A real, honest to God, kids movie is coming out this weekend and – according to early reviews – it’s actually pretty delicious.
“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” opens across the United States on Friday in normal, 3D and IMAX 3D theaters. It’s an adaptation of a three decade old children’s book of the same name by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. The book is about the town of Chewandswallow where all the weather is food. Rain is soup, snow is mashed potatoes, etc. The film takes that idea but modifies it, giving it an origin. An long time failed inventor (voiced by Bill Hader) finally creates something that works: a machine that makes food fall from the sky. It also features the voices of Anna Farris, James Caan, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris and many others.
Alonso Duralde of MSNBC says that the film is “overstuffed with enough sight gags to delight children, while throwing in healthy dollops of wordplay and absurdist humor to keep their adult chaperones entertained as well.” Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel agrees, saying that the film is “A delicious farce and a backhanded slap at America the Obese, it may be the funniest animated film of the year.”
Even the negative reviews are still positive, in a way. Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly says that “at a svelte 81 minutes, this meal drags on too long…. A nice turn from Mr. T keeps the grade (barely) above C level.”
Besides all the flying funny and food, the big turn-on for this movie, for both kids an adults, is the 3D. If you can see it that way, it’s surely recommended.
Check back to KidGlue next week for our take on the festivities.
