeare made up like 14 new words every day, and nobody got on his back about it, so cut me a break!

They say don’t play with your food, but the filmmakers break that rule, and to wonderful effect here.  Spaghetti twisters, grilled cheese sandwich boats, ice cream “snow days”, and sentient rotisserie chickens are only the tip of the foodberg (shut UP spellchecker!).  Couple that with oddities such as Neil Patrick Harris in the GREATEST ROLE OF HIS LIFE – playing the voice of Steve the monkey – and you have a movie that keeps you giggling and entertained right to the end credits.

So, yeah: Neil Patrick Harris, Bruce Campbell, and Mr. T – they will all beat you to death if you don’t see this movie.  With a giant banana.  Don’t be a fool!

Intermission!

• Based on the best selling children’s book of the same name.
• In one scene, a rainbow of little colored bite-sized candies ends in children’s mouths. This is a reference to Skittles, a fruity bite-sized candy whose slogan is “Taste The Rainbow”.

Groovy Quotes

Flint Lockwood: Come on, Steve. We’ve got a diem to carpe!

‘Baby’ Brent: [running while carrying a pair of giant scissors] I shouldn’t be running with these!

Tim Lockwood: Not every sardine was meant to swim, son.
Young Flint: I don’t understand fishing metaphors!

Earl Devereaux: My chest hairs are tingling! Something’s wrong.

Flint Lockwood: I’ve never actually been in a snowball fight.
Sam Sparks: Really?
Flint Lockwood: I don’t even know the rules. Is there like a point system, or is it to the death?
Sam Sparks: No. You never? I mean, look, even Steve is throwing chocolate snowballs. Ew.

Manny: You are going to need a co-pilot.
Sam Sparks: You are a pilot, too?
Manny: Yes. I am also a particle physicist.
Sam Sparks: Really?
Manny: No, that was a joke. I am also a comedian.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Despicable Me
• Shrek